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There are risks in just about every decision we make, but we often don’t know what they’re going to be. As a prospective video game angel investor, you’re sinking your time and money into somebody else’s project, trusting that they’ll do the necessary things with both. Though you know what is at risk, it’s often difficult to gauge the overall cost, which can make or break your opportunity of getting involved in the gaming industry.

As we dig a little deeper into the costs of being a video game angel investor, you’ll learn about:

• The barrier to entry for angel investing
• The benefits of angel investing
• The potential for growth as an investor

What Keeps Angels from Investing

Angel investors have a lot to consider when sinking their money into a video game developer. These tend to be their barriers to entry, which may keep them from putting their funding into an indie developer’s work. One of the more significant barriers is the saturated market of developers with games in production. With a set amount set aside for funding, investors need to make the best decision, and knowledge of the industry and which games will land well with players can be difficult.

You may also find that you’re competing with other investors, so you’ll want to determine how you’ll help the developer progress. Sometimes, it’s not just about the money, and you need to bring a concrete understanding of how the video game industry and the consumer work. Can you offer advice if things aren’t going well?

It will take some research, such as looking at sales patterns of similar games, reviewing the developer’s track record, and studying how they function as a team. Making the wrong decision can cost everything, so it’s essential to move forward only when those barriers have been assessed. It can be intimidating to invest in a new video game project, but those that invest wisely can be met with some sizable rewards.

Reaping the Rewards of Angel Investing

There is one very obvious reward for investing, and that’s a return on your investment. Working with a productive and skilled developer can absolutely lead to more money in your wallet, but there’s another benefit to being an angel investor in the gaming industry.

A developer that releases one successful game will likely bring another to the market, and you’ll be at the front of the line as a trusted party. Depending on how close to the first project you were, you may even be tapped for ideas as development progresses. And, because you showed success as an investor, you may be able to spread your resources to other projects.

By becoming an angel investor, you’ll also walk away with an understanding of the industry that you may not have had before. Maybe you’ll take what you’ve learned, expand your portfolio, and turn to publishing.

Video Game Accelerator Can Find You Success

Networking is an integral part of investing, and in such a vast industry full of developers and opportunities, it helps to have someone to navigate. A video game accelerator like Global Top Round can connect you with developers that will make the most of your funding.

Global Top Round connects with publishers looking for financial assistance in funding their development projects. The accelerator also offers a financial strategy, so there’s no question of where your money will go and how it will be spent. You’ll have the necessary tools at your disposal to make an educated decision on which video games you should invest in.

Your Options and Make a Choice

If you’re looking to be a video game angel investor, there’s one thing you’ll absolutely have to do – make a choice. Work with an accelerator like Global Top Round to ease some of the difficulty of networking and confidently move forward with funding a project that’s sure to be a success.

Developer Rogue Snail and publisher Gearbox Publishing have today announced a publishing deal to bring Rogue Snail’s upcoming free-to-play multiplayer co-op adventure game Relic Hunters Legends to market. The deal, reviewed by gaming accelerator Global Top Round, provides Rogue Snail with the publishing and marketing support the company needs to ensure the highest chance of success upon launch.

In Relic Hunters Legend, players can experience a galactic adventure with up to 4 friends online. In this touching tale of friendship and time-travel, find awesome loot, customize Hunters with deep RPG systems and experience the next-generation of top-down shooter combat with gorgeous and innovative mix of 2D and 3D visuals.

“We are excited to partner with Rogue Snail to bring Relic Hunters Legend to life,” said Steve Gibson, president of Gearbox Publishing. “We have a love for looter-shooters at Gearbox, and we can’t wait to take what we’ve learned to help this amazing team.”

"We have been working closely with Gearbox Publishing for the past 2 years, and it feels great to finally announce our partnership to the world,” said Mark Venturelli, CEO of Rogue Snail. “The synergy between our companies is amazing, and Relic Hunters Legend has been elevated by it for sure. We can't wait to show more of the game in the coming months!"

“We’re thrilled to have helped structure the deal with Rogue Snail. Our goal at GTR has always been to find the best developers and help them improve their projects to the highest standards,” said Pontus Mähler, Vice President at Global Global Top Round. “Gearbox Publishing is a publisher we’ve been wanting to work with for a long time. It is the perfect partner to help Rogue Snail thrive and continue building out the Relic Hunters universe. The possibilities are endless.”

Global Top Round opens game pitch submissions for Arctic Game Week event
Global studios attending AGW given chance to attend GTR annual conference

SWEDEN — April 22, 2022 — Global gaming accelerator Global Top Round, is bringing an exclusive game pitch event to Arctic Game Week (May 25-28), the premier games industry event in Sweden. The Arctic Game Pitch event, taking place on May 27, allows game studios from around the world to submit their pitch decks and games for consideration to win multiple prizes including a free slot as a Top 20 studio at the 2022 Global Top Round Conference.

GTR, a subsidiary of GXC, is an annual accelerator program that chooses ten gaming startups from around the world every year, and actively supports their growth with investment, networking, and guidance with the goal of reaching publishing deals with the world’s leading industry partners and securing additional investments.

In addition to a seat at the conference, GTR is also awarding two studios a voucher to G.Round, the industry-leading gaming feedback and market analytics platform. G.Round gives game studios better development direction for their titles pre-launch and helps increase their chances of success at launch.

The event voting delegation includes 10 major publishers such as Tilting Point, Focus, Curve, Team 17, Thunderful, 505 Games and Neon Doctrine as well as 10 large international influencers.

Studios can submit their pitch deck and playable builds to the Arctic Game Pitch event here. Winners will be announced at Arctic Game Week on May 27.

About Arctic Game Week Arctic Game Week is a week filled with game events that features everything from industry conferences and networking to the Nordsken Festival. It is a platform for new transmedia businesses where IPs (intellectual properties) are the core. Arctic Game Week is the perfect opportunity to connect, interact and do business with the game industry in Scandinavia. Arctic Game Week is organized by Arctic Game and Nordsken (a non-profit organization) and is arranged in Skellefteå, Sweden on May 25-28th. For more information visit www.arcticgameweek.com

Arctic Game is an organization that is working to create a strategic platform for the games industry in northern Sweden. In this area there are about 75 game companies and studios, about 500 professionals working in this industry and 16 game educations at university and higher vocational educations. Arctic Game is now northern Europe’s fastest growing game cluster.

For more information visit arcticgamelab.com

If you’ve ever taken a moment to browse the Steam library, you’ve likely noticed the bounty of independently developed titles. While many will fail to take off, a handful always takes the platform by storm. And Steam is only one of several different storefronts. As an investor, trying to get in on a successful development project is risky, but it’s a risk worth taking.

Before you set out into the world of game development, you’ll want to be comfortable with these key concepts:

• Knowing how to network to find the right talent
• Understanding which tools will drive your search
• Pinpointing what makes a game worthy of your investment

Network, Expand the Talent Pool

Before you can invest your money, you need to have a decent-sized pool of talent worth considering. Networking is your best bet, as it puts you in contact with the individuals and projects worth investing your money into. During this phase, you’re taking the opportunity to know what’s available and who needs investors to keep their project afloat. When you’re networking, you’re scoping out the playing field, weighing your options, and weeding out variables that make you uncomfortable.

Find Where Developers Gather

There are several different outlets for networking with indie video game developers, and you’re going to want to use all of them. These are some of the most popular outlets to try:

Reddit

Indie game developers migrate to a few subreddits, and you’ll want to keep an eye on them. Paying close attention to who’s posting and what they’re posting can help you find a game worth investing in. Follow subreddits like r/IndieDev and r/gamedev to scout developers that may need angel investors.

Discord

Like Reddit, Discord features channels where independent developers gather to ask questions, talk about their games, and discuss their development process. Game Dev Network and Game Dev League are great places to start when looking to invest in a new game.

Social Media

You can use several social media sites to network, but LinkedIn may be the best to start with. Since it’s geared toward professionals, you’re more likely to find serious discussion about projects in progress. Through LinkedIn, you can also directly contact developers to get the conversation started.

LinkedIn has a Groups feature, and you should consider joining:

• Game Developers
• Indie Games Developer
• Game Design Professionals

Conventions

Despite being in the digital age, in-person networking is still a popular option. Game developers frequently rent booths at conventions and expos to share their projects, and typically, they’re still works-in-progress. This face-to-face engagement helps you better assess whether you’re comfortable investing in their project.

Global Top Round

If the task of finding game projects worth investing in seems daunting, enlisting the help of Global Top Round is a worthwhile option. GTR has direct access to an ever-growing network of independent game developers, many in need of funding to keep their projects moving. There is an extensive vetting process to ensure that only the most promising developers with a functional project demo are optioned for investments.

