The BIG Competition is the largest gaming occasion in Latin America, bringing the area’s vibrant gaming scene to the world stage with panels, reveals, and an award ceremony.
One of many massive winners of the night time was Argentinian indie studio An Otter Sport Studio, which beat off stiff competitors from the likes of Aquiris Sport Studio and Icon Video games to take house the Finest Cell Sport award with its title, Sequenza – a musical puzzle recreation.
We spoke to An Otter Sport Studio founder and director Martín Fernández in regards to the recreation, the Argentinian video games business, and the award.
Please inform us about An Otter Sport Studio and your function within the firm
An Otter Sport Studio is a brand new and small studio primarily based within the metropolis of Rosario, Argentina (enjoyable reality for soccer followers, it is town the place Lionel Messi was born).
We give attention to making our video games extra introspective, making the participant really feel totally different feelings than what they’re used to experiencing. We have now studios akin to Ustwo Video games and That recreation firm as references.
I’m the founder and director of the studio, I guarantee that the whole lot works and that the path we’re getting in is evident. As a result of measurement of our studio, I additionally normally put on the hats of lead programmer and recreation designer.
What did it imply on your studio to win greatest cell recreation on the BIG Competition awards?
For such a brand new studio, any business validation of our work is a big increase, as we began out with a small portfolio to fall again on when in search of funding for our tasks. As well as, the truth that our first recreation received in its class offers us the reassurance that we’re heading in the right direction and that the work we’re doing is of top quality.
However, successful a global competitors dispels the notion that many Latin American studios have that we can’t compete with larger studios with extra expertise and extra sources.
Profitable a global competitors dispels the notion that many Latin American studios have that we can’t compete with larger studios with extra expertise and extra sources.
What’s it about Sequenza that makes it stand out?
To be sincere, once I noticed the opposite video games in our class, I did not assume we had an opportunity, as a result of it was apparent that the opposite video games have been nice video video games with larger productions. Possibly that’s what makes Sequenza stand out, that it’s so easy in all elements and but manages to evoke intense feelings.
The place do you assume Argentina sits within the Latin American gaming panorama?
I believe Argentina is clearly rising. I believe that due to our historical past and our tradition we’ve got rather a lot to inform, and videogames are an excellent channel to take action.
Sadly, the financial scenario and unhealthy political administrations don’t permit us to develop as quick as we must be rising. That’s the solely factor that retains us slightly behind the largest ones (Brazil and Mexico).
Fortunately we’ve got a really robust neighborhood and we assist one another. This may be seen in our nationwide occasion EVA (Argentinean Videogame Expo) the place yearly there are increasingly more of us, and the standard of our video games is getting higher and higher.
I additionally assume we’ve got excellent references like Trivia Crack by Etermax within the cell market, Nimble Big co-developing Star Trek Infinite, and Senscape co-developing Silent Hill: Ascension within the AAA market or Daniel Benmergui with Storyteller within the indie market amongst many others. Our business has rather a lot to present.
Considering again over the previous couple of years, what’s the greatest hurdle you’ve got confronted?
The truth is that our greatest impediment, as I discussed earlier than, is our nationwide financial system, which attributable to financial inflation doesn’t permit us to save cash and that makes us dwell day-to-day with lots of danger and takes away our projection capability, particularly once we are simply beginning and we would not have so many instruments to counteract it. However it’s a drawback that each one Argentines need to take care of.
Significantly in our studio, what we discover most troublesome is to search out the stability between making video games for purchasers with the intention to survive and discovering time to develop our personal video games.
Which, if any, new expertise within the video games business excites you most?
Truthfully, we’re not the sort to run after expertise, we search to focus extra on producing an emotional influence from simplicity, as we did with Sequenza. From a private standpoint, I’m intrigued by what might occur with AI as soon as the copyright of the works it feeds on is regularised.
What can we count on subsequent from An Otter Sport Studio?
Our first goal is to broaden Sequenza, and to have the ability to attain the widest doable viewers. After that, we’ve got a number of tasks within the pipeline on the studio, with which we hope to develop our personal aesthetic and id. These tasks discover totally different mechanics, which intention to take the participant on a extra introspective journey.
In March, a Information.ai report examined Latin America’s gaming market.
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