In a notable move to bolster the gaming ecosystem, Tencent, the Chinese gaming giant, is enhancing its support for emerging developers through the expansion of its Venture Lab initiative. This program aims to provide crucial resources to studios in their formative stages, focusing on areas such as investment, publishing, marketing, and consulting.
Empowering Early-Stage Developers
Currently, the Venture Lab employs a dedicated team of approximately 20 professionals, all committed to guiding new talent in the gaming industry. Juno Shin, the head of Venture Lab, shared insights into the initiative, reflecting on the dual nature of the journey they undertake with various studios. “After working with hundreds of studios, you sometimes enjoy the success and, unfortunately, more often you share the pain of failures — but that’s the nature of the business, right?” he remarked.
Shin emphasized the common pitfalls that many early-stage studios encounter. “There are so many common mistakes studios make, especially the early stage studios because no one is born as a CEO,” he explained. Many founders are driven by creativity and optimism, yet they often lack the managerial experience necessary to navigate the complexities of running a business. From setting up bank accounts and managing payroll to addressing technological challenges and engaging with publishers, these tasks can be daunting for new developers.
“Our job is to really help reduce the risks of making the same mistakes, and show how to maximize the success rate of their first game,” Shin concluded, highlighting the Venture Lab’s mission to cultivate a more robust foundation for the next generation of game developers.
