Tag: Gaming

Singapore – PC and mobile gaming will continue to have notable growth for the next 5 years in the SEA market amidst post-pandemic normalcy and overall economy, according to the latest SEA-6 games market report by market research company Niko Partners.

Data from the report suggests that this increase in revenue is projected in line with the consistent rise of mobile games along with the growth of mobile gamers in SEA, as well as other factors such as the prevalence of esports and government support in the region.  

The rise of mobile gaming is made clear as the report states that mobile games are making up 66.4% of the region’s games revenue in 2023, which is expected to increase by almost 70% in 2027. 

Notably, Indonesia leads the region’s gamer growth with more than 4% PC and mobile gamers expected over the next 5 years. Meanwhile, Thailand and Vietnam lead the mobile games revenue growth, with more than 7% growth over the next 5 years. On the other hand, Singapore shows a particular growth for its mobile games’ revenue, surpassing more populous countries including Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Another main factor is esports remaining as a major driver for gaming in the region. Esports’ inclusion as a medal sport in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, saw teams from SEA countries’ all vying for the esports medals, with Thailand and Malaysia among the highest earners of esports medals in the event. With this, the SEA esports market is estimated to generate $78.6 million in 2023.

Lastly, there is now an increased government support in SEA to strengthen the local game industry and ecosystem through various initiatives, funding, and regulatory updates. SEA also sees continuous investments from global game companies, with new offices, collaborations, and growing communities that mark the importance of the region to the video game industry.

Talking about the results, Lisa Hanson, CEO and president of Niko Partners, said, “As a mobile-first market with a huge esports fanbase, Southeast Asia offers tremendous opportunities for global game companies. Their increased presence in the region showcases how promising the Southeast Asia market is.”

“As Southeast Asian countries are culturally diverse, it is crucial for companies to understand there is no uniformed approach and consider the uniqueness of each market”, she added.

USA – Tech giant Microsoft has finally acquired video game company Activision Blizzard for US$69b after finally being greenlit by regulators in the United Kingdom (UK). With this acquisition, game titles such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Candy Crush Saga will now be under Microsoft’s Xbox brand.

In a public statement by Phil Spencer, CEO at Microsoft Gaming, he said that they will be intentional about inclusion in everything they do at Xbox – from their team to the products they make and the stories they tell, to the way their players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.

“Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favourite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more,” he said.

He also added that they will also start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. They will also share more about when customers can expect to play these games in the coming months. 

“For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honoured to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favourite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win,” he added.

Microsoft’s plans to acquire Activision Blizzard first started in January 2022. The proposed merger was reviewed by many regulatory commissions worldwide, with early grants given by the European Commission and China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).

Initially, United States’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had challenged the merger before FTC backing out its challenge, with US courts saying it did not find their anti-trust compelling to block the merger.

Los Angeles, California – Global video game commerce company Xsolla has announced its strategic acquisition of Lightstream, Rainmaker, and API.stream to help enhance content creation and distribution.

With the acquisition of Lightstream, Rainmaker, and API.stream, Xsolla will allow creators to go live within seconds via cloud streaming services, request free keys from game developers, participate in referral programs, create their branded web shops, and sell digital goods for games in Xsolla’s portfolio.

This acquisition underscores Xsolla’s recognition of the tremendous value creators bring to the gaming ecosystem and is dedicated to building and strengthening relationships with talent agencies, creators, and their audiences.

Talking about the acquired tools, Lightstream is a cloud-based streaming studio that allows creators to produce and share live content. By integrating Lightstream, Xsolla enables creators to easily initiate live streams with minimal technical requirements, facilitating an efficient and user-friendly streaming experience.

Additionally, Xsolla assures current Lightstream users that the platform will continue to operate smoothly with ongoing partnerships with Microsoft, Xbox, Twitch, and Steelseries.

On the other hand, the Rainmaker platform empowers creators to manage and grow their audience while maximising revenue opportunities. Integrating Rainmaker’s tools into the Xsolla Partner Network will provide creators with a suite of features designed to optimise audience engagement, monetization, and distribution of free keys.

Lastly, API.stream stands as a team of talented engineers who have dedicated themselves to advancing the future of live-streaming production. With years of experience tackling the challenges and possibilities of live cloud-native output, API.stream has unlocked new avenues for creative expression in live streaming.

