Eva Gaspar (Barcelona, 1977) is one of the most influential women in the development and distribution of video games in Spain and Europe. She has been in the industry for two decades, has led multiple projects and is CEO –executive director– of Abylight Barcelona, one of the largest indie (independent) studios. She arrives in Tenerife at the specialized meeting Gamelab, tomorrow at the Auditorium.
They present her as one of the most influential women in the development and distribution of video games in Spain and Europe. Is it for that long?
I think it has to do with the time I’ve been in this world, since 1999, and not with the female condition. I joined Abylight as a consultant in 2008, in 2010 I became a partner and the following year as CEO and majority shareholder. In this sector there is a lot of mortality and people burn out from the pressure and effort. The average duration of this type of business is two years, we are an exception. There are successes, of course, but for each of them many failures. In my case I have shown resilience. I launched the idea of the association of independent developers Professional Associated Developers (PAD) to give visibility to the little ones in this world where everything was reduced to four or five players. In addition to participating in European events.
How and why did he enter this world?
I grew up with video games as a regular part of my entertainment when I was a child, but I never thought of going into their production and distribution. My father traveled a lot for work and brought us games from everywhere. In 1986 he was in Japan and he returned with a lot of entertainment, consoles, computers, arcades –recreational machines–… It never crossed my mind that I could dedicate myself to videogames, let alone make them. He understood that they were created far away, in the United States or in Japan. But I started and here we are still.
What is Abylight Barcelona?
It is a company that has been developing video games since 2003 and has published them since 2008. Since 2020 we have distributed them through an online store. We are a total of twenty people, a small team for the sector. Now we are developing a star strategy and simulation game, One Military Camp, the most important project we have faced and about to come out. A very important part of the work we do.
In addition, they provide services to other companies in the industry.
Since 2016 we have focused on the creation and dissemination of video games, ours or those of other creators, and not as much as at the beginning on technology, although we use it but always in a complementary way.
What is the current moment of this industry in Spain?
Well, for a decade there has been progress after a long journey in the desert in which everything was in slow motion. The path is towards the consolidation of an industrial structure. Regarding the talent, which supposedly has always been in this country, I have some doubts because many people were hired from abroad, but the evolution of these ten years has also been positive in that regard. From the public, with a much higher training offer of specialized university studies, and also from the private with other professionals. An ecosystem of resources has been created that has allowed small teams to complete their work and position themselves in the sector. A traffic light of the transformation of is social consideration. Before, when you said you were working on this, they almost gave you their condolences or thought you crazy, while now they practically roll out the red carpet for you. They even see you with admiration and they even associate you with having money, which is not the case (laughs). Admiration, respect and visibility, in short. This evolution is also noticeable in the collaborations with this world of established artists, something that until not long ago was unthinkable. The truth is that there are already companies with more than five years of life and before they were an exception.
Does this paradigm shift also have a social and economic translation?
You are right. Even banks see the ideal sector to invest. As an anecdote, I say that if a few years ago, in 2010, they denied us a very modest line of credit, barely 10,000 euros, now they are fighting to offer us a much higher amount, multiplied by a few zeros. Example of a social and cultural change towards what today has been consolidated as an industry. The role of women in the sector has also changed for the better.
what will he talk about Tenerife?
About the development of the indie system and the possibility of growing from that model without belonging to a large company or fund. How to reach from the perspective of the creators to a mass of the population in the development of video games and then in the process of selling them, how to place them in stores. Although there are still some physical ones, the vast majority are digital today.
Is the Island a good place as a possible niche for companies of this type?
I have seen on the networks about the tax advantages. I have never been to the Island and the truth is that I am very excited because my parents went there on their honeymoon. I want to check these possibilities directly, although I am a bit reluctant to have to reside despite knowing that it is a paradise. There is even a member of our team who lives in Tenerife. At a business level, I am interested in seeing first and analyzing later.
