Melbourne International Games Week wasn’t the only one celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! Joining the festivities are Melbourne based indie studios Hipster Whale and Massive Monster, and the Freeplay festival’s indie games showcase Parallels – with Freeplay itself celebrating its 20th anniversary.
In this episode, May Jasper took a retrospective look at both studios’ journeys this week, chatting to Massive Monster’s Co-Founder and Design Director Jay Armstrong, Head of Marketing Josie Fletcher, and Hipster Whale CEO Clara Reeves.
They shared how they have honoured their milestones in the midst of MIGW, by lighting up the Fed Square stage with Crossy Road activations and life size controllers for Big Games Night Out, gracing the pews of PAX AUS with bonafide, legally binding Cult of the Lamb themed weddings, and transforming a hallowed church into a one night only concert hall for INDOCTRINATE: A Cult of the Lamb Party (Oct 11).
“There were some times where I thought ‘oh my god this isn’t gonna work’… Here we are ten years later, and a lot of studios don’t make it ten years. So the fact that we’re even here, let alone are doing all these cool things, is just awesome, it’s just fantastic,” said Armstrong.
Massive Monster and ACMI also hosted a networking event during MIGW, Taking Up Space: A Networking Event for Women & Gender Diverse Game Developers (held on October 6th, 2024). The event featured micro-talks from industry professionals about their obstacles and triumphs within the games industry, and presented a space for mid to senior level developers to build community.
Listen to Episode 4 of the MIGW 2024 Podcast below!
Read: How Julian Wilton raised a cult, and created a monster