Speaking on the acquisition, Chris Hewish, ​ CEO of Xsolla, said, “Xsolla is committed to supporting creators and providing them with the tools they need to succeed.”

“The acquisition of Lightstream, Rainmaker, and API.stream reinforces our dedication to delivering extra value to the gaming community and making the Xsolla Partner Network an all-encompassing solution for developers, publishers, creators, and their audiences,” he added. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia’s national agency tasked with leading the country’s digitization, has announced their partnership with Web3 startup Acyxn to spearhead the growth and widespread adoption of creative technologies in Malaysia.

Through this collaboration, Acxyn will be introducing monetization and investment solutions for IPs’ visibility and value, helping MDEC position Malaysia as a gaming hub that attracts international game studios and investors.

Furthemore, Acxyn will also be lending its expertise to MDEC’s metaverse initiative, as well as facilitating the infusion of foreign intellectual properties and foreign investments into Malaysia.

To mark the start of their partnership, Acxyn had been awarded a grant of RM750,000 from MDEC, making the company one of the only Web3 startups accepted into the MDEC program.

Speaking on the partnership, John Schneider, CEO of Acxyn, said, “We’re excited that MDEC shares our vision for a future in which game intellectual properties (IPs) can fully realise their economic potential and establish Malaysia as a hub for innovation and excellence in the game industry.”

Meanwhile, Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC, mentioned, “This collaboration serves as a testament to MDEC’s commitment in driving digital transformation and fostering a thriving creative ecosystem.”

“Through the Malaysia Digital (MD) national strategic initiative and PEMANGKIN programmes, we look forward to continuing to support Acxyn’s growth, driving the adoption of creative technologies and propelling Malaysia to the forefront of the Web3 revolution,” he added. 

Singapore – Global video games company Epic Games has announced that it is laying off around 16% of its workforce, amounting to around 830 employees. This follows after the company has sold its audio distribution platform Bandcamp to Sontradr, as well as the management team of SuperAwesome acquiring most of the company back from Epic Games.

In a letter sent out by Tim Sweeney, chief executive officer at Epic Games to employees, the company is aiming at cutting costs without breaking development or their core lines of businesses so that they can continue to focus on their plans.

Some of those plans include their upcoming Fortnite Season and Fortnite Chapter 5, as well as Del Mar, Sparks, and Juno.

“Epic folks around the world have been making ongoing efforts to reduce costs, including moving to net zero hiring and cutting operating spend on things like marketing and events. But we still ended up far short of financial sustainability. We concluded that layoffs are the only way, and that doing them now and on this scale will stabilise our finances,” Sweeney said.

Moreover, they also added that they will still continue to invest in games with Fortnite first-party development, the Fortnite creator ecosystem and economy, Rocket League and Fall Guys; and services for developers including Unreal Engine for games and enterprises.

“For those still at Epic, you’ll hear more from senior leaders about the path forward for your team. Epic’s prospects for the future are strong. We have amazing game experiences across multiple platforms,” Sweeney added.

Epic Games has a presence in Asia through its outsourcing divisions in China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Moreover, multinational conglomerate Tencent has a 40% majority stake in the company.

Singapore – Asian gaming company Ampverse has announced the acquisition of Singapore-based gaming startup Championfy, which includes the startup’s .technology and IP assets. Said acquisition will help innovation within Ampverse Labs, cementing Ampverse’s position as a pioneering force in the realm of game-tech solutions for brands, fans, gamers and game publishers.

Some of the offerings that will be boosted include a proprietary gamification platform, an innovative reward system, and a robust gaming product marketplace.

Championfy, founded by Zad Ngor and Saurabh Sharma, industry veterans with previous roles at companies such as Google and Grab, had carved out a niche as a trailblazer in the gaming technology sphere.

Sascha Jochum, director of Web3 and Ampverse Labs at Ampverse, said, “The amalgamation of Ampverse and Championfy marks a pivotal moment in our journey. With Championfy’s impressive track record of collaborations with esteemed brands such as Razer and Samsung, we are poised to harness their technological prowess to fuel our mission of redefining game-tech solutions in the region.”

Meanwhile Zad Ngor commented, “We are thrilled to become an integral part of Ampverse, you can expect this collaboration to result in innovative products and services that will disrupt the gaming landscape. We share the same vision to connect brands with communities across Southeast Asia and India through immersive experiences and fostering meaningful connections.”