Spotting the Games Worth Investing In

Being an angel investor in the gaming industry can come with risks, especially if you’re not sure how to determine which games are worth funding. A good rule of thumb is that there should be a playable demo. You need to know that the game can actually be in the hands of gamers and not just displayed through pre-rendered video.

You’ll also want to return to Reddit, Discord, and social media to see if players are excited about the project. If there is a lot of chatter about a specific game, you may want to consider being an angel investor in that project.

Trust Your Instincts, Make Your Move

As a video game angel investor, the last thing you want to do is sit on something for too long. You will have to pull the trigger to find success, and sometimes it’s all about trusting your instincts. If you’ve done the homework and utilized essential platforms like Global Top Round, then you should feel comfortable moving forward with an investment.

Kirstin Bosc has joined GXC as Director of Partnerships and will lead efforts to build and further relationships with governments, trade organizations, education, associations, accelerators and incubators, supporting G.Round and Global Top Round.

Venture-focused program aims to invest more than $2 million annually in studios

After seven years in the games industry, accelerator Global Top Round, a subsidiary of GXC, is expanding its business by launching a new seed investment program. The GTR Seed Program lasts all year long and will allocate between $150,000 - $300,000 in seed funding to 5-7 studios each. These startups are at a later stage than the early stage startups than the top 10 accepted in the GTR Accelerator.

The program will allow GTR studios to pitch themselves and kick-off with a three month work plan together before any deal is made. Similar to its accelerator program, GTR will work with each partner to maximize self-publishing, publisher, or venture capital plans.

This expansion was made possible by GTR”s parent company, GXC, recently raising more than $13.8 million in Series A funding over the last year. The funding was led by KNET Investment Partners LLC, Korea Development Bank, Hana Financial, Tiger Asset Management, with participation from others.

“We’re excited to branch into the realm of seed funding venture capital with our new program,“ said Pontus Mahler, Vice President of Global Business Development at GTR. “Whereas our accelerator program has traditionally worked with early stage startups to build a foundation, this program will focus more on what later stage startups can do to take their projects to the next level. We’re looking at the future of multi-million dollar developments.”

GTR is an accelerator program that chooses ten gaming startups from around the world every year, and actively supports their growth with investment, networking, and guidance with the goal of reaching publishing deals with the world’s leading industry partners and securing additional investments. GTR has already invested in more than 55 game companies in the United States, the UK, Brazil, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Korea, Malaysia and more.

Another incredible month of growth for us means we’re continuing to grow our awesome team! We’re hiring a variety of positions and want YOU to join. Below are the jobs we’re looking to fill this month. Only apply if you’re looking to join a company with awesome people, fun things to do, and a cycle of never-ending opportunities.

Store Manager (Anywhere) - Email CV and Cover Letter to pontus@globaltopround.com
We’re looking for a store manager that can lead our merchandising and G.Round store teams to the moon! You’ll oversee the operations of our store, making sure it runs smoothly and efficiently. You understand global ecommerce and the respective policies in each region as well as the general ecommerce landscape. In addition, you’re not afraid to test out the store, arrange merchandise photo shoots, manage supplier relations, and handle the finances and budget of merchandising. Speaking Mandarin is a big plus.

Graphic Designer (Bangkok) - Apply here
We are hiring for a Graphic Designer, who can deliver projects to a high standard, demonstrating creativity, quality, and consistency. You should be experienced with the right tools including Adobe Creative Suite; Photoshop & IllustratorExperience in creating digital and physical assets, knowledge of layouts, graphic fundamentals, visual composition, logo, typography, packaging, print, and web (socials/websites formats & layouts)

Data Manager (Anywhere) - Apply here
A Data Manager who owns the production and delivery of analytical projects supporting the organization, including supporting various assessments, and ensuring they are delivered on-time and within scope. The Data Manager will undertake the full lifecycle activities of data analytics including requirements, design, data cleaning, developing analysis and reporting capabilities and be able to manage data analytics projects end-to-end.

Community Manager (Anywhere) - Apply here
A Community Manager who can deliver engaging and stellar experiences with our consumers on Discord and Twitter. This role will be tasked with being the face of our community platforms and the first point of contact for gamers. You’ll work on fun social media campaigns, stay on top of trends and fads that gamers love, and work to build our following each week.

Global game company GXC has today announced two new management hires to lead Global Top Round and G.Round.

GXC has raised an additional $9.1 million in Series A funding. The round follows a $4.73 million Series A investment that took place in April of last year. The funding was led by KNET Investment Partners LLC., with participation from Korea Development Bank, Tiger Asset Management Discretionary Invest, Vision-Creator, and Megazone.

GXC is the tech-based holding company of game service platform G.Round and gaming accelerator program Global Top Round (GTR). G.Round is a community-based tool that helps development studios refine and polish their upcoming video games with market-data feedback. Since its release in July 2020, about 235,000 gamers in more than 240 regions have actively used the platform. The GTR accelerator chooses ten gaming startups from around the world every year, and actively supports their growth with investment, networking, and guidance with the goal of reaching publishing deals with the world’s leading industry partners. GTR has already invested in more than 55 game companies in the United States, the UK, Brazil, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Korea, Malaysia and more.

GXC plans to use this investment to expand G.Round’s offerings which include mobile optimization, personalization, crowdfunding, and data services. GTR also plans to expand its investment in the game content business to secure content acquisition with high quality partners. Additionally, GXC aims to launch its third branch of business, which will be a data-driven VC game investment fund. GXC’s new game fund will accelerate the business of fast-growing and promising game startups in the growth stage. The game fund will be invested in the gaming sector through a systematic approach based on a mix of user data from the G.Round platform and conventional evaluation methods.

“We’re accelerating the market need for video game data and community-based feedback through our platform,” said Rick Nahm, co-founder of GXC. “By combining valuable data, an investment fund, and networking, we believe we’re providing game startups with what the industry has lacked for so long - proper resources.”

For the last six years, GTR has traveled around the world for the annual Global Top Round (GTR) Conference. Hawaii, Cologne, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Busan, Malta, and now - for this year’s conference - Singapore. Each conference offers a unique experience and an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals in the gaming industry. But what exactly does that mean? What is it like to attend the GTR Conference?

Let’s take a look at previous conferences and revisit successes of the past before looking towards the future:

We’ve talked about the GTR Conference many times before but for those that don’t know, the conference is held annually and brings together some of the most well-known investors, publishers, and partners in the global games industry as well as the top 20 finalists competing to be included in GTR’s accelerator program. During the conference, these finalists show off their projects to attendees, and ten are inducted into the program.

There are dozens of challenges that game creators and developers can come across when building their projects. GTR’s goal is to help smaller teams achieve their goals by creating a sustainable path to success. Just a few of our success stories include: Zombie Sweeper (Arc Game Studio, Korea), Relic Hunters: Legend (Rogue Snail, Brazil), Orphan Age (Black Flag Studios, France), Stray Blade (Point Blank Games, Germany), Dordogne (MOCA, France) and Fractured (Dynamight Studios, Italy).

The Experience
What can you expect when you open the doors (physically or digitally) into the GTR Conference? We know all too well the exciting feeling you get when you head into an event like this. There are dozens of conversations going on at once while everyone is chatting and looking forward to the day's activities. No doubt there are more than a few coffees floating around in the hands of those who couldn’t sleep. Trust us, we feel the same way and here’s what to expect:

Game Pitches
We are always incredibly excited to hear from the 20 selected finalists at the GTR Conference every year. These finalists are chosen because their projects have blown us away. The conference gives these studios a chance to show off their game to the attendees, tell everyone what they’ve been working on, as well as their plans for the future. Attendees can expect to see screenshots, gameplay footage, and more. Each project gets seven minutes and all 20 projects get their chance to present.

Panels


The panels at the GTR conference normally consist of multiple speakers with backgrounds and knowledge on the selected topic. This year’s panel topics include: Game Publishing and Game Investment — both subjects that anyone in the games industry could benefit from. Attendees should expect in-depth answers from our diverse group of panelists as they discuss and debate the constantly changing and growing industry that we’re all passionate about.

Guests, Meetings and Discussions
While our values and goals stay the same, our conference changes every year. We want the GTR conference to be new and exciting each time it comes around. Which is why each year we bring together different speakers from varying backgrounds and areas within the games industry. In previous years we’ve spoken with folks including: Bobby Wertheim (Direct of Content at SEGA Europe), Sebastian Weber (Business Development Manager at Deep Silver, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin (Vice President at MDEC), Teddy Dief (Creative Director at Square Enix Montréal) and many more.

