Last year, during 2024 TGDF, I shared the journey of developing Rhythm Pop!—a hand-tracking rhythm VR game.  It flopped financially, but opened doors in unexpected ways: the game was noticed by Meta, which led to an invitation to Meta’s XR Hackathon in Seoul (won first prize), invited to speak at Meta Connect, and ultimately received funding from Meta and others.
In this session, I’ll share how an "unsuccessful" game led into a platform-backed journey, covering lessons from launch struggles, pitching for visibility, preparing for international hackathons, securing funding, and how it all led to our next title, DanceGuru.

This session is ideal for indie developers, small teams, students, or creators interested in XR/VR game development - especially those looking to gain exposure, secure platform support, or explore international collaboration despite limited resources.
Participants will learn how even a project that doesn’t achieve market success can still lead to meaningful partnerships and funding through the right strategies and execution. The session will cover practical tips on preparing demos, pitching to platforms, and the transition from solo development to building a team—offering insights and direction for future growth.