Ampverse Labs has been actively working on the development of new products, including a unique gaming product marketplace, an interactive quest tool, and a dynamic gamification solution. These innovations align seamlessly with Ampverse’s broader objective of leveraging first-party data through advanced technological tools and initiatives. 

Singapore –  Around 50% of Gen Alpha and 43% of Gen Z in APAC cited gaming as making them feel better if they’re anxious or stressed, according to the new research conducted by youth-first marketing and media platform TotallyAwesome. 

Based on the data, Gen Alpha and Gen Z consider gaming a better way to relieve their stress and anxiety as compared to talking to family members (28% and 21%, respectively), as well as talking to friends (28% and 32%, respectively). 

These trends are impacting several markets in APAC, where Vietnam came out on top with 60% of Gen Z youth turning to gaming to ease their anxiety and stress, followed by the Philippines and Malaysia at 56%, South Korea at 49%, and Singapore and Malaysia both at 47%. 

The research also reveals how gaming has become gender agnostic, especially amongst Gen Alpha, where 46% of girls use gaming to relieve anxiety, which is extremely close to boys, who sit at 54%.

Furthermore, Gen Alpha (52%) and Gen Z (48%) cite gaming as a way to feel more connected with their friends and family. This data is especially relevant for parents, who hold purchasing power when it comes to these demographics.

The youth in APAC are increasingly placing more value in gaming compared to other channels when building connections. However, the expansion of the commercial gaming industry influences streaming services as well, underscoring heightened participation among the youth who are exploring the gaming ecosystem for content. 

The research reveals that the big players are still dominant across APAC, with 77% of Gen Alpha and 76% of Gen Z citing YouTube as their most used streaming channel, compared to only 6% and 8% going to Twitch.

TotallyAwesome’s Youth-first Digital Insights highlight the impact of these nascent trends on advertisers in the region. APAC is the world’s largest gaming market, with total revenues exceeding US$84b in 2022. 

The data revealed in this study presents a significant prospect for tapping into the market’s potential by connecting with these consumers through well-thought-out advertising approaches that effectively connect with the younger demographics of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Will Anstee, TotallyAwesome’s executive chairman, said, “Our Youth-first Digital Insights underscores the gaming industry’s profound influence on Gen Z and Gen Alpha. When it comes to forging a sense of community and self-expression, young people are increasingly looking to gaming as the most important space for social bonding. Gaming is no longer just gaming – it’s their new social.”

“Our extensive research shows that parents are more digitally literate than ever and are increasingly concerned with cyberbullying, highlighting a demand for safe online environments that provide an outlet for positive play. Brands need to be brave and step into gaming in a way that considers the myriad concerns and needs Youth have. These rich insights help Brands and media agencies alike to gain a better understanding of young people’s appetites and how best to support their passions,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Raja Kanniappan, TotallyAwesome’s newly appointed chief executive officer, commented, “TotallyAwesome has been conducting our Youth-first Digital Insights for 8 years. We have built a deep understanding of the attitudes and behaviours of youth across Asia Pacific. We work with marketers and media agencies to take these rich insights and learnings to enable Brands to connect with Youth in a safe, relevant and effective way. If you want to capture the hearts and minds of Youth and build meaningful and long-lasting relationships – you need to get into gaming. It’s their now and their future.”

Singapore – zujuGP, a digital football platform managed by businessman Kiat Lim and fronted by global football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, has officially launched ‘Kickoff by Zuju’, a first-of-its kind, real-time second-screen fan experience that enables fans to play along during a live football match. 

‘Kickoff by Zuju’ operates within a freemium model and is free-to-play. The users will have the option of purchasing premium features such as virtual goods, gameplay-related benefits, and power-ups, as well as subscriptions to unlock special social interaction and community privileges. 

According to zujuGP, ‘Kickoff by Zuju’ is the first to crack the code for an immersive second-screen football fan experience by providing fans an opportunity to play along with their favourite teams and players in real-time during a live match. 

During a live match, fans using ‘Kickoff by Zuju’ can play along in real-time with their favourite players and teams, on their mobile devices. They can anticipate  micro-events like goals, shot attempts, touches in the penalty box, crosses, and free kicks, all as the match is happening live, which is an upgrade from the traditional fantasy games where “gameplay” occurs prior to the match.

