Welcome to PocketGamer Connects London 2026 - Chris James, Steel Media.

[music] Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. [music]
[music] [applause]
The name's James. Chris James, licensed to fill the brewery and parts of the barbcin uh with some of the best people in the entertainment industry. Uh

welcome to PGKS London 2026. [cheering]
Good. [applause] Oh dear. I'm going to snuff a little bit. Is there first question? Is anybody here from MGM in the audience? That's a shame because I'm putting my I put my name into the hat for that one, but never mind. Still not decided. Then again, we'll get out of the copyright issue, I guess. So, this was just a small kind of homage uh really to to both the games industry, the film industry, uh and of course the UK uh and this incredible particularly this incredible multicultural not crimeridden city of London. Um which I think are all particularly relevant to the show this year. Are you enjoying London so far?
Yeah.
Anybody been mugged? No. Good. Good answer. That would be Right. Okay. Right. Uh in a few minutes time we're going to be celebrating the best of the British games industry on the creative kingdom track and tomorrow we're hosting a trans media summit uh in the barbec which explores the areas where games

meets film and music and that's kind of why that was sort of relevant to that and we have a genuinely star-studded cast assembled uh not just today but over 300 speakers over the next few days. But before I hand the the mic over to that I want to hope you'll indulge me a little bit. I can talk a little bit about us uh and where we've we've kind of come from. There you go. This is my usual stand. I'm Chris James as I said I'm CEO of Steel Media company behind this event behind pocket game.com Biz PC games insider blockchain game and mobile games awards and various other things. Uh for the last few years we've been part of a bigger family, the Enthusiast Gaming family. Any enthusiast gaming people in here? Yes, a few of us at the front. There we go. The the CEO of Enthusiast actually here, but they do loads of other stuff. They've got uh PC big PC gaming sites like Icy Veins. They've got tools for hardcore gamers. So the UGG uh the Sims resources the biggest community for the Sims moders addicting games fantasy football scout a whole load of other things. And everything they do and everything we do is about celebrating, supporting,

connecting the games industry wherever it may be in the world, whatever sort of games it's making. Um and that's what we're going to try and do today. Um, but to understand us a bit more, you need to take a little bit of a step back in time. There we go. Um, back to the future. Um, you see, this is a big year for us. It's an anniversary year. All right. A bit more ration. Okay. You don't know the anniversary. That's fine. Whilst I'm not quite as old as Bond. Uh, he's 60s now. Still medium pocket game are turning 20 years old uh this year. 20 years. It's good, isn't it? Thank you.
[applause]
Um and and and as as you do, you've got to look back in time a little bit. When we were when we started this journey, we were very different. We were different young men with a dream and a record contract. Uh and and and the devices we were working on were very different. This is mobile phones back in 25 2006. Uh and and this is obviously the handheld console. Remember those? The original DS? That was amazing. Um mobile games were different. The games that we were talking about were very different

back then. These are some of the the cracking games that were available on feature phones. Uh and of course the world was very different. This is an AI visualization of that period. So not great. Uh it's a a lot going on there. Some some good films fine. Um and of course the games industry itself was on a very different uh scale. It's a bit hazier to get data from those earlier years but estimates p around $ 31 billion. It's only about 15% of the size it is today. Um of course our media was very different uh as well. This is what we started out doing. This is their official pocket gamer website. And we also started um creating magazines. I've got them there. I didn't bring them up. We It was so hard to download mobile games. We had to put a magazine into shops to explain to you how to mo download them. That's that's how hard it was. But we did that. We also launched a uh a exclusive title for the then sort of market leading mobile uh uh console which was of course the endgage. Remember the endgage? Yeah. We loved that, didn't we? So we did the original the one and only official Endgage

magazine. knows anyone else. So, um, and then like everyone else in mobile, we kind of started to to get to our feet in 2008 with the launch of the iPhone and the App Store and we launched Pocket Games. Uh, and as we grew up, we started to get, I guess, into our teenage years. We started to do parties and pictures. I don't know, people came to our our mobile mixers. We did we did quite a few parties and pictures, uh, to be honest. Uh, and we went to university, went to we went to the student developer challenge, uh, with Samsung for a couple years. That was great. Uh, did some more parties. There was quite a lot of parties. So, who's been to Pocket Game Party before?
Everybody. Good. That's good. There'll be one tonight. Uh, and more parties and that's the end of the parties. Uh, and then, um, 12 years ago, we kind of put on a suit for the first time and did our first grown-up conference, uh, uh, PG Connectnects, not London, just PG Connectnects in Venopoulos. And from there, we went on our travels, our Gaffier, we went to Helsinki, we went to the Americas, I believe it's all one place now, uh, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, uh, Vancouver. uh we went to to Asia, went to to India and and then to to China as well. We we also tried out