On day one at this year’s conference, there will be an introduction to PlayDapp, a Blockchain-based service platform for games, along with the previously mentioned introduction to the twenty conference finalists. Day two has Global Top Round’s own Rick Nahm and Pontus Mähler introducing G.Round, the global gaming community platform that each of the finalists will be using to help refine and perfect their upcoming games. Day two is also exciting as attendees will see some familiar faces from GTR Cohort Studios: Big Moxi Games, Dynamite Studios, MOCA, Point Blank Games, Rogue Snail, and Exalted Studios.

Gameplay Session & The Top 10 Choices


What would a games-centric conference be without a chance to actually play some games? That’s why the Global Top Round Conference includes a Gameplay Session where attendees can sit down and try out available demos. Jump into the unique worlds each game studio has created, meet new characters, master the unique gameplay — after all that’s what games are all about. This is your chance to see the early stages of great upcoming games and even have discussions with their studio heads.

Arguably the most anticipated event of the GTR conference every year is the selection of which ten studios will be inducted into our accelerator program. It’s a decision we don’t take lightly. After the announcement, those selected will join the GTR family and will get assistance from us from the very start to the game’s launch and beyond.

The purpose of the Global Top Round Conference has always been to bring together amazing members of our great community and allow for growth, networking, and opportunities that might not otherwise be accessible. We hope that this has given some insight into exactly what you can expect to experience if you join us at future conferences. See you soon!

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With our annual event coming up soon, we want to share a bit more about the GTR Annual Investment Conference.

We'll share everything about the experience, the game pitches, our panels and much more in the linked article here:

We're looking forward to meeting everyone or see you online for the conference that will take place the 15th and 16th of october in Singapore and over at the digital platform tulu.la.

Global Top Round expands team of experts with Max Kübler, previously a producer, and Head of Publishing for Crunching Koalas

LOS ANGELES - July 8th, 2021. Global game company GXC has announced its accelerator Global Top Round has officially onboarded Max Kübler. Max has been in the gaming industry for over 10 years, starting off as a Producer for Deck 13 in 2010 eventually becoming a Senior Producer working on titles like “Lords of the Fallen” and “The Surge”. His final years with the company served as Business Development Manager. He then moved to a bigger role with Crunching Koalas as the company’s Head of Publishing.

“Global Top Round has been growing quickly in the last few years, with more than $12M raised in 2020 and several deals closed in 2021 already. With growth comes talent, and adding the producer background of Max allows us to support our studios even more and adds a new skill set to our internal team allowing us to reach new levels,” said Pontus Mähler, Director of Business Development at Global Top Round

Max will support the internal portfolio companies at GTR which includes over 50+ investments in 28 countries with their needs and growth to make more successful game businesses. He will also be leading the charge in scouting for new talent to add to GTR’s yearly Top 10 investments.

About GXC

GXC looks to establish a healthy ecosystem in gaming by identifying the gaps, deficiencies, and unmet needs in the sector. In a revolutionary attempt, GXC has set a tripod of a model with GTR the accelerator, G.Round the user data driven platform, and Round Ventures the data driven investment vehicle to tend to unmet needs and create enormous synergy with GXC’s gaming ecosystem.

About Global Top Round

Global Top Round is a Global game startup accelerator whose mission is to support small studios from all over the world with development, publishing and fundraising. Since 2015 Global Top Round has supported over 50 game studios worldwide via their GTR Accelerator program, which sees 10 new games added every year.

Global Top Round works with worldwide partners for Publishing (NetEase, Nexon, Gameforge, Gamigo, Deep Silver amongst others) and Investors (NCsoft, Neowiz, Line Games, Colopl Next amongst others)

GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround

Media contact
Wahid@VicariousPR.com

Funding led by KONAI Partners, Hana Financial Investment Co., Ltd, SangSang Ventures, Enlight Ventures, and other investors.



JEJU, KOREA - June 23th, 2021. Game platform GXC announced today that it has raised $4.73 million in a Series A equity investment. The investment round was led by various investors such as KONAI Partners, Hana Financial, SangSang Ventures, and Enlight Ventures. With its previous funding round of $2.25 million from DS Asset, and DS&Partners, GXC’s total valuation reached approximately $36 million.

GXC is the holding company of game service platform G.Round, a community-based tool aimed to help studios refine and polish their upcoming video games with market-data feedback. The investment follows a milestone for G.Round, which has seen more than 150,000 gamers across 240 countries using it since its alpha launch in July 2020. With G.Round, game developers can improve the development process and completion of their projects before launch while also targeting global markets using test data. The platform produces valuable user data to help studios get publisher and investor interest. So far, 90 projects have been tested globally through G.Round.

Based on this investment, GXC aims to expand its global game testing to the mobile sector by launching a service for G.Round by the end of this year. In addition, after testing, GXC plans to provide a data subscription service to publishers who want to source global game content in earnest from next year through the advancement of the online data analysis system for user/region preferences, and to date GXC has already secured partnerships with 40 global publishers as partners.

Another core part of GXC’s business includes gaming accelerator program Global Top Round (GTR). The accelerator chooses ten gaming startups from around the world every year and supports their growth with investment and guidance. GTR plays an increasingly important role in establishing G.Round in the global market. GTR has already invested in more than 50 game companies in the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, Korea, Sweden, Spain, Italy, and Malaysia. GTR will reveal multiple new titles and publishing partnerships later this year.

“There has never been a greater need for video game market data and community-based feedback than now,” said Rick Nahm, Chief Operating Officer of GXC. “Our platform and mission is derived around instantaneous, in-depth data for game developers to improve every facet of their projects by leveraging global analytics. It’s time to scale and expand our business by tapping new demographics.”

Media interviews with GXC executives are available upon request.

About GXC

GXC looks to establish a healthy ecosystem in gaming by identifying the gaps, deficiencies, and unmet needs in the sector. In a revolutionary attempt, GXC has set a tri-pod of a model with GTR the accelerator, G.Round the user data driven platform, and Round Ventures the data driven investment vehicle to tend to unmet needs and create enormous synergy with GXC’s gaming ecosystem.

Media contact
Wahid@VicariousPR.com

Global Top Round closed deals totaling over $10 Million the year of 2020, and strengthens its advisory board for further growth

Overview

LOS ANGELES - February 10th, 2021. Global Top Round (GTR), an interactive accelerator devoted to supporting early stage studios from around the world has invested in over 40+ studios in the course of the last five years. Every year 10 studios are picked, accepted into the acceleration program and get support throughout the years.

“Big Moxi Games, in Porto Alegre, Brazil 2019 GTR Batch”

With the closing of the year of 2020, GTR has announced the closing of over $10,000,000+ worth of deals in 2020 alone. Due to NDA’s and other commitments they are unable to mention the full amounts and exact commitments at this time, but the deals will continue to be publicly announced throughout the next 2 years.

Thanks to its years of experience in working with their network of proven partners, GTR strives to find the best and most sustainable partnerships that benefit the studio, as well as the partners equally. Closing 2020, it has been proven more than ever that GTR’s model is becoming more efficient, and greater by each year. GTR expects the public announcement of each deal to come out consistently over the next 2 years.

2019 Cohort Studios:

• 7 studio investments, 6 of them struck significant follow-on funding or publishing deals.

2020 Dealflow:

• Deals over $1,000,000: 4+
• Deals over $250,000: 7+
• Deals over $100,000: 3+

Global Top Round works with worldwide partners for Publishing (NetEase, Nexon, Gameforge, Gamigo, Deep Silver, 505 Games, Ubisoft amongst others) and Investors (NCsoft, Neowiz, Line Games, Colopl Next amongst others) to closely review GTR’s Games to grow the GTR Studios. As well as with a wide network of High Net Worth individuals for Angel Investments.

GTR states that there were over 15+ deals signed in 2020, all currently under wraps totaling in over $10,000,000 and that they will be released overtime in the coming years. The funding granted has been a mix of Angel Investments, Grants, Equity Funding, Publisher Investment, VC Investment as well as Crowdfunding. They look forward to continuing 2021 with signing more deals and securing the future for a large amount of their studios.

Recently GTR announced their Top 10 picks of 2020 and you can find that article here;
https://www.globaltopround.com/articles.html?cat=events&article=2021012101

Alongside closing a lot of deals in 2020, GTR has announced the addition of 2 major profiles in the gaming industry, namely Stefan Lampinen and Frank Sliwka.





