Highlights: BGA’s May Events Recap & Exciting June Agenda Revealed!

BGA attends and organizes a host of events each month, not only highlighting the latest advancements in technology and gaming but also providing invaluable opportunities for networking and collaboration among professionals and enthusiasts. This month, BGA hosted a booth at VivaTech Paris, showcasing several BGA members who demoed their games to over 165,000+ conference visitors. During NFC Lisbon, BGA teamed up with Gaming Hub and Web3 Hub Lisboa for an epic evening, drawing over 150 attendees to join game demos, discussions, and networking within the vibrant web3 gaming community. 

VivaTech Paris

The 8th edition of VivaTech Paris, the largest tech rendez-vous in France, was, as usual, a vibrant hub of innovation. BGA participated, hosting a large booth with an impressive array of games and exciting activations. This conference, one of France’s largest tech events, highlighted the latest advancements and trends in technology, drawing enthusiasts and professionals from around the globe.  This year, for the first time, VivaTech decided to celebrate the most important entertainment industry in the world, Gaming and Esports, showcasing the most innovative gaming experiences on the day open to the general public.

The event saw a heavy emphasis on AI and tech, but no visibility of web3 or blockchain. However, there were some web3-related products and services related to security, more specifically, in terms of identification. Another prominent feature of VivaTech was digital twins, largely in beauty and fashion, a number of booths showcased the many things that can be done by merging the physical and digital across numerous sectors.

BGA hosted a large booth with game demos from Metafight, Cometh, Oxya Origin, Cross The Ages, BadMad Robots, Dogami, and Virstate. bringing a range of games, genres, and gameplay to the day. VivaTech was an excellent opportunity to showcase in front of a different and diverse audience outside of web3, enabling families, teenagers, and gaming enthusiasts to discover more about the future of gaming.

“What a joy to have shared our universe with all of you at #vivatech! Engaging with such a passionate and vibrant community has been an real experience. The feedback and excitement from everyone have been truly inspiring, and we are excited to continue this journey together. Thanks to Blockchain Gaming Alliance for their support !”
Dounia Habdi, Project Manager | Cross The Ages

“Thank you for having us at Vivatech. It was a valuable experience to showcase Oxya Origin and connect with fellow innovators. Participating allowed us to highlight the potential of blockchain in gaming and gather important feedback from the community.  We’re looking forward to Cologne.
Glad that we connected to so many “Web 2” people who tested and loved the game, as well as some key decision makers.”
– Aaron Besnainou, CEO | Oxya Origin

“VivaTech has been one of the best events we’ve attended. Hundreds of visitors stopped by to test our game, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the BGA team.”
– Stephane Heip, Head of Marketing & Communication | Cometh

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Blockchain Game Alliance for sharing the booth at VivaTech Paris. As proud members of the BGA, MetaFight is honored to have represented gaming and web3 at this prestigious event. Thank you for this exceptional opportunity. “
– Thibault Cazin, Digital Production | Metafight

“Participating in Vivatech with the BGA was a fantastic experience. We had the opportunity to introduce our game to a broad audience. Maude and Flavien were incredibly resourceful, connecting us with valuable business partners.”
– Damien Kesler, CMO, DOGAMÍ

NFC Lisbon

This year, NFC Lisbon took a deep dive into the world of gaming, featuring an esports stage and numerous booths showcasing the latest in web3 games and related technology. Ubisoft’s booth stood out, with game demos of Champions Tactics and Eden Online. Attendees had the chance to participate in an interactive and gamified photobooth experience to join the whitelist for Eden Citizenship.

The gaming section was a hub of activities and activations, with BGA members, The Sandbox, Icon.X World, and Ordz Games hosting their own booths with exciting games and hands-on demos.

Game Wave Lisboa

In collaboration with Lisbon’s Gaming Hub and the newly launched Web3hub, both part of Unicorn Factory Lisboa, BGA hosted a lively event, attracting over 150 Web3 gaming professionals and enthusiasts. The evening was filled with game demos, a panel discussion to explore innovative and sustainable web3 game design, and networking on the rooftop terrace. 

In response to the collaboration, Francisco Moreira, Lead at Gaming Hub said: “Hosting this event in partnership with the Blockchain Game Alliance and our new web3hub was a milestone for Gaming Hub. The panel on Web3 game design was especially significant, highlighting the transformative potential of Web3 games and their impact on the gaming landscape. The engaging discussions and networking opportunities underscored the immense creativity and potential within our community. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to fostering innovation and propelling the gaming industry forward.”

Filinto Girão Osório, Web3hub & AI Project Lead added: “Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) stands at the forefront of blending blockchain technology with gaming. This event underscored the growing importance of Web3 in the gaming industry. The collaboration highlighted how decentralized technologies are reshaping the gaming landscape, offering new avenues for innovation, ownership, and player engagement.
Web3, with its promise of decentralized applications and player empowerment, is increasingly becoming integral to the gaming experience. By leveraging blockchain, games can offer true ownership of in-game assets, enhanced security, and the potential for cross-game interoperability.”

