The BIG Pageant is the most important gaming occasion in Latin America, bringing the area’s vibrant gaming scene to the world stage with panels, reveals, and an award ceremony.
One of many huge winners of the night time was Argentinian indie studio An Otter Recreation Studio, which beat off stiff competitors from the likes of Aquiris Recreation Studio and Icon Video games to take residence the Greatest Cell Recreation award with its title, Sequenza – a musical puzzle recreation.
We spoke to An Otter Recreation Studio founder and director Martín Fernández concerning the recreation, the Argentinian video games trade, and the award.
Please inform us about An Otter Recreation Studio and your position within the firm
An Otter Recreation Studio is a brand new and small studio based mostly within the metropolis of Rosario, Argentina (enjoyable reality for soccer followers, it is the town the place Lionel Messi was born).
We deal with making our video games extra introspective, making the participant really feel completely different feelings than what they’re used to experiencing. We’ve got studios reminiscent of Ustwo Video games and That recreation firm as references.
I’m the founder and director of the studio, I ensure that the whole lot works and that the route we’re stepping into is evident. Because of the dimension of our studio, I additionally normally put on the hats of lead programmer and recreation designer.
What did it imply to your studio to win greatest cell recreation on the BIG Pageant awards?
For such a brand new studio, any trade validation of our work is a big increase, as we began out with a small portfolio to fall again on when on the lookout for funding for our initiatives. As well as, the truth that our first recreation received in its class provides us the reassurance that we’re heading in the right direction and that the work we’re doing is of top of the range.
Alternatively, profitable a world competitors dispels the notion that many Latin American studios have that we can’t compete with larger studios with extra expertise and extra sources.
Profitable a world competitors dispels the notion that many Latin American studios have that we can’t compete with larger studios with extra expertise and extra sources.
What’s it about Sequenza that makes it stand out?
To be sincere, after I noticed the opposite video games in our class, I did not assume we had an opportunity, as a result of it was apparent that the opposite video games have been nice video video games with larger productions. Perhaps that’s what makes Sequenza stand out, that it’s so easy in all elements and but manages to evoke intense feelings.
The place do you assume Argentina sits within the Latin American gaming panorama?
I feel Argentina is clearly rising. I feel that due to our historical past and our tradition we’ve got so much to inform, and videogames are an excellent channel to take action.
Sadly, the financial state of affairs and unhealthy political administrations don’t enable us to develop as quick as we needs to be rising. That’s the solely factor that retains us a bit of behind the most important ones (Brazil and Mexico).
Fortunately we’ve got a really sturdy group and we assist one another. This may be seen in our nationwide occasion EVA (Argentinean Videogame Expo) the place yearly there are an increasing number of of us, and the standard of our video games is getting higher and higher.
I additionally assume we’ve got superb references like Trivia Crack by Etermax within the cell market, Nimble Large co-developing Star Trek Infinite, and Senscape co-developing Silent Hill: Ascension within the AAA market or Daniel Benmergui with Storyteller within the indie market amongst many others. Our trade has so much to offer.
Considering again over the previous couple of years, what’s the largest hurdle you’ve got confronted?
The truth is that our largest impediment, as I discussed earlier than, is our nationwide economic system, which attributable to financial inflation doesn’t enable us to economize and that makes us reside daily with numerous danger and takes away our projection capability, particularly after we are simply beginning and we shouldn’t have so many instruments to counteract it. However it’s a downside that every one Argentines should cope with.
Significantly in our studio, what we discover most troublesome is to seek out the steadiness between making video games for purchasers to be able to survive and discovering time to develop our personal video games.
Which, if any, new know-how within the video games trade excites you most?
Truthfully, we aren’t the kind to run after know-how, we search to focus extra on producing an emotional impression from simplicity, as we did with Sequenza. From a private perspective, I’m intrigued by what could occur with AI as soon as the copyright of the works it feeds on is regularised.
What can we count on subsequent from An Otter Recreation Studio?
Our first goal is to increase Sequenza, and to have the ability to attain the widest doable viewers. After that, we’ve got a number of initiatives within the pipeline on the studio, with which we hope to develop our personal aesthetic and identification. These initiatives discover completely different mechanics, which intention to take the participant on a extra introspective journey.
In March, a Knowledge.ai report examined Latin America’s gaming market.