Torsten Oppermann is the founder and CEO of indigo pearl brand communications, a consulting business focused on building successful game brands. He is also co-founder and CEO of indigo pearl games financing (IPGF), a joint venture with a private placement firm that manages a portfolio of game-related investments. For IPGF, Torsten screens target companies, provides management services and oversees the distribution of funds.
Torsten is excited to connect with friends old and new and meet great developers while enjoying Singapore. His enthusiasm for the game business is evident: “I started in 1988 working on Germany’s first gaming magazine, simply for the love of games. It is a creative and fun industry that continues to evolve and amaze me; first from the perspective as a publisher and now as an enthusiast and consultant.”
Peaks and Valleys
Torsten’s most satisfying memory was experiencing the launch of Sonic 2 on the Mega Drive. For every triumphant or epic experience, there are challenges. As the financial market crashed along with the tech boom of late 90s San Francisco, so too did Torsten’s hope of reaching profitability in a massive publishing business. Noting that timing is everything, he simply couldn’t survive such an impossible uphill battle.
These days, Torsten supports the geniuses behind the games: “I enjoy turning products into brands, turning ideas into businesses, starting new businesses and helping start ups get in shape.” Relishing all aspects of the industry, he also participates on a small scale as an angel and frequently advises companies he close to as a board member.
Innovative Business
Torsten’s consulting business with his 20 people team effectively drives PR, Brand Partnerships and Social Media to promote titles on a global basis. The business allowed him to help companies from the ground floor as he did in 2006 with E-sports (today BigPoint), but also well-known companies such as CCP, Disney, Nexon, Warner and UbiSoft or Symantec, where indigo pearl develops and executues PR-Campaigns, Social Media actions, Brand Partnerships, etc.
While he misses working on the creative side of the industry, Torsten enjoys running his business and helping others do the same. He maintains that Asia is noteworthy for its heritage in games; Japan was at the heart of the console industry, Korea originated MMO gaming. The future for the region is bright because great content is now coming from China and other Asian countries such as Vietnam. Should regional developers wish to grow beyond their borders, Torsten and indigo pearl are poised to help them to find the right partners.
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