As the synergy evolves, events like these pave the way for a more innovative and player-centric gaming ecosystem.

Game Demo Station
Guests were able to try out web3 games: My Neighbor Alice, Qudo by Blockbastards, The Last Monarchy and Blackpool Finance.

“Coinciding with the Non-Fungible Conference Lisbon event, Game Wave Lisboa provided a platform to showcase the latest addition to the QUDO platform, NFTribes, to the BGA community and other members of the gaming hub. It also fostered engaging discussions about the current web3 gaming scene and provided an opportunity to connect in person with the wider ecosystem and other BGA members whose work we previously only knew through the BGA community channels.”
– Diogo Abreu, CMO | Qudo by Block Bastards

“It was an honor to be part of the BGA Game Wave in Lisbon, and reinforce our presence with this amazing community, at the same time we had the opportunity to be part of the sessions. The attendees were super interested in our game and many people tried My Neighbor Alice for the first time! There was also space for networking and we met a couple of old friends from the community, but made interesting contacts for future partnerships too! Thanks BGA for having us! Count us in for the next time :).”
– Stefania Specchio, BD | My Neighbor Alice

The Panel Discussion: Innovative and Sustainable Web3 Game Design
The panel discussion focused on ‘Innovative and sustainable web3 game design,’ touching on various perspectives from game development to investor interests. 

Speakers Akilesh Babu, BD at Aura, Andy Alekhin, Co-founder of Quantum Rift Labs, Joseph Turner, Cheir Esports Officer for Gaimin, and Narcisse Verger, advisor at Blackpool Finance, joined the panel to share their insights and experiences on the topic.

Key takeaways emphasized the importance of fun in games, the rationale behind integrating web3 elements, and how the gaming landscape has evolved using esports as a great example of how new genres and technologies can disrupt and impact traditional models.

“Visiting key groups such as the Web3Hub in Lisbon is always a great way to gauge how the industry is developing in the gaming ecosystem, and this event alongside BGA and Gaming Hub was no different. From engaging panel discussions and the varied thoughts about future development, all the way through to the thought provoking conversations and learning about how innovative game designers are becoming in the space, it was a truly incredible event that helps to back the industry into a brighter future.”
– Joseph Turner, Cheir Esports Officer for Gaimin

“Thanks for having me on the panel last week! One key takeaway was the deep potential of player-driven content and economies to improve game engagement. I also enjoyed discussing strategies for navigating the challenges of integrating blockchain UX into game design. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to exchange insights with other panelists and gain new perspectives on the future of Web3 gaming.”
– Andy Alekhin, Co-founder | The Oct by Quantum Rift Labs

BGA Presentation
The panel discussion was followed by a short presentation by Sebastien Borget, BGA president and The Sandbox Co-founder, during which he expanded on the BGA’s mission, activities, and the global community. 

Summing up the event and collaboration, Nokkvi Dan Ellidason, CFO at Gaimin, said:

“The Web3- and Gaming-hub crossover in Lisbon was a testament to the city’s status as a global innovation hub. The collaborative spirit here clearly shows that scaling startups is far from a zero-sum game, driving forward both community growth and technological advancement.”

Highlights and Takeaways

One of the main highlights of NFC Lisbon was The Gaming Startup Contest. On the final day, the judges convened to announce the winner, Qudo, a proof-of-gameplay reward mechanism aiming to revolutionize the gaming industry by rewarding gamers for playing and Developers for their games’ activeness. This recognition underscored continuous advancements within a flourishing web3 gaming ecosystem and gave visibility to all of the fantastic projects that participated.

In addition to the main event, BGA attended several side events, including Web3 Society: Art, Culture & Gaming at The Block Lisbon and the Gaming Party at Ferroviario, co-hosted by MetaFight, BlackPool Finance, Cross the Ages, Pyratz Labs, and InterCellar, for an evening of networking with the web3 and gaming community on one of Lisbon’s most happening rooftops, and gathered some of the most influential figures in the web3 gaming space.

Looking Ahead to June: Switzerland, Paris, LatAm and Brussels

This month, the excitement continues, and you can connect with BGA at a number of global events:

• 5-13 June: Web3fest, Zurich – Switzerland
• 14-15 June: Lugano NFT Fest, Lugano – Switzerland
• 10-11 June: Proof of Talk – Paris. BGA will be present, focusing on sharing investment opportunities from members to leaders of the Blockchain ecosystem who will attend the event.
• 13-14 June: Peru Blockchain Conference, the largest crypto event in Peru. Our Latam Ambassador, Muke, will represent BGA at this event.
• 26-30 June: GamesCom LATAM, São Paulo – Brazil. BGA is excited to participate in Gamescom Latam for the first time, to engage with our Spanish and international community, and to further explore the Latam web3 and gaming markets. 
• Beyond that, we’ll be at Own Valencia from 4-7 July and in Brussels on 8-11 July for EthCC, continuing our journey to connect with projects across the web3 and gaming worlds.
  

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