Quotes:

“The GTR team is super proud of our 2020 performance and we hope we can continue to grow in the coming years. The addition of Stefan and Frank will help expedite the growth of our studios and GTR“, said Rick Nahm, Co-Founder and COO at Global Top Round

“There are great opportunities for regions and cities to plan for the next generation of Gameplay looking 5 years ahead and the number of new gaming clusters and start-up hubs has increased substantially in the last 3-4 years. GTR accelerator program is a good alternative to propel the development”, said Stefan Lampinen, GTR Advisor

“Global Top round fills a gap in the industry with its accelerator program and establishes itself as a globally successful support for the studios that are working with the GTR team. I'm delighted to be part of the GTR team”, said Frank Sliwka, GTR Advisor

About Global Top Round
Global Top Round is a Global game startup accelerator whose mission is to support small studios from all over the world with development, publishing and fundraising. Since 2015 Global Top Round has supported over 50 game studios worldwide via their GTR Accelerator program, which sees 10 new games added every year.

There is a common misconception that the GTR Acceleration program is very short, as the website states 6 months acceleration program. While it’s true that the first 6 months are more intense, GTR strives to support its studios for years to come. With the announcements of today, they emphasize this even more.

Key Reference materials:

• GTR 2019 Conference Busan : https://2019.globaltopround.com/
• 2019 Highlights : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround/videos/266431434788992/
• GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround

Media contact Global Top Round
pontus@globaltopround.com

Global Top Round has picked its Top 10 Game Studios to work with for the next few years. Each studio will be supported with publishing, business strategy and investments across the globe

Overview

SILICON VALLEY - January 21th, 2021. Global Top Round (GTR), an interactive acceleration devoted to supporting early-stage studios from around the world, has today announced the virtual location of its GTR 2020 Conference.

We had an incredibly tough time selecting the Top 10 studios this year. We had studios from all over the world attending the Conference battling it out for the top slot. Unfortunately, we can’t pick them all. So while we’re saddened we had to pass on a few studios, we’re excited to present this year's Top 10!



GamingMalta

GTR thanks GamingMalta for being an amazing partner for the 2020 Online GTR Conference and are excited to work with them further throughout 2021.



Pineleaf Studios (Norway): is developing Dwarfheim and is situated in Trondheim, Norway currently teamed up with Merge Games to release their incredibly innovative RTS games to the masses. Our first studio in Norway. We can’t wait to see them in full action.



Exalted Studio (France): is developing Big Helmet Heroes. An idle game where you craft your weapons, armors and shield to develop your skills and upgrade your hero. They are a talented team based in Montpellier in the South of France. Our second idle game, after our investment in Epic Guardian, a Top 3 best mobile game selection at the German Developer Awards, in 2016.



Mellowmeat (South Korea): is developing Space Out: Callisto, a top-down action shooter with RPG elements. They aim to create a combative and destructible environment which allows you to craft hundreds of unique skill sets and weaponry to battle through Aliens.



Overflow (Sweden): is a company of 2 talented individuals who are childhood friends. They’ve released 8 commercial titles with the most recent ones being in VR. Now they’re back to PC ready to show their capabilities of developing games. Currently developing Madshot.



UMANIMATION (France): is a company developing Dordogne, an incredible narrative adventure game that immediately caught our eyes. Their team of talented storytellers aim to define the next generation of entertainment content by creating stories people can relate to. A unique game, and a first of its kind in our portfolio.



Viral Studios SL (Spain): is a company based in Badajoz with more than 12 video games developed. They are currently working on a unique game called Lethal Honor Essence. Having completed a successful Kickstarter campaign, they were scouted previously this year to be offered a Top 20 slot. We are happy to welcome them to the GTR Family as a Top 10 a few months later.



Dynamight Studios (Italy): is a studio based in Milan working on “Fractured”, a Sandbox MMORPG that was successfully funded on Kickstarter and has amassed over 90,000 registrations since the beginning of the game. We can’t wait to support them and prepare for the BETA launch in 2021.



Nutfarm (Finland): is a Finnish studio with years of experience from enterprise software, web/app design and other outsourcing gigs. Now they are here to prove themselves in Game Development, with their first title ‘Children of the Eclipse’ - a sci-fi fantasy universe. They are here to stay and prove to the world their talent.



Flat Tail Studios (Sweden): is an indie studio led by the famous Youtuber “BikiniBodhi”. It was founded in 2018 and aims to build titles befitting of an audience. Their first title Last Farewell is a Survival Co-op game where you work together to stay alive for as long as possible. We look forward to increasing the success of their Early Access.



Interactive (Malaysia): is a team of enthusiastic programmers and gamers who have set up a studio in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. They’ve created multiple successful outsourcing projects and are now focused on their internal IPs. Zombie Soup will be their first Original IP scheduled to be released in 2021. We’re excited to support them!



We have an incredible lineup this year, with studios from all over the world. We can’t wait to present our Game Studios once they have grown to become even better businesses to all of our partner investors and publishers. Partners - Watch your inboxes, you’ll have some awesome games with you shortly.

To all of the studios who did not make it, we’d like to give them a shout out and let anyone know - If you want an introduction for potential collaboration to any of these super talented studios, do feel free to send us an email and we will pass you to the right person in the studio.

“2020 was an incredible year for the gaming industry, despite COVID-19, and this has been reflected in our applications this year. We look forward to working together with all the talented teams.” said Rick Nahm, Co-Founder and COO at Global Top Round

“This year we have seen huge interest from studios all over the world, countries that we have not seen before applying to join our program. This year was indeed the most competitive ever. We really look forward to working with the selected Studios and look forward to a long-term collaboration.”, said Pontus Mahler, Director of Business Development at Global Top Round

About Global Top Round
Global Top Round is a global game startup accelerator whose mission is to support small studios from all over the world with development, publishing and fundraising. Since 2015 GTRhas supported over 50 game studios worldwide via their GTR Accelerator program, which sees 10 new games added every year.

GTR works with worldwide partners for Publishing (NetEase, Gameforge, Gamigo, Deep Silver amongst others) and Investors (NCsoft, Neowiz, Line Games, Colopl Next amongst others).

• GTR 2019 Conference Busan : https://2019.globaltopround.com/
• 2019 Highlights : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround/videos/266431434788992/
• GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround

Truly Yours,

The GTR team
Contact us:
pontus@globaltopround.com
rick@globaltopround.com

Global Top Round is hosting their annual investment conference with GamingMalta, to support with publishing, business strategy and investments on a global basis

Overview

SILICON VALLEY - January 13th, 2021. Global Top Round (GTR), an interactive acceleration devoted to supporting early-stage studios from around the world, has today announced the virtual location of its GTR 2020 Conference.

The conference, dedicated to investing and supporting 10+ studios and fostering a healthier ecosystem, is now coming to fruition, in collaboration with GamingMalta. Malta was a natural choice for GTR given its ever-growing reputation as an international hub for game development including the plans to develop an accelerator office space which will provide 700sqm studio/office space for startups in the video game and esports sectors.



Thanks to its years of experience and close network of proven partners, GTR strives to create sustainable futures for game studios, supporting them with development, publishing, and fundraising.

Every year, throughout its invite-only annual conference, GTR hand picks ten of the most promising game studios from around the world. Rogue Snail (Relic Hunters) from Brazil, Point Blank Games (Stray Blade) from Germany, 21c Ducks (Chrono Sword) from Korea, and Big Moxi Games (Wardens) from the US & Brazil are some of the awesome GTR studios to keep an eye on.

Details

The event will run from January 16-17, 2021, respectively with the Top 20 studios GTR hand-picked throughout 2020. Considering the current global health scenario, GTR and GamingMalta would like to communicate that this Conference has been shifted to an online platform, to ensure both safety and compliance. A physical related event held in Malta is scheduled for a later date.

The Top 10 studios of the Conference will be eligible to receive funding starting at $40,000 as an initial investment and the opportunity to participate in GTR’s 6-9-month acceleration program which offers: support for game and business model development, introductions to global publishers and much more. Chosen studios may also receive further investments of up to $360,000 through GTR and its angel network, to further aid company growth.

With the help of Gaming Malta, a local studio by the name of YouRun Ltd, developing the game Warshmallows was able to get introduced to GTR and will now participate in the GTR x GamingMalta annual conference, being eligible for a Top 10 slot and investment. 

The conference represents a unique opportunity to meet and network with promising studios from around the world, GTR partner publishers, investors, as well as distinguished figures from the gaming industry. The Top 10 studios shall be announced at the end of the conference.

More information can be found at - www.globaltopround.com.

Quotes:

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner up with GamingMalta, a Foundation dedicated to develop Malta as the hub for the Gaming Industry. We look forward to seeing the best independent developers across the world in one central place “, said Pontus Mahler, Director of Business Development at Global Top Round

“Welcoming 2021 by hosting the very best global up-and-coming companies in game development is a clear indication that Malta intends on starting the calendar year as it means to go on. We are pleased to announce our partnership with GTR via this Conference and we are keen to open the door to our home of gaming excellence to its participants.”, said Ivan Filletti, Chief of Operations at GamingMalta.

