Gaming on S.E.A.

[Reashot Xigwin]

Sister Thread: Bring Chineses back to enhance Chinese gaming industries

Leighton Cosseboom
3:52 pm on Jan 12, 2015

Total revenues from Southeast Asia’s gaming industry reached nearly US$1.1 billion last year, with six key countries accounting for 99 percent of the revenues generated from the entire region. According to gaming market research firm Newzoo, which released a 75-page report last week on the opportunities of the region’s gaming industry, Indonesia is now the fastest growing market. Firms like Facebook, Microsoft, Baidu, and Electronic Arts assisted Newzoo with the study, and the company claims the research is the largest of its kind in the region to date.

In terms of revenue, the six main drivers are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. At a compound annual growth rate of 28.8 percent, Newzoo expects gaming revenues from the entire region to jump to US$2.2 billion by 2017, effectively doubling last year’s figures.

See: New players get aggressive in Indonesia’s game sector

A few key facts illustrate the region’s growth potential. Newzoo estimates the population of Southeast Asia at 626 million. Only a small share of these people have access to internet; about 29 percent, which represents 179 million consumers. In this group, gaming is extremely popular, the firm says. Over 70 percent of them play games.

Of these 126 million gamers, 60 million spend money on games. Last year, these 60 million consumers spent an average of $18.40 on games annually. As KPIs differ drastically per country in Southeast Asia, Newzoo believes Thailand will remain the largest games market in terms of revenues come 2017, followed closely by Indonesia and Malaysia. Similarly, Vietnam is expected to grow in line with the overall market to maintain its market share of 14 percent. Singapore will continue to grow, but lose some of its market share to faster growing countries, namely Indonesia and the Philippines.

The average Indonesian gamer spends Rp 200,000 (US$16) on games per year. The archipelago’s demographic strength pushes the country ahead of the pack, says Newzoo. Its enormous population of nearly 253 million now accounts for 40 percent of the entire Southeast Asian population. While Indonesia still has the lowest internet penetration rate in the region, it already has the largest online population, indicating huge future growth potential.

Editing by Mary-Anne Lee; lead image from Luke Ma.

Indonesia is fastest growing games market in Southeast Asia

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

12 Asian indie games to look out for in 2015

Mary-Anne Lee
9:54 am on Jan 1, 2015
Follow @missfors

Game development has come a long way. No longer just an arena for the big players, it is now accessible to small businesses and even individuals as app platforms and development engines and assets get more accessible.

The quality of games produced in Asia, be it for PC, mobile, or console, has also been rising. I’m cheered by the thought of never again seeing a badly rendered 3D sheep try to pick words out on a screen while jumping across platforms (this game is from Singapore, if you are wondering).

2015 is sprawling out before us and it’s going to see a ton of great games. Here are some you should take note of in the new year.

Tiny Guardians (Malaysia)

Developed by Kurechii studio, best known for its midcore strategy/management game King’s League: Odyssey, Tiny Guardians is a strategy adventure that plays like a modular tower defense game. You’ll be able to take control of cute little fighters and move them across the map to wherever they are needed. It’s reminiscent of Droidhang’s Pocket Heroes.

Age of Bayintnaung (Myanmar)

Age of Bayintnaung, from Yangon’s Total Gameplay Studio, is really something. While we haven’t been able to see gameplay screenshots, its concept art looks really solid. Age of Bayintnaung follows Burmese history and allows players to step into the shoes of the ancient Burmese king, Bayintnaung, in a Clash of Clans-esque strategy adventure.

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! (Singapore)


What do you get when you combine sentient potatoes with blacksmithing? Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! is a weapon shop simulation game from Daylight Studios that will let players manage a team of blacksmiths – who are also potatoes – inspired by pop culture. Players can use these smiths to forge magical weapons which they can then sell to villages across the land. The ultimate goal here is to become the best blacksmith shop ever – and to do so using potatoes. (Disclosure: I am in a committed relationship with a co-founder of Daylight Studios.)

