World Game Expo: A step in the right direction

WGE was AEGaming’s first event to attend since it came to life, which of course came without any prior expectations. We have learned not to set the bar too high as previous events have been disappointing to us and everyone else who attended. WGE was a promising start to a new era. An era where the gaming community comes together to establish and develop the gaming industry in the region. As the MENA gaming market has started showing promising numbers and the internet penetration is at its highest worldwide, we’re hoping to see more from the gaming community here. This includes but is not limited to more events, more networking – both professional and personal, more tournaments, and more Esports.

Due to the unique nature of WGE, it will be one of the main reasons the industry will thrive and expand. It set itself apart from other events by focusing on the B2B aspect of gaming by together the regional studio developers and SME’s together in one place. These visitors were not only from the surrounding areas, but from other well developed markets, such as Asia, to create an international meeting of the minds. With the event being young and ambitious, we at AEGaming would love to see it succeed and prosper.

It is very important to understand that the gaming industry is more than just video games. It is hard work and creativity, it’s the players, developers, and publishers. When comparing the gaming industry to the film industry, you’ll be surprised to find that it is stronger in term of revenue. This fact is all the more impressive since there are only a few gaming studios in the region compared to the number of film studios and the amount of money invested in them.

The venue

Adnec (Abu Dhabi): with 12 dedicated exhibition halls, WGE was held in hall 2 organized and set up by Index Conferences and Exhibitions. Index did a phenomenal job with the layout given that they didn’t have the large turnout they had hoped for. While there was a variety of companies from Japan, China, and South Korea, there was no presence from the Western countries; nevertheless, the venue had a neat, modern look combined with a high-end quality structure.

Event overview

AEGaming enjoyed its time and got to meet with companies and individuals as excited and driven as we are to see the gaming industry in the region become one of the driving forces in the regional economy.

Even though it hasn’t yet met its full potential, with a stronger marketing approach and through targeting the western market, WGE 2018 would be in much closer reach. WGE was a step in the right direction, and we hope to see the number of attendees and exhibitors continue to grow year-on-year. AEGaming wishes the best to WGE and the gaming community in the MENA region as a whole.