About Global Top Round

Global Top Round is a Global game startup accelerator whose mission is to support small studios from all over the world with development, publishing and fundraising. Since 2015 Global Top Round has supported over 50 game studios worldwide via their GTR Accelerator program, which sees 10 new games added  every year.

Global Top Round works with worldwide partners for Publishing (NetEase, Nexon, Gameforge, Gamigo, Deep Silver amongst others) and Investors (NCsoft, Neowiz, Line Games, Colopl Next amongst others).

GameingMalta

GTR has partnered with GamingMalta, an independent non-profit foundation set up by the Government of Malta and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Tasked with the remit of promoting Malta as a centre of excellence in the digital and remote gaming sector globally, it is also responsible for liaising with the local relevant authorities to improve Malta’s attractiveness as a jurisdiction and enhance the ecosystem surrounding the gaming industry.



Success Cases

GTR is an ever-growing company and in 2020 we are happy to announce we have recently supported the team at Big Moxi Games to support their upcoming title, Wardens, with a funding round of $250,000+, after they were selected as part of the 2019 cohort. The company also recently invested over €300,000 in Point Blank Games to support their title Stray Blade, also part of the 2019 cohort.

Key Reference materials:

• GTR 2019 Conference Busan : https://2019.globaltopround.com/
• 2019 Highlights : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround/videos/266431434788992/
• GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround

Media contact Global Top Round
Pontus Mähler
pontus@globaltopround.com

Media contact Gaming Malta
Malcolm Saleeb
malcolm.saleeb@gamingmalta.org

Game startups worldwide can now apply to get support with publishing, business strategy and planning as well as investment and fundraising

Overview

LOS ANGELES - August 25th, 2020. Global Top Round (GTR), an interactive acceleration devoted to supporting early stage studios from around the world has today announced the opening of its GTR 2020 program for game developers worldwide. The program, dedicated to supporting studios and making a healthier ecosystem in the games industry is now officially accepting applications.



Thanks to its years of experience and close network of proven partners, GTR strives to create sustainable futures for game studios, supporting them with development, publishing and fundraising.

Every year, GTR hand picks ten of the most promising game studios from around the world during its invite only annual GTR conference. Rogue Snail (Relic Hunters) from Brazil, Point Blank Games (Stray Blade) from Germany, 21c Ducks (Chrono Sword) from Korea, and Big Moxi Games (Wardens) from the US & Brazil are some of the awesome GTR studios to keep an eye on.

Details

Applications for the 2020 program will be open until September 30th 2020. The Top 20 studios will be informed privately and invited to the 2020 GTR conference in Malta, with up to $2,000 travel expense reimbursement for airfare and accommodation. GTR conference will take into account the current COVID19 situation, allowing for online participation where travel restrictions are in place.

They will be eligible to receive funding starting at $40,000 as initial investment and participate in GTR’s 6-9 month acceleration program offering support for game and business model development, introductions to global publishers and much more. Chosen studios may also receive further investments of up to $360,000 through GTR’s and its angel network to aid company growth.

The conference represents a unique opportunity to meet and network with promising studios from around the world, GTR partner publishers, investors, as well as distinguished figures from the gaming industry for two full days. The Top 10 studios shall be announced at the end of the conference.

GTR applications can be submitted via the official website - www.globaltopround.com.

Eligibility Criteria

• Must submit playable game-build, and Game Design Document
• No restrictions to genre or platform (PC / Mobile / Console / VR etc)
• Must be able to communicate in English
• Must participate in the two day Conference in Malta, January 2021 if selected Top 20 (up to $2,000 travel cost support)
• Must put best effort into attending GTR on-line/ off-line acceleration programs, if selected Top10 Studio (6 month virtual program)

Success Cases

GTR is an ever-growing company and in 2020 we are happy to announce we have recently supported the team at Big Moxi Games to support their upcoming title, Wardens, with a funding round of $250,000+, after they were selected as part of the 2019 cohort. The company also recently invested over €300,000 in Point Blank Games to support their title Stray Blade, also part of the 2019 cohort.

“2020 is another exciting year for GTR and our worldwide community of developers. We’re thrilled to continue to build our relationships with top teams as we continue our journey to finding and supporting talent at a global scale “, said Pontus Mahler, Director of Business Development at Global Top Round.

About Global Top Round

Global Top Round is a Global game startup accelerator whose mission is to support small studios from all over the world with development, publishing and fundraising. Since 2015 Global Top Round has supported over 50 game studios worldwide via their GTR Accelerator program, which sees 10 new games added every year.

Global Top Round works with worldwide partners for Publishing (NetEase, Nexon, Gameforge, Gamigo, Deep Silver amongst others) and Investors (NCsoft, Neowiz, Line Games, Colopl Next amongst others)

Key Reference materials:

• GTR 2019 Conference Busan : https://2019.globaltopround.com/
• 2019 Highlights : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround/videos/266431434788992/
• GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround

You can reach out to us at pontus@globaltopround.com with any inquiries.

We interviewed Sang Chung, Head of Business at PlayDapp, our blockchain partner. We asked him to tell us a little bit about the platform, and how to integrate video games and blockchain technology!

1. What is your relationship with GTR?

We’ve been working together with GTR for a couple of years now. We want to introduce traditional game developers into our gaming service, and GTR is seeking opportunities to further explore boundaries into the blockchain market. We share knowledge, share our network of game developers in traditional and also in the crypto space. 2. Why focus on putting games on the blockchain?

The traditional gaming industry is restrictive, meaning that developers and publishers are competing with everybody else. They want to get a portion of the market share, but at the same time, they want to keep away from competing companies or competing services. The crypto industry, or blockchain technology itself, is the ideology that everything is shared information, and shared flow of traffic. The database is public and each game developers has individual ownership of that database. Every info related to a gameplay, is actually loaded to the blockchain, and the individual has the data in its digital wallet, and that enables a much more open and co-working environment, where not only developers don't compete with each other, but can help push traffic and content among a diverse portfolio of games.

3. How do you integrate games on PlayDapp?

Technology wise, we are providing an SDK, which includes all the necessary requirements to make the game a blockchain game. It’s not that difficult to implement, but how it is operated with other developers, is the key idea we want to solve. We launched two games we developed in-house, and we made one game with simple mechanics, that works with another game wich has more difficult mechanics. When you play the first game, you will be able to collect these dolls, or collect tools, and you can actually go the second game, and those dolls that you collected, will be in your inventory. These dolls will have specific stats, unique skills that you can actually use in this second game. On the other hand, when you play the second game, you can actually get pieces of a key, that you can combine and bring back to the first game. There is this interchangeability between these two games, and if there’s a third game up and running, that will make the whole mechanic slightly more complex, but more engaging for the gamers.

4. What challenges have you encountered?

For the game developers, trying to figure out how to work with each other. We’ve been trained to compete with one another so far, so any effort or time spent on a game, is lost if you leave it. As a developer, and also as a gamer, we are used to just play one game at a time, but what we’re trying to provide at PlayDapp, is that you don0t have to lose all your effort when you leave a game, but you can translate some of that value into a new game, and also a third game, and so on. Trying to think of creative ways we can make games work with each other is one of the opportunities and difficulties that lies within PlayDapp.

5. What type of games would be ideal for your platform?

We want to keep things simple, for example a lot of match 3 games, or very popular games like Angry Birds. Games with simple mechanics took off, and brought a much wider adoptions of games, so we want to achieve the same results. Our first game is very easy, and has intuitive gameplay. I think it has an easy tutorial for non-gamers too. We’ve seen the traditional industry going from casual, to midcore to hardcore gameplay, so any form of genre at the end of the day is approachable, but right now we want to start off simple rather than complex, and we want to be able to talk individually with each developer.

6. What’s the common misconception about blockchain?

So far, blockchain, crypto-currency or ICO, it’s just a lot of concepts. People are getting funded just on concepts, but we want to prove in action, that PlayDapp is possible. We have two games up and running, it’s a matter of adding a new game and tryng to figure out how to piece them together, trying to conceptualize multi-game operations is our main challenge for adoption.

7. What are your predictions for the future?

I think games in blockchain have potential. There is no standard, or go-to technology stack, no solution available that is suitable for the mass audience yet in the blockchain space. Facebook, Kakao, a lot of the social ventures and global companies in that area are adopting, and preparing to offer their own services. If there is a definite standard that people can adopt readily without having this fragmented technology everywhere, that would make things a lot easier for your everyday user to get into blockchain. Hopefully, that will be set in motion soon, and would lead to massive expansion, like Apple did for the smartphone industry. They set a standard which everybody can easily follow and I predict this will come to the crypto space as well.

