Asia

Gaming Matters: From the bedroom to the boardroom

Published

6 years ago

August 1, 2018

Zoltan Tundik

Photo source: wfanet.org

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Online Gaming Industry Comes of Age

Branded and Singapore’s Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA) are delighted to announce that some of the biggest names from the world’s online gaming industry will be joining them in Singapore at the forthcoming All That Matters conference, including speakers from:

Twitch, ESL / Turtle Entertainment, Riot Games, PUBG, Alisport, AirAsia, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Dare Mighty Entertainment, Mineski International Group, Makers Fund, Mighty Bear Games, BITREP, Global Electronic Sports Championship (GESC), SCOGA, LIVEME, and many more!

At more than US$135 billion a year globally, the gaming industry is bigger than Hollywood. (Source: Newzoo and Statista)

The gaming industry is exploding in Asia. Whether it is mobile gaming, video gaming, consoles, AR, VR or esports, Asia holds the brightest future for gaming.

Recently, Tencent’s ‘WeGame’ announced that it will take its gaming platform global to expose Western gamers to Chinese titles. In another development, Singtel launched a multi-title and regional esports league. AirAsia too is catching on the wave of esport with sponsorship of World Electronic Sports Games in ASEAN and esports is being included as a demonstration sport at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta.

Gaming is now an economic driver for Asia, employing an entire ecosystem of developers, publishers, streaming platforms, distributors, social networks, brand partners, leagues and digital athletes.

China alone accounted for US$27 billion in gaming revenue last year and is estimated to grow to US$35 billion by 2021. Southeast Asia will contribute another US$4 billion from some 400 million gamers by the same year.

Kevin Lin, Co-founder of Twitch and speaker at All That Matters 2017 and again in 2018, said: “Live online gaming is booming and if a brand wants to be global they can’t ignore Asia. Gaming Matters has very rapidly become the go-to event for the Asia Pacific gaming business and I’m looking forward to joining them again.”

Jasper Donat, CEO of organisers Branded said: “Gaming is the ongoing hot story in 2018. It has moved from the bedroom to the boardroom with new businesses fighting it out with some of the world’s largest tech and entertainment companies for a slice of the ever growing pie. The virtual experience is today’s reality and no one in the sports, media and entertainment industry can afford to miss out.”

Added Donat: “We are super excited to spearhead this discussion through our Gaming Matters track at All That Matters 2018. Now is the time for gaming. Now is the time for Asia. Now is the time for any marketer seeking to expand into this new form of entertainment, connect with young audiences and drive new revenue streams.”

Nicholas Khoo, Chairman & Co-Founder of SCOGA and Gaming Matters Programming Lead for 2018 said: “Esports is becoming first for digital natives and has experienced phenomenal growth both globally and in Asia. Defying all odds to be part of the Asian Games, esports is definitely here to stay as we witness an intriguing confluence of video games, sports, and media. A number of the movers and shakers of both gaming and esports are joining us on stage this year and it is definitely going to be explosive!”

After the successful introduction of Gaming Matters in 2016, All That Matters 2018 is bringing an even bigger and better line-up of gaming giants such as ESL, Twitch, Ubisoft, PUBG, Riot Games and Bandai Namco, who will share deep insights on the rising force of Asia in the gaming industry.

The confirmed (and growing!) list of speakers at Gaming Matters includes:

Ralf Reichert, CEO, ESL / Turtle Entertainment GmbH
Changhan (CH) Kim, CEO & Executive Producer, PUBG Corporation
Jason Fung, Global eSports Director, Alisports, Alibaba Group
Kevin Lin, Co-Founder, Twitch
Linda Li, Content General Manager, LIVEME
Chris Tran, Country Manager – SEA, Riot Games
Ronald Robins, Founder & CEO, Mineski International Group
Francois Logeais, Senior Producer, Ubisoft Pte Ltd
Allan Phang, Allstars Engagement & Internal Branding, People & Culture, AirAsia (Group)
Jennifer Poulson, SVP Marketing, Bandai Namco
Lee Trink, President, Dare Mighty Entertainment (Faze Clan)
Nguyen Hoang Vinh, Head of esports, Ex-Garena Vietnam
Michael Cheung, Partner, Makers Fund
Simon Davis, CEO, Mighty Bear Games
Raiford Cockfield III, CEO, BITREP
Warren Colbert, Head of Growth, Twitch
David Ng, Founder, Go Game
Amy Ruktanonchai, CEO, Chimera Co.
Oskar Feng, Founder, Global Electronic Sports Championship (GESC)
Sammie Kang, Community Lead, North America, PUBG Corporation

All That Matters, Asia’s leading Business2Business2Fan event will be held at Ritz-Carlton Millenia from 7 – 12 September, 2018. Conference by day, music festival by night, All That Matters will bring together Asia’s leading music, sports, gaming, digital and marketing pioneers to share what it means to build fans and build brands to engage audiences in the fast-paced, digitally-connected world of entertainment.

