Another Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) has come and gone! This year, PlayIndies co-founder Kate Hall headed to Melbourne for GCAP and PAX Aus, spending the week sharing indie game marketing knowledge, catching up with developers and industry friends, and helping keep exhibitors alive with a steady supply of snacks, drinks, and throat lozenges.
It was a busy week, but a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with the Australian games industry and support the people making it such a special community.
Talking Indie Game Discoverability at GCAP
One of the biggest highlights of the week was Kate taking the stage at GCAP to present "The Discoverability Timeline", a talk focused on helping indie developers better understand when and how to market their games.
Discoverability remains one of the biggest challenges facing indie developers. With so many games competing for attention, having a great game isn't always enough. Developers also need to understand how to build awareness, reach the right audiences, and make the most of important marketing opportunities throughout development.
The presentation broke down game marketing into a practical, week-based timeline, covering what developers should be doing before announcing their game, how to approach major marketing milestones, and how to build momentum towards launch.
Rather than focusing on generic advice like "post more on social media," the goal was to give developers a framework they could actually take home and apply to their own projects, regardless of their team size or marketing budget.
The response from attendees was incredibly encouraging! It was wonderful to hear from so many developers afterwards who found the presentation useful, and to continue conversations about the marketing challenges they're facing with their own games.
We'll also be sharing some of the advice from the presentation in a series of PlayIndies blog posts, so keep an eye out for those!
Keeping Developers Alive at PAX Aus
After GCAP, it was time for PAX Aus!
Anyone who has exhibited at a major gaming convention knows just how exhausting it can be. Between demonstrating games, answering questions, networking, and talking to thousands of attendees, developers can spend three days barely getting a chance to sit down, let alone grab something to eat.
For years now, Kate has made a habit of wandering the show floors at PAX Aus and Perth's Pixel Expo, checking in on exhibiting developers and keeping them supplied with drinks, snacks, and throat lozenges. It's become something of a tradition, and apparently she's now developed a bit of a reputation for it!
This year, a few developers even started calling her the "PAX Medic."
Armed with a suitcase ufull of supplies, Kate spent plenty of time making the rounds, checking in on familiar faces and meeting new developers along the way. It's a small thing, but when you've been standing at a booth talking about your game for eight hours straight, a cold drink, a snack, or something to soothe your rapidly disappearing voice can make a world of difference.
Of course, PAX was also a fantastic opportunity to check out new indie games, catch up with industry friends, and see what Australian developers have been working on.
And while we can't promise that PlayIndies will be expanding into medical services anytime soon, you can probably expect to see Kate making her rounds with a bag of supplies at the next convention, too!
Until Next Time, Melbourne!
A huge thank you to everyone who attended Kate's GCAP talk, stopped for a chat at PAX, shared feedback about PlayIndies, or simply took a moment to say hello.
Events like MIGW are a great reminder of why we love working in the indie games industry. There's nothing quite like getting everyone together in person, seeing what people have been working on, and celebrating the games and people that make this community what it is. Kate headed home with plenty of new connections, ideas, and motivation for what's ahead.
And to all the developers who spent the weekend showcasing their games at PAX Aus: we hope you've managed to get some well-deserved rest, and that your voices have recovered!