Check out PlayDapp: https://playdapp.io/

The transcript of this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

It was the time of the year to go to one of the biggest game festivals in Asia, G-Star! This year, GTR was there to represent one of our own studios, QuantumFrog and their game Voxel Clicker, with a booth at the Indie Game Pavilion from 14^th until 16^th November.

BEXCO, the venue where G-Star is held annually, was magnificent as always, and the B2C showcase boasted exciting upcoming and current games. It was a shame that one of the biggest game companies in Korea, Nexon, had not participated in the event, yet there were plenty of booths and games providing an intense, thrilling experience for everyone. The quality of the booths was very impressive, as were the cosplayers.


The Indie Game Pavilion, where around 30 international indie studios set up their booths, also offered a very enjoyable experience. There were multiple notable games from diverse backgrounds, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know different games and teams from around the world. Of course, it was a great opportunity to showcase our own alumni studio’s game, Voxel Clicker to everyone too. We were very pleased at how Voxel Clicker was received by the publishers and players. It was also a pleasant surprise that our recently joined studio, Portaplay, was showcasing on the other side of the same booth. Needless to say, we thoroughly bonded over the 3 days of showcasing.


One of the aspects of GStar that one can not not mention, is all the parties! Exciting parties with the best minds in the industry was no doubt one of the highlights of GStar. We thoroughly enjoyed the parties and their networking opportunities.


As mentioned above, this year’s G-Star was overall a fun experience, but unfortunately, there were some aspects that we believe could have been handled differently. The clear separation of the booths between the main B2C event in the exhibition centre 1, and the B2B event in the exhibition centre 2 was understandable, due to the different target participants. However, the Indie Game Pavilion was right next to the B2B event in the furthest corner of Exhibition Centre 2, away from the rest of the B2C event, with no guidance or promotion that such B2C exhibition existed in the 2nd exhibition centre. Whilst this positioning enabled a more quiet environment to meet up with nearby publishers and industry associates, it was a shame to miss the opportunity to interact with more players.

Nonetheless, it was a valuable experience and a worthwhile event. See you next year G-Star!

GTR’s alumni studio Thoughtfish from Germany, is proud to announce that their technology COALA is now available on the Unreal Marketplace!

“We are happy to officially announce our partnership with the Unreal Engine! Starting today, our COALA technology will be available on the Unreal Marketplace as a map plugin with real world integration. We are offering COALA’s full functionality as a free download, including an example map that is ready to use and integrate into your own projects. If you are interested in the possibilities COALA opens up for developers, please visit our Unreal store page. You can also check out the two beautiful full fledged map systems that are for sale in the marketplace. For further information and a more detailed look, please watch our new trailer below.

In more concrete terms: COALA is an easy solution for real world data integration, including geolocation, weather, aviation, heights, transportation, nautic data and many more. By combining all this data on one platform, it becomes possible even for smaller developers to create real-word or immersive AR experiences in a time and cost-efficient manner.”

At GTR we are looking forward to see more developers adopt their incredible solution. Curious to see it in action? Join our Discord server, and check the channel #Farmstead!

Try COALA’s technology on Farmstead:
https://discord.gg/WtNzYNX

Check COALA in the Unreal Marketplace:
https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/slug/coala-map-plugin-with-real-world-integration

The first thing that stuck with us after meeting Vlad from our publishing partner Another Indie, it’s his openness and love for gaming culture, that he brings with him during conferences and events around the world. We were so excited to talk to him about his work and get him to share some tips about publishing an indie game in China.

Vlad is currently working at Another Indie, a publishing company based in Taiwan, with a focus on releasing titles globally. He has been working with Another Indie for 4 years, when the company was merely established. He used to work at EA games, back when they were working on “Need for Speed: Carbon” and “Army of Two”. He then moved to Microsoft in the engineering field, before he joined Another Indie.

1. How long have you been a partner with GTR?

Peter Van Dyke introduced us three years ago; it was the first time that I was visiting BIC in Busan. Peter told us about GTR, and ended up meeting. After that, my colleague Iain went to one of the conferences and did a speech. We sponsored the 2018 Malaysian conference in Kuala Lumpur, and since then we started working together on a few games from GTR.

2. What should developers prepare before meeting with a publisher?

In our case is very easy, we need a playable demo, so we can actually try the game, and a pitch deck helps, as well as a GDD (Game Development Document), so we know how far the game is in development, and what’s the plan. Also, a list of what the developers are looking for from the publisher: do they need marketing help, do they need localization, do they need porting support, or help with getting dev kits, do they need any funding? If they do need funding, how much money they need and for how long. They should also do their due diligence, and talk to other developers that worked with said publisher, to see how it is, so they don’t get screwed over.

3. What are the criteria usually reviewed to benchmark a game?

We usually look if the game is fun, if it’s playable. If we like it, we usually set up a day, where everybody in the company plays the game that we get pitched, and we play through, we check if it’s something that everybody enjoyed, if it’s something we would work with, and if it fits into our schedule. If you have a playable build, thats it’s all that is required, and we don’t have a specific category, we just look if something fits with us, with our team or not. It depends of course, if they want to publish the game in China, then it’s a whole different process, because there’s a lot of different things to look at.

4. What game genre do you prefer as a publisher?

For me, I like action RPGs, like “Tomb Raider”, the “Uncharted” game series, and also top down adventure games. I am also a big fan of ARPGS, but those are difficult to publish and work with.

5. What are some common challenges you face when signing with a studio?

Most of the time, it’s the time zone differences because we always end up working remotely, since the studios are all over the world, and coordinating things when it comes to launch, or press releases and announcement dates. We have to make sure the developers have everything ready on time, like assets, or assess that the build is playable. We have a lot of guys asking how to make a showcase build, what does the showcase build needs to have, so when they display the games at Pax or other events, we have something made just for that, and that will attract people to the booth to see the game; or they ask how to make a specific press build. I guess the biggest hurdle is to make the developers follow the guidelines, and get them to listen to what we say, because a lot of the times we give them advice, and they would reply ‘Well, we don’t think it’s a good idea’, and then when we do an open beta, they get a lot of feedback from the players saying the same thing as we did. At that point they would say ‘That actually makes sense, we should do that now’.

6. What makes a game successful in your opinion?

There is no formula for success. Obviously I am a little biased here, but you should get a publisher to help you, because there is a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy that goes into launching a game. Plus, a publisher will also have the contacts within the industry, for example with Nintendo, PlayStation or Xbox, and they can help you pitch the game, same with Epic Store, or when contacting Steam. You would need to have your game ready, your partners ready, make sure your company is properly set up, so you don’t incur any crazy taxes. Make sure you have all the assets ready, and that you contacted your press and influencers. Also, build up your community, the more people you get hyped before your game releases, for example on your Discord server, the better it will sell on the first day, and more people will talk about it. A few years ago it was a whole different thing, but now it’s all about the community building, the more people you have interested in your game and interacting with the developers, the easier will be for you to launch it. Because they will end up being your hype squad, the ones going on Twitter, Facebook and Steam, and talk about the game, or tell their friends about how cool the game is, and make them try; it expands your network. It will also give valuable feedback, if you do a beta test period, and you get these passionate gamers that will help you out.

7. Can you share some tips about publishing in China?

The market is very different right now, as they just announced Steam China. The plan of the Chinese government is that, only a few games will be launching on Steam China and eventually when that is done, the standard Steam will be blocked. Right now, Steam discussions are completely blocked in this region, even with VPNs, people can’t access them, and that’s why most of the games end up getting negative reviews, as most of them are from Chinese gamers. For them, writing reviews is the only way to report bugs, or give feedback, otherwise they won’t be able to communicate with the developers. For China, you need to have certain approvals from the government, for example from the Ministry of Culture and GAAP. Certain things are banned, for example you are not allowed to display blood, nor skeletons; time travel is banned and there’s many other things that you have to watch out for. Not every game can be published in China on a local platform, you can still publish on Steam for now, but once Steam China, comes out it’s going to be a lot more difficult. Obviously, (to publish your game in China) localize the game in simplified and traditional Chinese, and when it comes to Japan and Korea, it is a quite similar situation, but not as harsh. Developers would need a local partner in those countries, who have companies there and can publish for you, and also you need to do the appropriate age rating, like CERO for Japan, and the GRB for Korea.It’s extra paperwork you will have to do, other than preparing your build and your due diligence.

Check out Another Indie: https://anotherindie.com/
Join their Discord: discord.gg/AI

Find Vlad on Twitter and Instagram: @Stutsies

During our 2019 GTR conference panel titled “Growing your startup and Improving the ecosystem”, Kirstin shared some valuable insights about the gaming industry, and we immediately knew we wanted to share more of her insights and experience on our blog!