some different formats. We had a a VR period, we had a blockchain period that was in in Hong Kong, we were there. Um uh and then we started awarding people which was great. We had we've done a lot of great awards uh ceremonies. Um obviously like everyone else, we entered COVID and we we had to go a bit digital for a while. Um we had we did 10 digital conferences. I think we had enough of that at the end of it. Um I went a little bit mad and you can see my hair evolved over the period. uh and my foot jawline has obviously gone down now, but there we go. Uh but then we came back to to life and and and that's that's just in 2022 and and now I'd like to feel we're kind of really in our in our prime. This is this is our this is we're generally a kind of global uh events business. This is what we did last year. We were in in in a in Shanghai, in Barcelona, in Korea, near Soul. We are London of course Dubai, all over the place. Um and that's what we've kind of added up to. We we are uh there are bigger are huge conferences out there of course but as an independent conference with multiple outlets I think we're probably the biggest in in in the world

and we're very proud of that now. Uh so some of the the big numbers um and of course against that we've grown but that's against the backdrop of a growing industry. So you might have blinked to missed it because it got upgrade updated in mid December. But this is the current valuation of the games industry according to New Zoo almost to $200 billion. Um and it's forecast to grow 4.9% for the next couple of years which seems pretty good. Um but I'll not be surprised. It's been upgraded a couple of times and I think it's going to get upgraded again when the final Q5 data is in. And I also think that if we look at what the real value of the games industry in, it's much much bigger than this. I I did an attempt with with AI. It's not brilliant. But when we added together because News forecasts don't include hardware sales. They don't include PlayStations, Xboxes, Switches, Steam Decks, whatever. They don't include advertising revenue, which I think that's wrong to be honest, but it's very hard to get accurate figures. They don't also properly account for DTOC sales uh from web shops because all

their data is from app stores. So, I think the industry is worth at least that. And that and that's still conservative because that doesn't include the wider impact of uh of the IP has been being used in in film and TV. It doesn't include our our games being used on different channels on on on with WeChat and Smart TV and Discord and New York Times. It doesn't include influencers. It doesn't who really all their content a lot of these is all about games. It doesn't include really esports. Um, and so that there's there's no dispute for me that we are the biggest entertainment uh medium uh in the world and but we still want to work with the rest of the creative industries and we will continue to do that and as I say we have this trans media summit taking place at the barbin uh tomorrow. So if you get a chance to go walk over there it's about five minute walk um do check that out. It's going to it's going to be brilliant. Um there are multiple reasons why uh I I'm bullish about the industry and I think the industry can feel bullish. I I usually do these big lists. I'm not going to do that quite the same way today. Don't worry. Um but

there's loads of all the reasons I've talked about before are still valid. The distribution's getting broken up and getting excited. The app stores are, you know, opening up more and more. There's new app stores and stores, distribution platforms, direct to consumer web stores are making a big difference. Uh obviously games everywhere is this kind of trend where web games are growing. Games in under on WeChat minis and other uh uh everything apps on the New York Times. AI is obviously Hughes talk about in a second and then of course we have Schrodinger's Grand Theft Auto as I like to call it which is it's a game which is both gonna revolutionize the industry and make us a fortune when it comes whilst at the same time giving us all an opportunity to sell our games before it comes. So that's uh it's two ticks from that. However, there are still many uh especially in Europe and and the last year or so that have sort of not been very downbeat and and and have a sense of industry in crisis. And there's lots of good reasons. I won't go through them all again, but there have been genuine struggles we've kind of faced with inflation. There's obviously global

tensions. Thank god that's ended. Um, and then there's um we've obviously had IDFA uh problems in in mobile, all sorts of thing inflation. A lot of the challenges have kind of happened and they've had very real outcomes. According to Amir Satvat, who's the keeper of these numbers, over 45,000 people have lost their their their jobs in the last uh last few years, which is is bad. That's not a net figure, but it's still uh not great. And just this week, Meta shutters some of their VR activities. Play tikka let go some of their workforce. So, it is still continuing to a point, but hiring is also happening at a bigger scale. Um, the VC taps turned off. This was an estimation from earlier last year, not the final number, and we can see that that that movement. However, whilst all these things are true, it doesn't um it is still true that the opportunities remain. And this is actually, I think, the possibly the best time ever to be in the games industry, the biggest opportunities. It just needs us as an industry to think a bit different to to stop imagining that the the way it used to be is going to come back and we're going to have it. It's going to come