Masquerada: Songs and Shadows (Singapore)

Witching Hour Studios is well known for the vast world it has created for its Ravenmark series of games, and fans of the RPG genre will be excited to know that it’s now going a step further to develop Masquerada: Songs and Shadows. Meant for PC and consoles, Masquerada is an “isometric RPG in the veins of Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate,” with players being able to pause action to give commands.

It will also take a leaf from the MOBA genre, with an emphasis on timing and positioning. In all, Masquerada is expected to have about 12 to 15 hours of gameplay, with more details to be revealed at PAX East 2015. Sadly it has a 2016 release, but don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm for it.

Drift Rebels Japan (Thailand)

Remember Initial D? Now how about experiencing that just like Takumi did? Drift Rebels Japan from Hydraulic Games will be a racing game focusing on illegal drift racing in the Japanese mountains, with novel visual elements taking players from race to race. Right now, it’s being planned for just iOS and Android with both paid and free versions, and is still in very early development stage.

But if it’s successful at launch, Drift Rebels Japan may get ported to the PC platform and include more Eurobeat music. Hydraulic Games is being transparent with the development process and fans of the genre will be able to submit ideas for characters, stories, and even music.

Dusty Raging Fist (Singapore)

Those of you who enjoyed beat ‘em up Dusty Revenge from PD Design Studio will be pleased to know a prequel is coming. Dusty Raging Fist for the PC is set in a time before Dusty goes on his rampage and features three-player co-op.

While its official website has little in the way of details, I’m hoping that Dusty Raging Fist will play up the strength of the world it’s set in.

Straw Hat Samurai Duels (Singapore)


Straw Hat Samurai was a Singapore-made game that gave me tons of fun while growing up. In it, players would slice at incoming enemies with the cursor so they could progress through the game. Straw Hat Samurai Duels is a larger multiplayer version of the game, including player-versus-player combat, quests, and loot drops. It has been in open beta for a while now, and developer Explosive Barrel will launch its final build for the web first, before doing so for Android and iOS. In the meantime, try the beta version out here.

Pale Blue (Indonesia)

Pale Blue, a sidescrolling beat ‘em up from Tinker Games, is an ambitious project – not just because it tackles subject matter like putting players in the shoes of a willing villain as opposed to a hero, but also because it’s the first core PC game that the development studio will be working on.

Tinker Games’ last release was a casual running game for iOS, but Pale Blue looks really good and even smashed its crowdfunding target by a cool US$10,000.

Project Echo (Singapore, working title)

Remember Lurking, the award-winning game from a group of Digipen Singapore students? While the Lurking IP belongs to the school, the genius that came up with it does not, and the group – now Gattai Games – is hard at work on a spiritual successor called Project Echo. The first-person horror game will employ Lurking’s infamous sound-based concept, and explore concepts the team did not get to do while in school. It’s still in early development, but that gif already looks pretty heart-stopping.

Battle Spheres (Singapore)

Battle Spheres from Ixora Studios looks like it’s most definitely a clone of Mixi’s Monster Strike, but don’t let that stop you from trying it out when it launches. The slingshot card-battle game, which involves players destroying each others’ characters by knocking into them, still isn’t available outside of Japan. Hopefully Battle Spheres will at least be as entertaining as its direct inspiration is.

Zero Legend (Indonesia, working title)

Now Alkemis Games is a very recent entrant in the industry, but it undoubtedly has some of the best art I’ve seen come out of an Indonesian indie game studio. It recently received an undisclosed round of seed funding from East Ventures to work on the project code-named Zero Legend, a free-to-play mobile fantasy RPG. (Disclosure: East Ventures also invests in Tech in Asia. See our ethics page).

Zero Legend will revolve around collecting and growing over 100 characters and taking them dungeon diving. There will a focus on in-game communities and events as well, allowing players to take part in quests and tournaments with friends. It’s set for release as early as spring 2015.

