A pertinent question since Cologne - Köln - the home of Gamescom - is itself on Earth 🤯

Rupert, Joel, and I are heading to Europe’s heart of gaming to show the games industry what we’ve up to, our Alpha progress so far, and why they should come and support communities on Just About.

We’re actually having these sorts of conversations with many potential partners pretty much all the time, but Gamescom feels like a watershed moment for all three of us. Here’s why.

(Oh just quickly, in case you haven’t heard of it: Gamescom is the world’s largest gaming convention/conference. It welcomes hundreds of thousands of diehard gaming/queuing fans to its massive consumer area, and thousands of games industry professionals to its business area (which has no fans. Air conditioning is good, though.).

Ok, but actually what are you doing?

Ultimately, we’re trying to show potential partners why they should start a Just About community.

Over the four days we’re in Cologne, we’re meeting with over 50 games companies, and having countless conversations at networking functions (plus beers at Papa Joe’s Biersalon “Klimperkasten", where we’ll be serenaded by a nightmarish puppet-powered jukebox).

Pretty standard stuff for conferences.

At a conference (GDC) in March, when we first gave people a glimpse of what Just About really was, the reception was very positive… although understandably plenty of people wanted to see it in action.

In the six months since, there’s been a lot of action. We’ve gone into Alpha, welcomed our early users, and launched our first dedicated gaming community: Just About EVE Online, with support from CCP Games. All of this means that now we can revisit those conversations, and start a whole load of new ones. We’re bloody excited.

Who are you doing it… with? To? Amongst? Whom?

I can’t say too much about exactly which companies we’re seeing - I don’t want to jinx anything! - but we’ve made it no secret that we like the idea of choosing partners and communities where there’s potential for crossover.

They’re mainly video game publishers/developers, and it’s a relatively even split between people we’ve talked to about Just About in the past, and those we haven’t.

We’re hoping that these meetings will be the moments where even more potential partners think that we’re really onto something, and that it’s something that will appeal to their communities too.

How are you doing that?

We have a shiny new presentation (thanks Tom) and it shows we are starting to prove Just About’s core concept: When they’re done right, rewards can enhance communities, and this is a fairer and better way to do things.

We know that there’s still a long way to go with our platform, but the early signs are good, and we want to share some big reasons to be optimistic:

• The platform itself is working, people seem to like it - or at least our vision for it! - and we’ve taken our all-important first steps

• There are loads of examples of how positive and constructive community members have been so far, and everyone seems open to contributing towards Just About’s progress

• We’re able to work with well-established communities with authenticity, in ways that support and respect important community members

• There’s exciting stuff to come

Ok, have fun!

Thanks, we will, and we’ll keep you posted with how it goes.

Ciao for now,

Alp