back to how it was in CO. It's not. It's going to come back to how we were marketing before IDFA. It's not. We need to think different. We need to grab the opportunities that are there. Um, so on one side we have uh AAA supposedly struggling. AAA is not dead, but it's had a a number of high-profile failures. Concourse, Suicide Squad last year, Call of Duty, Black Ops 7, Assassin's Creed Shadows. These aren't my words. This is the press talking. Um they all struggle though. But on the flip side, we've had these incredible smaller projects uh that are bursting through and and and killing it. Obviously um Exhibition 33 has won every award going. Shed ones were Mega Bonk. There's Silk on Blanch Peak. There's there's there's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of games that done really well. Even Arc Raiders, it's not an indie hit, but it's a smaller uh title that's done incredibly well. And the investment market isn't quite as da as some would have us believe. This was the actual final uh level of investment according to Drake at the end of last year and admittedly it was boyed by some big in investments but overall it was a record year for M&A last year. Um again

big investments the the EA deal obviously a big part of that. Um but a staggering 161 billion uh dollars of of deal flow across both both acquisitions and uh early investments. Um, and yes, yes, investments, uh, placements, private placements, actually investments in new companies were down a chunk, only 509. The value was up because some big deals, but I think that's slowly turning around. There's 150 plus investors at this event. So, they're obviously looking for something. They're not just coming here for the free food and and and the booze, my baby. They are, but um, so I I I think that there's an appetite growing once again, and because once the top end, once these big exits, fuels the whole uh, circus yet again. Um, and even if VC does call, there are other channels. Now, this is a really boring slide, but I won't go through it. But there are other ways for you to make money, whether it's mobile, whe it's PC console, there's the whether it's whether it's kind of grants, whether it's it's UA as a service, whether it's revenue based financing. There's a lot of different ways to get money. You don't have to just rely. And of course, publishers, that's publishers are back

playing their role as well. Another thing people talk about is the red ocean. Oh, it's so it's so difficult. So, comp competition has never been higher. This is probably true in certain markets. I'm not arguing but but look elsewhere. Um the global games industry is not accelerating at the same the same pace in every of every country. If you look at the Southeast Asia and Latam and the Middle East, those markets are going crazy. There are genuine opportunities there. Vietnam is is is is off the charts. I mean Turkey obviously as well raising loads of money going going crazy. That the the Middle East is is on an absolute tear. So there's opportunities there. We'll be running events in some of those places. So you come along and check it out. But you should be checking some you should be looking at these opportunities and see if you can take advantage of these growing markets. China huge opportunity also seen as a as as a threat especially by a certain amount in the White House. But it is it is it is a it is the dominant games market now and it probably will be for the next decade or so. It's not going to change because they can do AAA now as well as as mobile. But but even with their scary

supremacy, you can look at how they're making money, how they view the industry. They've got these WeChat mini games. we don't really even think about that stuff. It's massive business. Um that they view the industry quite differently. And of course, you can also publish your games in China. I know a lot of people are uh already, but there's big opportunities there for everyone. AI is the other one. Um definite cause for weariness on many fronts and and I know a lot of people don't like AI, but it does create opportunities. It creates opportunities for everybody in the industry to improve their processes, to create more, to experiment more. Virtually every part of the games industry uh can use AI. and kind of if you're not using it, you are in some way, even if it's just your own or you know just idea sourcing, you are probably using it wrong. Um, and there's other there's brilliant other opportunities as well. There's the GGC opportunity is absolutely phenomenally huge. Uh, it doesn't get enough attention like mobile never used attention, but it's breaking all the records for engagement. It's breaking records for revenue to to creators. It's it's going insane. Um and and of course

um the the web shops direct to consumer absolutely massive opportunity. If you're a mobile uh developer and you you're not talking to one of these partners and a lot of them are here uh then you really should be now. Um and you can obviously look outside your industry. Um the apps business is growing a fair old lick as well. It's actually growing slightly faster revenues than mobile games. Uh and so you can look at how you can apply your skills there. We've got Simon Haye from uh from Space Ape and now Dualingo will be talking about opportunities there later on. Obviously, as I said before, there's all the creative industries. Now, hopefully some of that will have sparked some thoughts in how you can think differently this year, how we can really take this year on. Um there will be, however, 30 odd theme tracks of of incredible content with much much smarter people than me uh sharing their insights. So, please do check out as many of those as you can. Uh we've got over 300 speakers, as I said. Um and uh just an incredible incredible lineup of speakers. We have all this content will be available. You should see it firsthand because you should, right? But