Kirstin first got started in the games industry in 2006, in the most unglamourous pits of Support and QA. She has spent the past decade in Product Management and Business Development and now supports studios and publishers as a Consultant.

1. What got you into gaming? Was it something you grew up with, or did you discover it recently?

I think I had a pretty typical 90s childhood - my two best friends had a SNES and Mega Drive respectively, and in the mid 90s, my family got a computer. Then a friend talked me into trying an MMORPG in 2002, and I basically didn’t re-emerge until years later. Being a teenager and essentially growing up in online games, on the forums and at LAN parties, was probably pretty defining, and the transition from there to starting to work in gaming was an incredibly smooth one.

2. As a consultant, how do you approach a new project and implement effective solutions?

Sounds really wishy-washy, but that really depends on what you are trying to solve, change or achieve and who you are working with. There really aren’t any cookie cutter solutions, so it always starts with lots and lots of listening and questions.

Frequently, problems are actually symptoms of something else, and you might hit some resistance trying to fix the root cause. Sometimes you talk to people that are looking for strategic advice, but all they know is that, what they are currently doing is not working. Some are just looking for confirmation of what they already know and/or need, somebody to delegate uncomfortable topics to. Sometimes a CEO just needs someone they feel they can talk openly to and use as a sounding board. Or even as a quasi therapist.

My general approach I guess is that I bring me, my skills, my experience and my brain. Whether I am then being used as an additional pair of hands, expert, coach, negotiator, messenger... That’s entirely dependent on what’s needed and wanted.

The actual implementation of solutions normally is fairly straightforward, and not really any different than if you were an employee in a managing position. Define and discuss goals and how to get there, hold people accountable, adjust where needed, be available for questions.

How you do all of that is extremely variable though, and I think that understanding a company’s culture is just as important as understanding their business. You can come up with the best solution in the world - if that solution, or the way you are trying to implement it doesn’t sit well with the team, or comes from a place of not at all understanding their work reality, it’s never going to happen.

3. What’s the thing you like the most about working in games?

Can’t pick just one. How open-minded and accepting of “different” our industry is. The fact that the games industry is a serial innovator and pretty avantgarde in a lot of different fields - tech, art, monetization, user behaviour, UI/UX, marketing, story-telling.

I think the social aspect is what’s probably hardest to explain to people in industries that tick differently. My go-to explanation for years has been that not only 90% of the people you work with are so cool you’d like to hang out with them in your free time - but that you actually do. And often you end up cultivating these amazing, and on many levels enriching friendships that are based not only on getting along well, but also on sharing the same or similar passions. Having the same cultural references and language, past and present. Having typically very similar values. Being able to perform sanity checks, and cheerlead each other professionally. Discussing media consumption, positive reinforcement and incentives with other games industry parents... it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

TL;DR: You come for the games, you stay for the people.

4. How did the perception of females in the industry change over time? Is it better or worse now?

I don’t think anything necessarily changed about the perception, but I do think that working in the industry as a woman, feels like has changed quite a lot in the past decade.
There’s just so many more of us!
Probably the weirdest pseudo-metric anybody has ever used for this, but I remember usually being alone in the women’s restrooms at conferences. Now we get to queue, just like everywhere else.

So for what it’s worth, it’s no longer all that special to be female in the game industry, which in certain capacities - for instance in Business Development or PR - is a double edged sword, as being in some capacity memorable is extremely helpful. Guess we’re just going to have to kick more ass instead!

5. What do you think could encourage more girls to join this industry?

Games that interest girls! You don’t typically end up in games if you aren’t into them, and female gamers in general, not just girls, are still underserved.
Also, we’ve come a really long way already. I was invited to talk at an event aimed at female game students last year, and not only every seat was literally taken, but around a third of the attendees were actually programmers, which I thought was great. For all the female influx we’ve had, there’s still very few coders, but I am hopeful that ratio will normalise over time, much like everything else STEM.

There’s obviously been a lot of negative press in the past couple of years, which I don’t think is helping.
Unwanted and misguided attention absolutely does happen, and I am sure that there’s some seriously bad apples out there, on both sides. It also is imperative that these situations get addressed when they happen, but I feel like immediate and clear communication along with healthy boundaries typically have a stronger and much more positive impact.
My personal experience, your mileage may vary, has been that defusing potentially tricky situations in a way that sends a clear message, but let the other party save face is not only extremely empowering, but usually gains you a ton of respect.

6. What’s the best way to connect [with you] online and at events?

At conferences and similar events - or really anywhere in life - approaching people and being approachable. Most people, at least in this industry, are actually pretty damn cool and easy-going, and since you are both there, you clearly already have something in common.
I also can’t emphasize enough how important authenticity is, so be you. Unless you are a dick of course, then don’t be you.

Jokes aside, I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea and probably just means I’ve just been doing this for too long, but when I see a friendly face that even remotely looks like they would enjoy a chat, they’re going to get one.
But as a rule of thumb: if you see someone standing somewhere and looking a little lost, chances are, they’ll be glad.

Online, LinkedIn is an incredibly valuable tool when used right, and the basics really aren’t difficult. Make sure you have a profile, and make sure it’s up to date. Make sure you connect to people you know. Do take a look at your feed regularly, it’ll not only do an ok job to keep you updated on what’s happening in the industry, some of which could be highly relevant to you. You’ll also know when someone you know starts working somewhere else - they might now be a potential client, which means you now have the inside track.
And never underestimate the reach of your own messages. Just launched your game? Post it. Looking to hire? Post it. Have relevant and helpful OC to share? Post it.
If someone you know likes or comments on something, that means that their network now sees that something too - great multiplier.

At the end of each conference every year, after the incredibly hard decision of picking 10 out of the 20 best studios in the world comes an intense but super exciting period - The studio visits. After our main conference has concluded (See; http://2019.globaltopround.com/) we then go on the road to meet all the teams in person! At the conference we see 1-2 of the people who founded the studio. The visit is the entire team - In their own country at their own terms. We are so excited to not only visit the studios, but take part in their local cultures.

We will be making individual facebook posts and photos for each studio visit so make sure you follow https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround/!

Stop 1: Germany, Berlin - Stray Blade

“Stray Blade” is Darkest Dungeon meets Sekiro. It is an ironman action RPG about a rising mercenary company in a land ravaged by civil war.

Our first stop is in Germany, landing October 7th we will be meeting up with the talented team Point Blank Games.

“Point Blank is an independent game development team based in Berlin. We started with the support of the EXIST-Program of the European Union and have a strong root in artificial intelligence. We focus on delivering a deep game mechanic built around challenging and versatile enemy opponents.”

Stop 2: France, Bordeaux - Orphan Age

Orphan Age is a dystopian life simulation in which you take care of kids left behind in a cyberpunk war. Build up your base, scavenge, craft and explore the city for new recruits, whilst ensuring there are enough supplies to keep going, even when it seems all hope might be lost.

The second stop will be in France! We are super excited for the wine.. I mean game. Adrien has already proved himself to be an incredible asset to the GTR team and we are excited to work with the team.

“Black Flag is an indie game developer cooperative. We love pet rats, craft beer and uncompromising games. Our next project is a nihilistic sim game: Orphan Age”

Stop 3; Brazil, Porto Alegre - Wardens

Wardens is a uniquely thrilling blend of fast-paced multiplayer action and tower defense. In a war-torn, tech-infused fantasy universe, players assume the role of heroes in an elite fighting force assembled to prevent enemy factions from destroying magical energy cores critical to the survival of humanity.

The third stop is in Brazil! A 22 hour flight later we’ll be landing on a completely different continent. I experienced Brazil for the first time this year during the BIG Festival and I absolutely fell in love with the gaming scene. So much talent, so much good food and great people! We are looking forward to meeting the US/BR team behind Big Moxi Games and Wardens.

“Big Moxi Games is an independent game development studio with offices in the U.S. and Brasil. We are passionate about creating multiplayer console/pc action game products that deliver a unique gameplay experience by blending elements from other genres or introducing novel game mechanics.”

Stop 4; Poland, Warszawa - ???

This one is a secret and we hope to tell you about what we’re doing here in the future, for now… “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” - Kofi Annan

Stop 5; Bulgaria, Varna - Dominus

Build a post-apocalyptic tribal civilisation and dominate with your friends from around the world. Forget the hectic tapping of real time battles and settle in for a luxurious game of thoughtful turn-based strategy, with no turn waiting. Out bluff your opponents in lunch break multiplayer battles!