“We are using technology intuitively to elevate the match experience in real-time and create a new football sub-culture. Kickoff by Zuju was inspired by fans all over the world who have long demanded a more engaging and immersive second-screen experience, and we are proud to be able to lead the way,” said Kiat Lim, co-founder of zujuGP.

The football maestro Cristiano Ronaldo will also be featured prominently in a global campaign comprising a series of videos, posts, and activations that will be released on his social channels. 

As part of the campaign, Cristiano Ronaldo will also be releasing a limited-edition collectible card collection exclusively on Kickoff by Zuju. Users will be able to unlock and win copies of these cards, which will be physically delivered to them. In addition, the football star will also be attending real-life engagements such as meet-and-greets exclusive to the platform.

“We are especially excited that Cristiano has been an important part of the development of Kickoff by Zuju, giving us the opportunity to bring fans even closer to players,” continued Kiat Lim.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo shared, “Kickoff by Zuju provides fans with an extraordinary opportunity to connect further with the game, their favourite teams, and players. As someone who is deeply passionate about football and giving back to the supporters who have been with me throughout my career, I take immense pride in being part of this platform that elevates the way fans can enjoy the game.”

Los Angeles, California – Global video game commerce company Xsolla announces a partnership with B2B SaaS and marketing technology company AppsFlyer to streamline cross-platform data-driven insights for game developers.

These collaboration efforts come as part of Xsolla and AppsFlyer’s mission to assist mobile game developers by offering a unified cross-platform (PC, web, and app) solution that enables measurement across all marketing touchpoints and facilitates the analysis of customer journeys and activities.

Xsolla’s integration of AppsFlyer into their Web Shop services will allow for cross-platform measurement that enables developers to gain valuable player insights, estimate webshop and marketing efficiency, and increase the web sales channel’s performance.

Furthermore, this new addition will grant game developers the ability to gather and analyze user behavior and interactions on the web and inside the game, then compare metrics and gain valuable insights, all through easy-to-use dashboards. 

“This partnership with Xsolla promises to elevate measurement precision, enable user segmentation, and foster a deeper comprehension of customer flow, behavior, and engagement,” said Brian Murphy, AppsFlyer head of gaming. 

He further adds that “both AppsFlyer and Xsolla care deeply about delivering the best possible user experience and measurement capabilities to marketers, and this partnership will enable them to have greater control of their monetization strategies, budgets, and campaign insights.”

One prominent feature highlighted in this collaboration is that it not only provides the users of AppsFlyer, primarily utilized for mobile analytics, with the capability to track players’ data on the web but also aims to increase efficiency and provide better control over data for those striving to optimize and understand their digital customer journey. 

Meanwhile, Chris Hewish, CEO of Xsolla, shared that they are excited about the partnership as it marks a crucial step in providing support for mobile game developers. 

“The mobile sector continues to drive global gaming revenue and growth. The combination of Xsolla’s Web Shop solution and AppsFlyer unlocks a wealth of data-driven insights into player behavior and engagement, webshop and marketing effectiveness, and web sales channel performance,” he added. 

USA – Global food company PepsiCo has announced a new multi-year global partnership with game developer EA Sports to deliver football-centric entertainment experiences for fans as part of the upcoming game release ‘EA Sports FC’. As part of this agreement, PepsiCo brands – Pepsi, Gatorade, and Lay’s – will join forces with EA’s football gaming franchise, EA Sports FC.

This collaboration enables them to work together to offer happy gaming experiences for modern football fans, while also confirming PepsiCo’s commitment to engaging fan experiences that include football, music, and gaming.

Adam Warner, head of global sports and partnerships at PepsiCo, said, “EA SPORTS is an iconic brand in the realm of football and has revolutionized fan engagement. With PepsiCo’s history and extensive involvement in football and entertainment, our brands are uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of football fandom. This partnership enables us to reach football fans and communities worldwide, and to provide them with experiences that elevate their connection to the beautiful game.”

Meanwhile, David Jackson, vice president of brand at EA Sports FC, said, “For years, PepsiCo’s brands have been delivering memorable moments for football fans, and we’re energised to incorporate that rich heritage into our own experiences as we set forth on this remarkable journey with EA SPORTS FC. We’re proud to partner with PepsiCo to create more unmissable experiences that will undoubtedly captivate fans of the World’s Game.”