Enric Cabestany: "The video game industry alone moves more than the entire cultural industry"

BarcelonaEnric Cabestany (Barcelona, 1981) is a restless entrepreneur. He makes the most of the 24 hours of the day, but tries to balance it with family life. For this reason, he has left the position of global vice president of marketing and editorial and general director of the Barcelona office of FunPlus, a Swiss video game multinational. Before that, he had a professional journey in Latin America and Silicon Valley. From here arose his relationship with apps, video games... and he made great friends in the world's technology capital. He then became involved with Asian tech companies and was in charge of the landing in Barcelona of the Chinese mobile video game company IGG in 2018. Today he participates in numerous technology projects, two of which are still linked to the world of video games.

What is the process of creating video games?

— Things have evolved a lot. Now it's not that you make the video game and then the marketing, but that as you develop the video game you are already creating community, understanding what users want...

How long does the process last?

— When I started, it took them three years or so to come to market. Now, a year or so. It goes so fast and the user demands so much innovation that these large companies make very changing video game developments, but that continue with the same theme. We were experts in strategy games, which go to a more adult target, with economic capacity and who invest in a community because they don't play alone. An example is Age of empires. Well, that's what they do on mobile. They are strategy games and they generate the most revenue. They are less massive, but the average revenue is much higher.

What characteristics do they have?

— Look for what they call whales (whales), the big consumers for whom plans are proposed. It is an industry with many facets. Before, it was said that a video game was creation and development, but nowadays it is marketing. Of course, you have to have a good product, but marketing is key.

What is the importance of the sector in Catalonia?

— It has always been said that the audiovisual industry is important in Catalonia, but the video game industry is many times larger. It goes more unnoticed and, nevertheless, moves much more. The video game industry alone generates much more than all the rest of the cultural industry combined.

How was it possible?

— We have known how to reconvert. We are the most pioneering and innovative when it comes to acquiring users, because we are an industry focused on data (everything is measured in how much money I invest and how much I get back from the user). There is development, design, advertising, mathematicians, computer scientists, economists, we absorb people from banking, audiovisual and others. We are creating a very transversal industry.

And what is the role of artificial intelligence?

— Before, an advertisement was created and an external agency used to take two weeks to make a video, and if it was a big one, a month. Today, I have an internal team that, with all the tools, creates a video in two or three hours. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the entire process.

And what does he do now?

— I agreed to step down from management at FunPlus, of which I remain a shareholder, because I wanted to start undertaking some projects. One is Apptonomy, an Aso platform, which is SEO for apps. With the volume of applications out there, it's difficult to have visibility. And without enough money, there are strategies and platforms on the market that, by subscription, give you this capability. We compete with companies that have 300 employees and 200 million in investment. These two entrepreneurs, with artificial intelligence and tools, have created an application that gives a thousand turns to many of these large companies. I have joined as a partner and I am helping them bring in clients.

What else?

— I am also with the Asian Appgrowing, where I am a partner and advisor. It is a platform that provides all competitor data. And where I get more involved is at Pickem, where I join as CMO (chief marketing officer) of the group to lead its growth. It is a social gaming company with very rapid growth in the United States.

How can you work on so many projects? Don't you sleep?

— Before, I managed almost 140 people. More than half of my time was spent managing people. And I traveled a lot. A moment came when I thought I needed time for myself and to enjoy my family, my children, who are growing up. I get involved in things I want to. I don't have to arrive at an office at 9 in the morning, I don't have to leave at 8 in the evening.

It is said that talent is lacking...

— There is, but you have to know where. For example, there is a company that has asked me to collaborate with them in Asia because I have spent many years working in the area and knowing hit creators with whom I have a relationship and a network of contacts. And large companies from the sector come and I put them in contact.

In Barcelona, many Asian, American, and other European companies have come, especially from the world of video games. They create hubs here, but there are no local ones...

— Barcelona has transformed into a hub since the Mobile World Congress appeared there. It is one of the most attractive cities for attracting technological talent because there is simple regulation and benefits can be found, because administrations need to attract companies and get involved. It has been very interesting for companies like King, Scopely, the Chinese ones, from all over. People who have been creating here and want to stay to live in Barcelona. The entrepreneur can obtain the first capital, up to 2, 3 or 5 million. But when you want to take the next step, larger rounds, as well as in the world of start-ups for a few years now, investment has been made, in the video game world, as it is so unknown, it has been very difficult for local entrepreneurs to get money to make the leap. We have lacked the investor who believes that we can bring companies from Barcelona to the world.

Why does this happen?

— Because nobody puts enough money into it. And what's missing are investors who prevent a company that was doing very well, like Social Point, from ending up selling to Zynga, which put 250 million on the table. The talent, the help from the Generalitat and public institutions, the universities, international talent, and the initial capital are all there, but the problem is the next step.

Do those who have worked abroad have a role to play?

— Those of us who have gone abroad make Barcelona known, which is very well known. One of my great friends, Pepe Agell, sold his company in San Francisco, now he works in a fund, Pear VC, and he has returned here. Or Àngel Llull (The Knot Worldwide), who was one of the top executives at Booking. Very important people who have been abroad have returned and have contributed things and their ways of seeing and leading. Or Josep Lluís Vall-llossera, who was the one who brought Apple to Barcelona when they offered him to return.