2019 is expected to be a year of great change for PC gaming. With Fortnite’s money and an aggressively generous revenue sharing model, Epic Games’s new store might prove to be Steam’s first serious rival, while Discord and Tencent are also taking a punt. EA still has its Origin store and is investing in streaming infrastructure, as are Microsoft and Google.
In almost exactly one month, the PC Connects London conference will bring together developers, publishers, investors, media, and analysts from across the industry to network and look ahead at the new year in PC gaming.
The schedule is divided into several ‘tracks’, in which a series of “short, sharp seminars” will see speakers discuss the key issues in PC gaming. The State of Play track assesses the current market, while the PC Revolution track runs down the many ways in which the industry is evolving to get you ready for 2019. On the agenda this year: the rise of new stores aiming to challenge Steam, streaming services, Spatial OS, and the continued ascent of free-to-play and the Asian market.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with said speakers, who include UK games industry icon Sir Ian Livingstone, data experts Newzoo, devs from CD Projekt RED, Jagex, and Creative Assembly, and many more – click here for a full rundown.
Related: here’s what makes the Epic Store a threat to Steam
PC Connects London will take place on 21-22 of January, at The Brewery on Chiswell Street (appropriately enough for such a venue, there’s a party on the first evening). If you’re interested in attending, head to Eventbrite for more information and to grab your tickets. These start at £80 (plus VAT) for indies, and run up to £400 if you’re not an industry professional – though there’s a discounted rate for students.