On 21-24 May, Nordic Game celebrates its 20th anniversary, making the conference one of the longest existing of its kind in the global games industry. That calls for celebrations, but also for reflection. And who would be better at both than Nordic Game founder and managing director Erik Robertson? Here are his answers to our most burning anniversary questions.
Nordic Game: Reflecting on your journey as the founder of Nordic Game the famous game industry conference brand that has endured for 20 years across four Nordic countries, could you share the genesis of the idea? What inspired you to embark on this venture, and did you envision its longevity and success from the outset, or has it exceeded your initial expectations?
Erik Robertson: I saw the potential at a Swedish public games event around 2000 that also had a tiny conference and B2B section, but it did not continue. So, in parallel with my survey of Nordic games for the Nordic Council of Ministers, I also worked on building interest for a Nordic-level professional game developer conference, that we then launched in 2003.
I remember at our premiere event asking a dear friend in the Malmö industry if he thought it was viable to build it into one of the very top developer conferences in Europe within, say, five years. He said no. And he was right. It took ten.
Nordic Game: Can you share the most significant challenges you faced in establishing and sustaining Nordic Game for two decades in a region spanning five Nordic countries? How did you overcome these challenges?
Erik Robertson: Well, after really getting going in 2006 came the 2008-2009 recession, and then we had the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull that closed down European air traffic. The discontinuation of the government funding in 2015 definitely came as no surprise, as I wrote the plan for that myself, but basically all other European games events today still have some of that financial support, locally, nationally or from the EU.
In periods, our marketing and sales has lacked in quality and consistency, but we did survive the pandemic as an event by going digital and twice yearly. I don’t know if we could have taken a third year, though. Sweden dropped all restrictions two and a half months before our May 2022 event. Being the very first major game developer conference after the pandemic was both a tough challenge and a great help, of course. But we wouldn’t have made it at all without the solid support of our customers, some of whom that are not returning now, very sadly, because of the challenges facing us all right now.
But we were during the pandemic also dealing with the misconduct allegations, investigations and subsequent corrective measures, that have since then put a very high strain on us at times. It took too long for us to realise that we, a very small group of semi-professionals, of course must live up to the very same standards as public organisations and listed companies. That we had close to unwavering and unanimous support from and trust of the Nordic game developers, individually and as organisations, was immensely important for our survival.
I don’t think we’ve ever felt that we’ve overcome our challenges, and that mindset probably explains our fantastic success. Because that’s actually what it looks like from the outside, right? Success, not a never-ending series of crises?
Nordic Game: Over the past 20 years, how have you seen the game industry evolve within the Nordic region? What notable trends or shifts have you observed, and how has your conference adapted to stay relevant amidst these changes?
Erik Robertson: I think the Nordic industry has evolved along with, and also maintained a visible position at the forefront of the global industry. We are in all genres, on all platforms, with all business and distribution models.
Coming from the industry rather than being events professionals surely must have helped us stay relevant, as we’ve not only drawn knowledge and understanding from facing the same challenges, but have also gained a solid empathy for struggling indies and other developers.
Nordic Game: Looking back on two decades of organizing this conference, what are some of the most memorable moments or highlights that stand out to you? Additionally, are there any lessons or insights you’ve gained that you believe could be valuable to aspiring event organizers or entrepreneurs in the game industry?
Erik Robertson: Looking back through photos from our earlier events, there are so many, many moments and highlights, that I can’t just pick a few.
My own entrepreneurial career has been a long chain of coincidence, synchronicity, happenstance and pure serendipity. Sheer dumb luck, more than a couple of times. If you don’t get too distracted, or waver too much, you actually have a fair chance of eventually getting where you want to go. So, there is very little I find as irritating as highly intelligent people believing and proclaiming that talent and hard work are the factors that set them apart and explains their success, because it just isn’t so. Some of them just haven’t had their measure of bad luck. Yet.
Conferences are both obvious and easily accessible places where good things happen to you. If you’re not staying home to do “actual work”, or join us but overbook yourself with meetings, you might run into someone in Malmö in May, a meeting that will set the course for your future. Welcome!
Join our exhibitors, sponsors and partners
Nordic Game would not be celebrating double editions annually without the enthusiastic participation of thousands of talented game developers from the Nordic region and across the globe for nearly two decades. Thank you!
We’re also tremendously grateful for the unwavering support of our exhibitors, sponsors and partners. Many of them have already signed-up for our upcoming events, but we’re always ready to welcome new partnerships.
Contact us here for some great opportunities on exhibitor, sponsor, group and partner packages for our next event and beyond.
About the Nordic Game conference
Nordic Game is the leading games conference in Europe. Gathering thousands of industry professionals in the spring and autumn each year, Nordic Game is the one and only “home turf” meeting place for the highly successful game developers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
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