The Philippine Games Industry Comes Together at PGDX 2024
The Philippine Game Development Expo (PGDX) is the country’s largest game development-focused event. This year’s edition is only its second iteration, but the size of the event is a clear expansion of 2023’s efforts.
Featuring an impressive three different stages—the main stage and two specialized workshop stages—PGDX 2024 attempted to make the event a microcosm not only of game development but of the larger gaming culture as a whole in the Philippines.
Organized by CBZN Perspective and the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), with Presenting Sponsor Smart Communications, PGDX 2024 was held through July 26-28 – three full days jam-packed with different gaming and e-sports activities, networking and socials, and gathering different corners of the Philippine games industry all under one roof.
Here are some of the most exciting things about the Philippine Game Development Expo, which show that the Philippines games industry is building on a thriving community and industry.
BIG SUPPORT FROM GAMING’S BIGGEST NAMES
Massive brands covering the gaming market globally and locally have come to PGDX to support its mission and message – that the games industry has both a strong market and development environment. Various household gaming names shared the floor to show the best of what they had to offer.
Visitors got to participate in various activities, the opportunity to play new gaming experiences, and win coveted prizes or buy fun merch along the way.
ALL CORNERS OF THE GAMING COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER
A special quality of the Philippine Game Development Expo is not only its focus on the game development industry but also a general celebration of the power that gaming has for different people. Professionals and students, AAA employees and indie hobbyist devs, e-sports athletes and cosplayers have been united by the ubiquitous love for gaming – and are eager to share their excitement with like-minded peers.
GAMES EDUCATION MAKING A LEAP FORWARD
The presence of several student developers sharing their creations—whether game jam entries or capstone projects—has shown the productivity of many game design courses across the country.
Aside from a “Professionals” workshop that catered to game developers already running their businesses, the conference also featured an “Educational” track that invited students to learn more about game development tools and industry standards—including workshops on using the Unreal Engine, basic game design thinking, and working in games with ADHD, among others.
PGDX 2024 clearly aimed for a bigger and better game development-focused expo and accomplished another round of events and activities to cement Manila in the global industry map. As VirtualSEA, the impressive presence of the indie game booths and workshops prove that stakeholders and community members believe that the future is bright for Philippine-based game developers —and we will be here to cover its exciting progress!