That War Game (Singapore, working title)

Springloaded Games was pretty secretive in the last half of 2014, and it’s for a good reason. The indie studio is planning a slew of game releases this year, one of its most notable being a quirky pixel-art game set in the past of the same universe as Springloaded’s humorous Tiny Dice Dungeon. This as-yet unnamed project will be a combination of management and multiplayer battles, and will give hints as to how the Tiny Dice Dungeon world regressed to what it is today.

12 Asian indie games to look out for in 2015

 

[Nike]

DreadOut is anIndonesian made survival horror video game developed by Digital Happiness for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux. The core gameplay involves fighting ghosts by using a camera to take their pictures, similar to the Fatal Frame series. The game has been "greenlit" by the Steam Greenlight service, available for download on the Steam platform

DreadOut is a third-person survival horror game that uses mechanics similar to those found in the Fatal Frame series, with a modern twist. The player character, Linda, uses modern gadgets, such as smartphones and digital video cameras, to interact with (or fend off) various kinds of Indonesian mythical ghosts, and to help her solve various puzzles in a deserted town. When Linda dies in the game, she awakens in darkness surrounded by candles with a bright light in the distance. By running towards the light, Linda will come back to life.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Not really expecting we Filipinos would do something as we are not that imaginative thanks to our media bombing our minds (thus dumbing down) with tons of Mexican tv series-inspired local tv series ever since the 90s.

As for playing with Filipinos in online games, I am pretty sure some of you have heard them scream this particular insult "Put tank in a mall" or "Pinoy pride" while at the same time suck at the games. The only gamers with such mentality is said to be the people of Poland.

 

[powastick]

Not really expecting we Filipinos would do something as we are not that imaginative thanks to our media bombing our minds (thus dumbing down) with tons of Mexican tv series-inspired local tv series ever since the 90s.

As for playing with Filipinos in online games, I am pretty sure some of you have heard them scream this particular insult "Put tank in a mall" or "Pinoy pride" while at the same time suck at the games. The only gamers with such mentality is said to be the people of Poland.

Put tank in mall, never heard of it (what does it meant anyway?). Most insult directed at other SEA nations.

Gaming industry is actually extremely expensive and risky business and a a lot of new competitors are going:
a) Indie
b) Crowd funding
c) Early Access

While larger companies focus on recycling on stuff that only works. They are not risking innovating new gameplay with those large budget.

Having a job in the gaming industry sucks, your project suddenly get shelved then you stuck in a limbo.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Put tank in mall, never heard of it (what does it meant anyway?). Most insult directed at other SEA nations.

Gaming industry is actually extremely expensive and risky business and a a lot of new competitors are going:
a) Indie
b) Crowd funding
c) Early Access

While larger companies focus on recycling on stuff that only works. They are not risking innovating new gameplay with those large budget.

Having a job in the gaming industry sucks, your project suddenly get shelved then you stuck in a limbo.

It is an offensive insult which in English means that someone's mom is a whore; the reason why the sentence indicates placing a tank inside in the mall is because of the rhyme: (please excuse me mods)

"Putang ina mo" sound like "Put tank in a mall"

It was the Singaporeans who created the word possibly because of the game DotA.

While indie gaming is risky, big companies at the moment are churning out mostly over-rated games particularly FPS games where a certain franchise has became a cash-cow.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

It is an offensive insult which in English means that someone's mom is a whore; the reason why the sentence indicates placing a tank inside in the mall is because of the rhyme: (please excuse me mods)

"Putang ina mo" sound like "Put tank in a mall"

It was the Singaporeans who created the word possibly because of the game DotA.

While indie gaming is risky, big companies at the moment are churning out mostly over-rated games particularly FPS games where a certain franchise has became a cash-cow.

Let me guess. COD?

 

[Cossack25A1]

Let me guess. COD?

Yes, the other one is Halo which is quite popular in the US but not much outside. Another overrated FPS game is Battlefield.

 

[NarThoD]

Not really expecting we Filipinos would do something as we are not that imaginative thanks to our media bombing our minds (thus dumbing down) with tons of Mexican tv series-inspired local tv series ever since the 90s.

