Tomorrow, July 23rd, Pocket Gamer is setting out on a hugely exciting new mission – to host its first ever digital consumer showcase known as LaunchPad.
The event will bring news and information about a whole host of exciting, upcoming mobile games, and the entire team has been working their socks off getting everything ready.
But as much as it’s going to be exciting for players, it’s also a brand new opportunity to developers, so we wanted to speak to some about why they’ve decided to put their weight behind the event.
To that end, we reached out to Super Evil Megacorp CEO Kristian Segerstrale to ask about what the developer is going to be showing at the event, and why digital showcases will remain important even when physical events return.
How has 2020 been so far for Super Evil Megacorp?
It has been a strange year, as I’m sure it has been for everyone. I’m proud of how the team has pulled together and helped each other adapt so well to the current circumstances. I’m also really happy with how our new battleground shooter www.catalystblack.com is coming together. We’re having a lot of fun in internal playtests!
How have you adapted your studio to working during the ongoing pandemic?
We had already committed to being “remote first” last year, so the transition to “all-remote” in spring was relatively smooth. We found it relatively straightforward to maintain productivity in most areas – we published our handbook at superevilmegacorp.com/handbook in case of use to others.
Gamer culture is growing globally, and while physical events will return, the online component has the opportunity to engage many more fans around the world
Kristian Segerstrale
We actually ended up focusing a lot more on making sure we stay connected, take breaks, go for walks and avoid burnout. It has not come without challenges but overall I’m proud of how the team has pulled together through it all and not missed a beat.
How important do you think digital events, such as LaunchPad, are for the games industry?
One of the silver linings of 2020 is that the world has forced us to try new things. Physical consumer gaming events like PAX have grown in importance over the years. Digital events like LaunchPad are opportunities to bring the celebration of new games to a much broader audience. We are delighted to be part of it and look forward to learning more.
What drew you to being part of LaunchPad?
Our new title, Catalyst Black, is entering early access in the coming weeks. We wanted to take the opportunity to share more details and why we think the game brings something new and fresh to consumers with its large scale, drop-in drop-out design and its evolved combat system. LaunchPad felt like a great opportunity to get to share our story and invite the global community to be part of the “secret service” early access program!
What are you planning to show at the event?
We will debut the early access trailer for Catalyst Black and share details of the early access “secret service” program and benefits of being a founder on Discord at discord.gg/catalystblack.
It’s a bit early, but here’s a sneak peek at our Early Access trailer. More info to come at the Pocket Gamer event tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/BboPLb4NDi
— Catalyst Black (@catalystblk) July 22, 2020
Do you think digital showcases and events will remain a key part of the industry even as physical events return?
I hope they will. Gamer culture is growing globally, and while physical events will return, the online component has the opportunity to engage many more fans around the world.
How do you think the games industry is going to change and evolve over the next 12 months?
I think gaming will continue to grow rapidly. I’m excited to see continued innovation in multiplayer gaming, cross platform play, and how games are getting better at providing hangout spaces for players to connect. I also look forward to seeing the first 5G mobile devices and next-gen consoles on the market.
What are your goals as a company for the rest of 2020?
We look forward to working with our growing community to make Catalyst Black as good as it can be. We think it has a promising start but there is still so much to do. Please join the early access program at discord.gg/catalystblack to get a chance to play and tell us what we can do better!
