[External Essay] A noob in Köln Gamescom Land at Gamescom2024

Written by External Writer S.H Dodam Pea, 7 September 2024

Sometimes, the unbelievable graces our lives. For me, it came in the form of "BACKND" and "Köln Gamescom."

My gaming experience was limited to a few college days at a PC café, playing 2D online games like Nexon's Crazy Arcade or Netmarble's Tetris with friends.

It may come as a shock to some of you who read my essay, but the 2013 version of Candy Crush Saga (yes, the one where you line up three candies in a row to pop it) was the last game I ever played.

And if I had to name one game, I was most passionate about my young days, it would undoubtedly be StarCraft. I couldn't defeat the computer in the early stages without these three legendary cheat codes —"show me the money," "black sheep wall," and "operation cwal"— This cemented my place as the reigning "noob" in the gaming world.

Yet here I am, now in my second year working as a local staff for "BACKND" at the world-renowned game exhibition, Köln Gamescom 2023 and 2024. To be honest, this experience was as surreal for me as something straight out of Stranger Things.

However, just like last year, the curious glances and the intense enthusiasm of game developers from around the globe were evocative of the chemistry between lovers, making my time at the exhibition a thrilling and delightful experience.

Like Alice in Wonderland tumbling down the rabbit hole, I quickly found myself swept away by the thrill and enchantment of this fantastical Gamescom world, where every moment felt like a wondrous adventure.

The streets surrounding Köln Messe/Deutz station, where the convention was held, were filled with endless streams of visitors throughout the event. Halls 6 and 7 were constantly ABUZZ! with crowds, drawn by the exhibitions and demos of upcoming games.

The surreal visuals at the booths for Sid Meier's Civilization 7 by 2K, Diablo IV by Microsoft Xbox, and the Dragon Ball sculptures by Bandai Namco Entertainment were nothing short of breathtaking.

According to the local newspaper, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, about 3.35 million visitors flocked to this place over the four days from August 22nd to 25th, confirming that my impressions were not an exaggeration.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, not the most luminous, but the most grounded space was undoubtedly Hall 2, where the BACKND booth was located. As a B2B focused hall, it felt like the powerhouse that drives the modern gaming industry.

At the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, there's a colossal 10-meter-tall and 60-meter-wide painting by Raoul Dufy titled La Fée Electricité (The Electricity Fairy). It showcases the history of scientific progress under human civilization in a panoramic fresco. The highlight of this magnificent work is the vibrant, colorful light and electricity that Iris, daughter of the electricity god Electra, sends coursing through fifty major cities around the world. This dazzling display of color is made possible by countless small historic rays of light.

In that sense, I dare say that the BACKND booth was also full of little lights that will contribute to the sacred and great history of the game industry.

The excitement of seeing promising projects that needed BACKND's technology was one such light. The synergy created by successful partnerships or potential partnerships with everyone who visited the BACKND booth, like the expanding universe, will know no bounds.

After a series of relentless meetings, as our team took a moment to catch our breath, a blonde-haired employee of a very famous loudspeaker company came over from the stand directly in front of us with an armful of drinks.

"I am sure you guys need this," she said.

The bottles were dripping with tiny droplets of water, unable to withstand the heat of the convention hall. Despite our different nationalities, the small, lovely camaraderie we shared in this vast gaming industry revitalized us whenever we felt worn out.

Once, a senior marketing manager from a payment company, who said he was just wandering around, came over to give us cookies. Another time, a staff member from a game graphics company, cheered us on, wishing us success.

The bearded business manager from another payment company booth said his friend is a mobile game developer looking for a professional game backend SaaS company. Not only did he follow BACKND on LinkedIn, but he also meticulously collected our global business manager's business card!

(Especially myself as a Korean) I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride knowing that BACKND was riding the dynamic current of this massive and grand new trend, alongside leading Korean game companies like Nexon and Krafton, and gaming industry professionals from around the world.

But one thing I'll never forget: A bright young German boy who left an indelible mark on me.  "Do you remember me? I was here with my mom last year," he said, his blue eyes sparkling.

 He passionately shared how much he loved games and the kind of game he dreamed of creating, revealing himself to be an undergraduate studying computer programming. He was like a young, unripe apple, still green but full of promise and potential.

Last year, many developers and companies who had visited BACKND at Gamescom returned, so it wasn’t difficult to retrieve a memory of this young boy.

What was remarkable, though, was that he had continued to remember BACKND, telling me that he and his friends had since started a game company and were currently developing a game. When he expressed his desire to partner with us if the opportunity arose. Oh My Goodness, I was completely blown away.

It seemed that while BACKND had grown over the past year, this young boy's dreams had also matured. After bombarding us with questions while watching the BACKND WORLDs clip (New beta product for MMO development), he left with our business card.

I wonder what will happen to him next year. Perhaps by then he'll be a very much valued customer of BACKND, soaring with the wings they helped him create.

Just like last year, this year, too, I saw BACKND as a constantly moving little atom. My joyful imaginings about BACKND will not end with a brief afternoon nap like Alice’s.

I eagerly await the day when I can once again experience the wonder and magic of the 2025 Gamescom, where BACKND will surely shine brightly, bringing another extraordinary world to gamers (noobs like me included. 😉) around the globe.

"Auf Wiedersehen!"

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