This multi-country team surprised us all with their new take on turn-based games on mobile. Allowing players to do their turns simultaneously and adding predictive mechanics made it an awesome idea. We are looking forward to discussing with the team in more detail.

“Dominus, currently in early Alpha, is the first 4X turn-based game designed for fast mobile multiplayer mayhem. Simple to learn, but with unique and satisfying tactical gameplay. Our revolutionary simultaneous-turn system eliminates the waiting for other players to end their turn while adding many layers of tactical intrigue. Players take their turns at the same time, then watch as all the players’ actions unfold in a dramatic action sequence. Think of it as an effective combination of poker, chess and chequers set in a mad tribal world.”

Stop 6; Denmark, Copenhagen - Broken Lines

Stranded behind enemy lines, in unknown territory and at a breaking point - who will you save and who will you let die? A Story-driven WeGo turn-based tactics, told from the perspective of eight distinct characters under intense pressure, trying to survive the challenges and each other.

Back to Scandinavia! Looking forward to discussing the future of the great team behind Broken Lines, Portaplay. Creating an immersive turn-based story this game has the potential to be years of franchises. We’re going to help them make it happen.

“Experience a character-driven story about a group of soldiers separated from their loved ones, and stranded in a foreign land. Their destiny is in your hands. Can you guide them back home?“

Stop 7; Sweden, Borås - Bombergrounds: Battle Royale

Bombergrounds: Battle Royale is a Battle Royale action game that pits 50 players against each other on a large battlefield. Find power-ups and outwit your opponents to become the last animal standing. Collect cosmetic items and level up your character to make your enemies jealous.

Our final stop before the return to Asia is in Sweden, my home country. Looking forward on ending the trip where I grew up but also to discuss Bombergrounds in detail! This game has already been scale tested through AWS and 200-player maps have been stress-tested. We’re excited to see what these guys can bring to the table with their cross-platform game.

“Compete with up to 50 other players in this multiplayer Battle Royale game set in a world where animals have taken over. Do you have what it takes to be the last animal standing?”

The End

That concludes our euro-trip schedule! It’s going to be an exciting but intense 18 days visiting all these amazing teams. Stay tuned to our social medias for more updates, pictures and other cool stuff!

You can also follow me on LinkedIn here; https://www.linkedin.com/in/pontusmahler/

Yours Truly,
Pontus “Zlapped” Mahler
Head of Thailand GTR

The team was super excited to work with BIC this year in collaboration with the GTR Conference. We attended with our very own G. Round booth which was our first showcase since the announcement.



We were very proud to present 4 of GTR’s cohort studios :

• Relic Hunters Legend by Rogue Snail (BR)
• Neuroslicers by Dream Harvest (UK)
• The Hatching by Zerolife Games (HR)
• Kingnapping by Firefolk Studio (CA)

These are the games we are intending to launch on our beta version of G. Round and we can’t wait to show it to you! Players were able to test all 4 games on the platform by logging onto our local website and checking out the details. We could then gather data of the most popular games at the event as well as gather information on player(s) feedback.



We saw lots of interest in our game(s) and platform so we decided to set-up and launch http://gameround.co/ ! This is the perfect sneak peek for those of you interested in what’s to come. If you head over to http://gameround.co/#contact you can sign up for our newsletter and get all the latest news. Or keep reading our blog!

After a few days of visitors and meeting(s) we wrapped up a great event for us. Further reassuring us that we got a product that will revolutionize the market. I want to keep this as vague as possible and keep it exclusive to You who visit us. We look forward to presenting G. Round and our games at our next event “Big Bang Thailand” coming up at the end of October. We hope to see you there!



“Our partnership with Global Top Round gives us access to a trusted network of publishers and investors that will be on our platform to scout the next big game titles and studios. With 14+ publishing partners and 10+ investment partners it’s a great addition to G.Round.

If you are a gaming studio looking for investment and acceleration you can contact them at gtr@globaltopround.com or check out their website at https://www.globaltopround.com“

Yours Truly,
Pontus “Zlapped” Mahler
Head of Thailand GTR

Hey everyone! We are so happy to tell you that GTR will be starting a blog. Who is GTR? Well let me tell you. 

“GTR envisions of building a global ecosystem to support very talented early stage game studios, providing "creative and sustainable futures."  

GTR is an interactive accelerator and creative global publishing platform dedicated to supporting small studios from all over the world with the development, publishing, and fundraising expertise they need to take their content global and make their businesses sustainable. GTR provides a tangible 6+ month acceleration program, directly invests in annual Top10 studios and leads follow-up investment rounds for growth. 

* GTR Official page : https://www.globaltopround.com
* GTR Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/globaltopround
* G.Round Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groundcommunity
* G.Round Discord: https://discord.gg/uWuxUxj  

The GTR Conference is an annual gathering that serves as a networking event for the GTR community and as a celebration of GTR Accelerator studios. The conference is hold at different cities(2015-Hawaii, 2016-Cologne, 2017-Melbourne, 2018-Kuala Lumpur, 2019-Busan(Sep 8-10)) every year, and is attended by GTR core team, sponsors, partner companies(investors, publishers and solution companies), partners, annual Top 20 finalists among global applicants and government.    

* 2018 GTR Conference(Kuala Lumpur) : http://2018.globaltopround.com/   

So what do we really do? We recruit awesome game startups. The world has talent everywhere. Finding it? That’s the hard part. We take pride in finding talented developers all over the world. We attend global game events and conferences but most importantly - We now let our GTR Alumni’s help us find content. Our studios love us and we love them! What better way to find new talent? By having your previous ones refer you.  Check out some of our games at https://discord.gg/uWuxUxj or https://www.globaltopround.com/portfolio.html.

The blog

So what will you receive from subscribing to this blog? You’ll be able to see regular updates on all the conferences we travel to, as GTR and as G.Round. Q4 2019 and 2020 will be very active for us. We hope to provide you with insight on these conferences and what to find. On all aspects. As an accelerator, investor but also as a company with a booth! By reading our posts you’ll be able to figure out if an event is right for you while also following our journey as a company. 

Most importantly you’ll be updated on something that is in the works… G.Round is getting closer and it will be a product that will help the industry grow more than ever!

Yours Truly,
Pontus “Zlapped” Mahler
Head of Thailand GTR

The G.Round team was super excited to attend this great event between South Korea and Thailand. The 2 countries have now pledged 6 MoU’s on joint development(s) within several sectors. To commemorate this they held a private event at the Intercontinental Bangkok where 10 Korean Startups and 7+ Thai startups got to pitch in front of a room of investors. 

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1741229/thailand-south-korea-leaders-promise-closer-partnership 



This was the first time we presented our platform. We have been keeping this a secret but it’s time to let the world know. Ground is coming faster than ever! We are looking at a Q1 2020 launch. Imagine that we got to pitch our platform in the same room as the South Korean President. Incredible! Next week we head of to just that - South Korea. We will be attending Busan Indie Connect 2019 (BIC) with our own Ground booth as well as some GTR titles! We hope to meet you there. 

Behind the scenes we are closely working on the development of our platform and we can’t wait to tell you more! For now you can catch the latest games and updates on our Discord at https://discord.gg/uWuxUxj 

Look out for more blogs in the future. 

Yours Truly,
Pontus “Zlapped” Mahler
Head of Thailand GTR

There is nothing more exciting and nerve wrecking for us, than preparing the annual GTR conference, which this year held a special spot in our hearts, as we came back to the home country of our founders, South Korea.

We picked Busan as our destination for different reasons: the food, and amazing landscape, but most importantly because of the city’s active efforts to have a vibrant and active indie game development scene. And so, we have flown 20 talented game studios, invited publishers, investors and our partners, for a total of over 120 guests for two days dedicated to speeches, panels about game development, and for the studio to unveil the trailers of their unique upcoming games.



The 2019 batch was filled with games from all platforms and genres, including soul like, strategy and FPS games, and we were so proud of the remarkable qualities of all the titles, which only made picking the voting for the top 10 much harder.





This year, we also wanted to mix it up a little, and we invited content creators, who streamed the demo day to their audiences, making GTR an event not only attended by 120 visitors, but also viewed by thousands online.

Here you can see who we invited this year:

• Soypan_: https://www.twitch.tv/soypan
• Nuvia_ouo: https://www.twitch.tv/nuvia_ouo
• Gssspotted: https://www.twitch.tv/gssspotted
• Lynx_reviewer: https://www.twitch.tv/lynx_reviewer

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing contributions of our sponsors and partners!

We are looking forward to next year’s conference, and a huge thank you to all the studios, streamers and guests for coming to our conference! Hopefully we’ll see you again in 2020!

Check out our video about the event, to see what went down:



Yours Truly,
Pontus “Zlapped” Mahler
Head of Thailand GTR