Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024 is just around the corner. Taking place on January 22nd to 23rd, 2024, next year’s event will also see the event series celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The conference will feature a lineup of insightful sessions from star speakers and thought-provoking panels, as well as a series of side-events like The Very Big Indie Pitch, Publisher SpeedMatch, Investor Connector and a host of other networking opportunities all aimed at helping you level up your skills and business.
As we build up to the conference, we’re offering a sneak preview of what you can expect by spotlighting some of the authorities in the games industry that will be sharing their wisdom at the show.
Today, we’re spotlighting Team Terrible‘s founder and CEO Greg Lee who will be sharing his insights into building succesful companies and games.
Greg embarked on his game development journey by studying Computer Arts at Abertay University. There, he discovered a passion for game jams and creating indie games. After graduating, Greg co-founded his first company with a talented group of fellow graduates, navigating various challenges in indie development for several years.
His career then led him to work on an array of AAA titles within the gaming industry. However, the entrepreneurial spirit beckoned once more and Greg established Team Terrible with his long-time collaborator, Aaron Baumbach.
As the Creative Director and CEO of his studio, Greg fulfills his childhood dream of creating video games that resonate and inspire.
Tell us about your session at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2024. What will you be speaking about?
Indie game development is really hard and random chance plays a huge role in what is successful and what isn’t. I think it’s important to identify what you have control over and what you don’t. This is a fact that I feel is not discussed enough and I dislike talks that focus on ‘the secret to success’, I think it’s important to show the true reality of the situation.
Although I consider ourselves very lucky, I think there are reasons and ways to enhance your chances. I hope that others will be inspired by our story and hopefully learn some lessons that I had to learn the hard way.
Then, I hope that others will strive to get lucky themselves.
If you could give other mobile games companies one piece of advice, what would it be?
Get something out early. You want to test the waters quickly if possible. It becomes very apparent very fast if your idea has legs.
What do you think is the single biggest challenge facing the mobile games industry today?
The biggest challenge is the sheer amount of content that is being produced. Particularly how quickly and effectively a good idea can be cloned and pushed to market. With tools improving every day, the bar to entry is very low and developers will struggle to stand out in a sea of other apps and games.
What developments do you think have been undervalued by the mobile games industry?
Unreal Engine has shockingly good support for mobile these days and, particularly in the high end market, there are some amazing things you can do on that engine. I think other developers should see it as an option to make cross platform games.
What’s your favourite ever mobile game?
Slay the Spire is what I’ve played the most. Although it’s arguably a cross platform game.
What game from another company do you wish you had worked on?
I would have loved to work on something hyper competitive like DOTA 2 or Apex Legends.
What game has been on your phone the longest?
Chess. It’s a classic, and you’ve got to appreciate the classics.
Is hypercasual gaming here to stay?
I think there will always be a place for it. I think like most trends it’s had a heyday and the next big thing will eventually replace it, but I think there will continue to be a market, even if it’s not the flavour of the month.
What topics do you want to hear more about at industry events?
I personally love hearing about design problems and the creative ways people solve them. Understanding how others deal with players acting in strange ways or how they create new events and gameplay mechanics based on the actions of players in game.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you can pass on to others?
It’s 51% luck.
Can people get in touch with you at the event? What sort of people would you like to connect with?
Yes, please come chat with me. I love talking to other indie devs in particular. If you have a game I can play, come let me know and send me a link!