if you if you can't, you won't be able to see all four track rooms. Then come back and there's the video vault in a couple of weeks. All of that's available in the schedule, which is the the place to see the latest constantly updated uh uh timings. Um and that's also exists in meet to match. Uh so if you haven't been in meet to match already, please do uh drop into it because that is the heart of this event in terms of making meetings. We've had about 11,000 meetings confirmed, about 5,000 pending. Um, we are running out of meeting tables again, even though we grew at 30%, but there are lot of spaces to meet. Barbin, check out the barbin. Um, 1500 companies attending. There's two expo floors and loads of stuff to explore here. And there's also space just around the corner at the barbec. Again, if you are looking for a little bit of space, it gets a bit squeezed in here. The barbec will have uh some more space as well as its own uh apps and trans media tracks and a small showcase. We have all the fringe events. I won't go through them. If you're involved in them, you know, you can see them here. Invest connection and big indie pitch mobile today, cons big indie pitch console tomorrow and the speed match the journalist bar. If you want attention from our journalist,

there's a there's a a space in the indie zone. You can go and talk to a journalist at any time and you can vote in the audience choice award. So, please do that. Please vote and get uh uh and and the winner gets a prize. Um and of course the networking and the the event doesn't end when the uh when the the the sun goes down, which is about 12:00 I think. Um we are we uh have a party uh this evening at uh bounce for everyone's welcome. I know there's about 7,000 other events as well, but please come to ours for a little bit uh in in association with ARY. Thank you for sponsoring that. If you need help, you can go to reception. It might be a bit of a zoo at the moment, but supportps.com is actually great. There's two or three people monitoring that constantly. They'll get back to you very quickly. The social media pgconnects on your social media poison of choice as Wi-Fi you probably know. Um, I have to do a couple of thank yous. I'm running a couple minutes over, but I won't go too much longer. Um, I need to say these events don't come together on their own. So, I do need to say a huge uh thanks to our sponsor. We can get a small small a large round of applause really for some of our our top sponsors. For app charge,

our diamond sponsor, [applause] for our titanium sponsors, Zulla and Cashkit, platinum sponsors, Fast Green, Teex, Epics Game Store, Xbox, gold sponsors, our media, Crazy Games, Meta, Bishop, Neon, Tamatan, Prote, Personality, Smartex, User Centrics, Unity China, Tech Lace, Amber, Digital Turbine, layers, just Snapchat, Appsfly, Duolingo, Rap PR, Ary, and Sensar. Thank you for them. We also have silver sponsors. I can't read everybody out. Thank you very much for your support. For our bronze sponsors, we've had a lot of sponsors. I am very very grateful this year. It's been absolutely overwhelming the amount of of support we've had from people. Track sponsors as well, associate sponsors. You're all brilliant. Uh and I I love you not just cuz you give me money. Um and uh a big thank you to our media partners as well helped us get the word out. You guys are great. And of course our steel media team. Can we have a round of applause please for our Steel Media team. [applause] Um they [cheering] really uh this is this is them in slightly more relaxed mode at a different event, but they do all the hard work uh and make me uh look good uh which is very hard work. Um okay, so I'm about to hand over to uh to

Charlie for the opening track, but I have one more uh thing in actually two more things. One thing is if you do enjoy this and I hope you do, we've got a lot more of it. We've got 10 events, PGC events and a couple of others this year so far. So we're going to be all over the flipping world. London, San Francisco, Dubai, Malmo, Barcelona, Shanghai, Helsingi, Bangkok, Jordan and Grand Canaria in December, bit of Winter Sun. So, please do join us as many of those as you can. And as I said, I was going to get to I just have in true Colbo fashion uh u we've gone from Bond to Columbbo in the space 20 minutes. I have just one more thing. Um I've talked about evolution and the need for the games industry evolve and and we've been going 20 years and that that counts for us too and it counts for for me too. So I have a small announcement on stage to say that I am stepping upstairs uh as me and a proposy I'm actually going become chairman of steel media uh from the end after this show from February 2026 and so I'm I'm not leaving I'm not leaving the event I'm going to be working now on

new opportunities new business and I'm the the day gaffer is going to be Dave Brady come to stage Dave get a round of applause please [applause] there we So you can do you want to say anything? I don't know.
No, it's right. That's fine. Well, thank you very much, Chris. And also a round of applause for Chris for 10 20 years 20 [applause and cheering] years.
Okay.
I just need to do one quick thing. Right. This is for my family. So, if I could keep that applause going so I can get my selfie. That'd be great. See? See? They love me. [applause] Okay. All right. And that on that note, I'm going to pick up my crutches. I did actually I do have a genuine injury. I did a tour of calf muscle playing football with some 15year-olds. Lesson to self. But um but yeah, thank you very much. Have a fantastic PG connects and I will see you around. Charlie, over to you.