Companies featured at this year’s All That Matters include AirAsia, Alibaba, Amazon, Cathay Pacific, China Sports Media, CMC Holdings, Empire, ESL, F1, Facebook, FOX Sports, Globe Telecom, Go-Jek, Google, INgrooves, J&J, Live Nation, Lufthansa, McDonalds, Mediacorp, Microsoft, Mission Hills, NBA, Netflix, Ogilvy, ONE Championship, Perform, Philips, PUBG, Riot Games, Spotify, Standard Chartered, Singapore Tourism Board, Telkom Indonesia, Tencent, Twitch, Twitter, Ubisoft, Unilever, Universal Music, Viacom, VICE, Warner Music, YouTube and many more.

For a full list of speakers at the festival, please view our website www.allthatmatters.asia.

About All That Matters

The All That Matters festival returns to Singapore in September after a record breaking year in 2017 with more delegates, more speakers, more live music and more networking than ever before.

Conference by day at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia (September 10-12) and music festival by night at various locations across Singapore (September 7-12), All That Matters continues to be recognised as Asia’s leading entertainment industry conference and the gateway to the Asian music, sports and entertainment industry, hosted the week preceding the Formula 1 2018, Singapore Grand Prix.

The event is attended by over 1500 industry executives, content providers, tech innovators, global brands and thousands of music fans from around the world. It is the meeting point for the most influential players and the programme reflects the convergence of the global entertainment business.

Join us to hear from over 30 keynotes and 150 expert speakers, and make thousands of business connections across the five tracks of Music, Sports, Gaming, Digital and Marketing.

About Singapore’s Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA)

Singapore’s Cybersports & Online Gaming Association is one of the most trusted esports organisation in Singapore with more than 10 years of history. It seeks to build and serve the local ecosystem through various initiatives in education, industry partnerships, and marquee events. Signature initiatives include an esports academy supported by the National Youth Council and a full time diploma in partnership with Informatics Academy. SCOGA recently hosted Asia Game Festival and the Asia Football Gaming Championship as part of Singapore Football Festival. Millions have turned up for SCOGA’s events both in person and on twitch.tv/scoga

About Branded

Branded creates and produces live media that matters, connecting businesses, brands, celebrities and fans through large and small scale events including the YouTube FanFest global tour, It’s A Girl Thing and the “Matters” B2B festivals covering music, sports, gaming, digital and marketing.

Specialising in the media, entertainment and sports industries in Asia, Branded was founded in 2002 and has been recognised as a “Top 10 Event Marketing Agency” by Marketing Magazine and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Singapore Experience Best Trade Event of the Year award.

Branded excels in the conceptualisation, programming, organisation, and production of dynamic conferences, live music festivals, educational academies, and fan events in Asia. Branded is an independent company staffed by passionate multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-talented individuals with offices in Hong Kong and Singapore and affiliations reaching all corners of the world.

Branded key contacts:

Jen Bennett (Sponsorship/Sales enquiries): [email protected]
Ami Vora (Trade & Media Partnerships/Delegate enquiries): [email protected]
Kathy Brewin (Programming enquiries): [email protected]
Sammy Shirra-Moore (Music Matters festival enquiries): [email protected]

Press enquiries:

Madhavi Tumkur (Enterprise PR & Marketing): [email protected] / Ph: +65 9787 5221

Asia

Mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong ready for China’s 15th National Games

Published

3 days ago

November 15, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Joint events were held in Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR on November 9 to mark the one-year countdown to China’s 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD), and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG).

Scheduled to take place from November 9 to 21, 2025, the 15th NG will be hosted across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG following from December 8 to 15, 2025.

The three regions are united in their commitment to delivering a “green, inclusive, open, and clean” event, while ensuring it is “simple, safe, and spectacular”. Collaborative efforts are well underway, with preparations progressing actively and prudently.

On the same day, the official theme slogans, emblems, and mascots of the events were unveiled. The slogan for the 15th NG is “Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area”, and that for the following games encourages those participants to pursue dreams in the Greater Bay Area and embark on a brighter journey.

According to the organizing committee of the 15th NG, both slogans are deeply aligned with the strategic positioning of the Greater Bay Area. They embody the Olympic values, Chinese cultural values, and China’s sporting spirit. Beyond that, the slogans reflect the pulse of the times, emphasize local identity, and highlight the features of sports, while striking an emotional chord and fostering a sense of unity.

The mascots for these sporting events are inspired by the Chinese white dolphin, a national first-class protected wild animal. These two adorable creatures, named Xiyangyang and Lerongrong, symbolize joy, harmony, and unity.