As for playing with Filipinos in online games, I am pretty sure some of you have heard them scream this particular insult "Put tank in a mall" or "Pinoy pride" while at the same time suck at the games. The only gamers with such mentality is said to be the people of Poland.

yeah, i remember playing DotA back in high school, and it's dominated by Philippine players. I really waiting to see Philippines creating games, here in Indonesia, gaming industry is quite trend now and many local Indie developers are competiting each other.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Yes, the other one is Halo which is quite popular in the US but not much outside. Another overrated FPS game is Battlefield.

Battlefield is okay, but if you want to talk about really overrated game look no further than Destiny.

What is Destiny?

Funny vids I want to share 4 LOL:

 

[Cossack25A1]

yeah, i remember playing DotA back in high school, and it's dominated by Philippine players. I really waiting to see Philippines creating games, here in Indonesia, gaming industry is quite trend now and many local Indie developers are competiting each other.

Sadly, there are a few remaining in the Philippines who still have some originality left while others who can make some games end up working in a foreign firm outside the PH.

The problem is that there is less support.

 

[NarThoD]

Sadly, there are a few remaining in the Philippines who still have some originality left while others who can make some games end up working in a foreign firm outside the PH.

The problem is that there is less support.

Same as here few years back. But be optimistic, Philippines is a great country filled with great culture, history and great people

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Square Enix shuts down Indonesia spin-off studio, Smileworks

Mary-Anne Lee
8 hours ago

29231

Square Enix Smileworks has closed down after just over a year and a half of operations. According to our sister site, Games in Asia Indonesia, the closure happened several months ago, but a public announcement was made only recently on the studio’s website.

The Surabaya spin-off studio was known for its contributions to the Square Enix mobile game Nirvaana Genesis. It was also reportedly working on an original game, but this did not see light of day. Games in Asia Indonesia reports that former employees of Square Enix Smileworks have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements barring them from talking about the studio.

Misa Tokunaga, a corporate communications representation for Japan’s Square Enix, says that the closure was a result of the studio being unable to achieve the results expected of it. Tokunaga adds that Square Enix still believes that Indonesia is a market that offers extensive opportunities, and going forward it will focus on developing business in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries through partnerships with local companies “thoroughly versed in customers and business practice in each given market.”

Square Enix Smileworks was a spin-off of the parent company’s Smile Lab studio, with investment from Gotanda Denshi. It began operations with 23 staff, of which 20 were Indonesians and three were Japanese. The studio is currently undergoing the liquidation process.

See: Bari Silvestre shares his Square Enix Collective experience

(Source: Games in Asia Indonesia)

Editing by Steven Millward

 

[Echo_419]

Not really expecting we Filipinos would do something as we are not that imaginative thanks to our media bombing our minds (thus dumbing down) with tons of Mexican tv series-inspired local tv series ever since the 90s.

As for playing with Filipinos in online games, I am pretty sure some of you have heard them scream this particular insult "Put tank in a mall" or "Pinoy pride" while at the same time suck at the games. The only gamers with such mentality is said to be the people of Poland.

I love the people of Philippine & that's why what i am about to say will be very difficult to say to the PH players of Dota 2 [including you if you play Dota 2]
FOOK YOU ALL srsly after PH players are some of the worst players of Dota 2,let me give you a list
1.No help
2.Kill Stealing
3.Constantly talking & Chatting in Filipino which no one understands
4.Calling everybody a Noob & the list goes on
After playing with you guys on Dota 2 i finally understood why Chinese hate you

P.S. No hard feelings man

 

[Yizhi]

I love the people of Philippine & that's why what i am about to say will be very difficult to say to the PH players of Dota 2 [including you if you play Dota 2]
FOOK YOU ALL srsly after PH players are some of the worst players of Dota 2,let me give you a list
1.No help
2.Kill Stealing
3.Constantly talking & Chatting in Filipino which no one understands
4.Calling everybody a Noob & the list goes on
After playing with you guys on Dota 2 i finally understood why Chinese hate you

P.S. No hard feelings man