From May 8 to 11, the seventh edition of Rome Video Game Lab took place – the festival that promotes video games as social, cultural, and artistic products. The event was hosted at WeGil, a historic venue located in the heart of Trastevere, one of Rome’s most iconic neighborhoods.
The event featured a wide range of initiatives involving over 50 Italian development studios and 18 international guests from various countries across Europe and Asia. Among the highlights were the business meetings, which gave developers the opportunity to connect with dozens of national and international buyers, present their projects, and lay the groundwork for potential future collaborations. Among the various international guests in attendance were: Matt Spencer, Vice President of EMEA & APAC Sales at Take-Two; Gianluca Vatinno, Senior Game Developer at ustwo games; Romy Halfweeg, Event Manager at Courage; Jehanne Rousseau, Writer & Worldbuilder and former CEO of Spiders; Mark Choi, Composer and BAFTA Juror; Toby Coleman, Senior Technical Account Specialist at Komodo; Andri Weidmann, CEO of Metaroot; and Claire Barilla, Publishing Production Consultant at Astra Logical; Sanghoon Park, Team Manager of the Business Development Team at Netmarble; and Zhan Xiao Yan, Public Affairs Director at Kuro Games. The event also welcomed institutional and regional representatives, including: Benjamin Noah Maričak, Head of Video Games & New Tech at the Croatian Audiovisual Center; Sava Andreea, Event Organizer at the Romanian Game Developers Association; and Mitchell Lagran, CEO of Ever Curious Entertainment and representative of the Sustainable Games Alliance.
One of the highlights that animated an entire area of Rome Video Game Lab over the course of the four-day event was the Indie Showcase, the crown jewel of last year’s edition, featuring a wide selection of indie games made in Italy. These titles drew the attention of families and the broader gaming public in Rome. Some of the titles showcased:
Festival attendees also took part in a wide range of activities, including talks with industry guests, workshops designed for students, video game tournaments, and various other initiatives. Lastly, during the festival week, the digital promotion Indie Assemble was held on Steam – a global celebration of indie games organized by Excaliber. The event featured over 600 development studios from around the world, showcasing more than 1,200 games.
“Lazio can be considered a specialized hub for gaming. Professionals, developers, and companies form a thriving ecosystem of video games and virtual applications that serve not only entertainment purposes, but more importantly, educational and cultural goals ” says Roberta Angelilli, Vice President of the Lazio Region and Regional Minister for Economic Development, Trade, Handicrafts, Industry, and Internationalization. “This is a sector that the Lazio Region aims to continue supporting as a driving force, by backing industry professionals and promoting their participation in international events such as Rome Video Game Lab – the international festival of applied games, a showcase for companies and a networking opportunity that brings together the Lazio Region (through Lazio Innova) and the Rome Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the Special Agency for Development and Territory.” At this link are available the interviews with the eight development studios based in Lazio that had the opportunity to take part in the festival’s B2B activities with the support of the Lazio Region.
Rome Video Game Lab was produced by Q Academy, with the support of the Lazio Region and the Rome Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). The event was held under the patronage of the Lazio Region and Roma Capitale, with additional support from Cinecittà and organizational assistance from Excaliber.
See you at the next edition of Rome Video Game Lab!
