Unifying Southern European Studios and Pop Culture: The Future of Paris Games Week

The 2023 edition of Paris Games Week has been announced, with the event set to return to the French capital this November, building on its legacy since 2010, despite the 2020 and 2021 editions being cancelled due to the pandemic. The event made a comeback last year with the "Restart" edition, and this year, it aims to reach new heights with the "Next Level" edition. Nicolas Vignolles, general delegate at SELL, emphasizes the goal to create a richer experience by engaging more with gaming culture and related sectors, including streaming platforms, anime, manga, esports, and cosplay companies, as well as pop culture in general. The event focuses on providing a hands-on experience for players to engage with yet-to-be-released games, leveraging its strategic position in the calendar to attract a well-attended show floor. Vignolles notes that despite the challenges, there is still value in physical events for companies to showcase their titles, and Paris Games Week is well-positioned to capitalize on this, having confirmed its position in 2022 with the presence of major platform holders. The organizer aims to develop the event's B2B aspect, focusing on the Southern European market, and plans to announce more details in June. By expanding its international dimension, particularly in Southern Europe, Paris Games Week aims to become a key event for studios in the region, without competing with existing European events like Gamescom, but rather complementing them. The goal is to attract between 200,000 and 250,000 attendees this year, by rallying more voices from pop culture and gaming sectors.