Singapore – Multinational tech giant Tencent has partnered with local social enterprise SOOS OIO to organise a series of parenting webinars, workshops and community gaming tournaments to serve the fast-growing gaming community in Singapore that has been growing at an unprecedented rate.
Both companies will embark on the partnership at this year’s Digital For Life Festival, a two-weekend event hosted by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) between 21 to 22 May and 28 to 29 May this year.
Through the various activities planned for the event, Tencent and SOOS OIO will work to demystify gaming for parents, engage youths to form healthy gaming habits, foster healthy familial relationships through gaming, and help them realise the benefits of games for everyone.
Stanley Sun, head of publishing technology services of Interactive Entertainment Group (IEG) at Tencent, said, “We are proud to be part of the Digital For Life Festival to drive greater awareness about the importance of digital wellness, and how the digital sphere, including online gaming, enables new possibilities and empowers the digital society. As a game publisher, we continuously work to build a healthy and inclusive gaming ecosystem, in close collaboration with organisations like SOOS OIO in Singapore.”
Meanwhile, Pauline Phoon, founder of SOOS OIO, commented, “Play is an integral part of learning and we believe that video gaming constitutes play on a different playground. It offers development for every youth across cognitive, emotional and social aspects.”
She added, “Misconceptions around gaming often arise from a lack of understanding about the nature of games and the benefits it can bring. Together with Tencent, we hope to bring awareness among parents and community in Singapore about the various ways gaming can be leveraged for digital wellness, social and cognitive skills, and most importantly – as a means of connecting with children.”