Designed around the theme of “prosperity and inclusiveness”, the emblem draws inspiration from the moment of fireworks bursting. The visually striking creation features three intertwining petals that rotate to form a harmonious pattern. Drawing on the distinct shapes and hues of flowers, the designers have carefully arranged the petals in a spiral that converges at the center. This symbolizes the harmonious integration and boundless vitality of the Greater Bay Area. It also represents the region’s deep connection with the motherland and its expanding global influence.

Asia

India’s top gamers Jonathan & TechnoGamerz to face off in eFootball showdown at DreamHack India 2024

Published

4 days ago

November 14, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Two of Indian esports and gaming’s biggest personalities, Jonathan Amaral (Jonathan) and Ujjwal Chaurasia (TechnoGamerz) are all set to lock horns in an electrifying clash of eFootball at DreamHack India 2024 which will be taking place at the Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad from November 15 to 17.

Having consistently made his mark in national as well as international tournaments, Jonathan is celebrated not only as one of India’s top esports athletes but also as a prominent content creator, with 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube. TechnoGamerz, on the other hand, stands as one of the biggest gaming creators globally, with an impressive 43.2 million YouTube subscribers.

This match-up, bringing together two icons of the Indian gaming ecosystem on the virtual pitch will be one for the ages. Fans of both stars can expect an intense display of skill, strategy, and passion for the game as both gamers compete for glory.

In addition to the exhibition match, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (KONAMI), the leading video game developer and publisher from Japan will also be hosting other exciting activities at the eFootball zone at DreamHack India 2024. These will include:

1v1 Matches: Attendees will be able to test their skills against friends and other players in thrilling 1v1 eFootball matches.
Game Demonstrations: An in-depth look at eFootball through live demonstrations led by Konami’s gaming gurus. The one-stop spot to gather valuable insights and pro tips to elevate your gameplay in eFootball.
Trivia Challenges: Put your knowledge to the test with trivia challenges that will run throughout the event, offering participants a chance to win exciting rewards.
Crowd Engagement Activities: Real-life football activities like juggling and dribbling challenges to bring the stadium experience to the Hitex Exhibition Centre floor.
Influencer Visits and Exhibition Matches: A line-up of top influencers will stop by for exhibition matches, fan meet-and-greets, and exclusive gaming sessions, keeping the energy high throughout the event.
Exclusive Merchandise Giveaways: From trivia and 1v1 matches to game demonstrations, every activity gives participants a chance to win limited-edition eFootball merchandise.

Whether you’re looking to cheer on your favorite star, learn new techniques, or grab some amazing merch, the eFootball zone at DreamHack India is the place to be.

This year’s DreamHack India is all about passion, competition, and community, and Konami is proud to bring fans closer to the world of eFootball than ever before.

Asia

PBBM Orders Immediate Ban Against All PH POGO Operations

Published

4 days ago

November 14, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Citing risks posed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operations in the country, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 74 imposing an immediate ban on offshore and internet gaming in the country.

In issuing the EO 74, President Marcos said “the State has the paramount duty to safeguard national security, maintain public order, uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of its citizens, and ensure the integrity of the social fabric of the nation.”

“…In pursuit of such duty, an unequivocal ban of POGO/IGL operations was pronounced during the State of the Nation Address on 22 July 2024.”

The EO cited the Department of Finance (DOF) study in saying that POGO activities significantly outweigh the economic and social benefits derived from the POGO industry because of the risks and negative consequences such as increased crime rates, social instability and exploitation of vulnerable people associated with them.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Report also indicated POGOs have been identified as susceptible to money laundering, fraud and other illicit financial activities, and therefore pose substantial threats to the integrity of the national financial system.

“The high reputational risks associated with POGO/IGL operations deter foreign investment and tourism, undermining the efforts of the National Government in promoting the country as a safe and sustainable investment and tourism destination,” the EO stated.

The President’s order, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Nov. 5, will cover Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and Offshore Gaming Operations and Services.

All POGOs/IGLs and other offshore gaming operations and other offshore gaming-related/auxiliary/ancillary services with issued licenses, permits are expected to completely cease operations, including the winding up of their affairs, on December 31, 2024 or earlier.

And to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy, Technical Working Groups (TWGs) will be created. The TWG on Employment Recovery and Reintegration will address the impact of the foregoing ban on the affected sectors of the economy and ensure the reintegration of displaced Filipino workers.

This will also involve the provision of assistance and safety nets which include upskilling and reskilling programmes to ensure displaced workers could find new jobs.

The President also issued directives to national government agencies in response to the immediate POGO operations prohibition.

He wants the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and other law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts against illegal POGOs/GLs and other offshore gaming operations and services.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) was instructed to assist the TWG on Anti-Illegal Offshore Gaming Operations in securing the cooperation of homeowners associations to ensure the non-proliferation of POGO/IGL and other offshore gaming operations and services in subdivisions, condominiums and other real estate developments.