MSC MALAYSIA – IHL BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION 2009/10
CONFIDENTIAL
BUSINESS IDEA
[Version 2.1/010609/TED/MDeC]
Mobile Congkak
Asfarayani Binti Mohamad Zaki
Wahidah Binti Bakar
Contact Details:
Dr. Sazilah Salam
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
Tel : 06 3316738
Fax : 06 3316500
Mobile : 012 7356811
E-mail: sazilah@utem.edu.my
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
Contents
Section 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………
1
Section 2.0 PRODUCT AND SERVICE DESCRIPTION ……………..
2
2.1 Product Overview ………………………………………….
2.2 Product Flow ……………………………………………….
2.3 Product Layout ……………………………………………..
2.4 Product Elements ………………………………………….
2
2
3
3
Section 3.0 TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION …………………………..
5
3.1 API and Programming Language ………………………..
3.2 Software …………………………………………………….
3.3 Platform ……………………………………………………..
3.4 Future Platform….. …………………………………………
3.5 Intellectual Properties………………………………………
5
5
5
5
5
Section 4.0 MARKET AND COMPETITION ……………………………
6
4.1 Commercialization …………………………………………
4.2 Market Opportunity…………………………………………
4.3 Industry Analysis.……………………………………………
4.4 Competitive Analysis.………………………………………
4.5 Target Market………..………………………………………
4.6 Customer Value Proposition………………………………..
6
6
6
7
9
9
Section 5.0 BUSINESS MODEL …………………………………………
10
5.1 Revenue Model……………………………………………...
5.2 Sales and Marketing Strategy …………………………….
5.3 Strength and Weaknesses or SWOT Analysis…..………
10
10
11
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
Section 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This business idea presents the commercial viability for
the Mobile Congkak which represents mobile Malay
traditional games aimed at preserving Malay heritages
and upgrading Malay traditional games innovatively. This
will promote Malay traditional games to all over the
world.
Nowadays, the young generation are keen to play digital
games (on-line, PC-based, or on mobile). None of the
traditional games are available in digital version. Children
are more familiar with other kind of games compared to
our own traditional games. We foresee that, our
traditional games will gradually be forgotten if we do not
take appropriate actions. Our initiative is an effort to
ensure that the traditional games are preserved and
suited to the new generation.
Our effort starts with creative and innovatively converting
traditional Congkak games into interesting mobile games
on iPhone and iPod Touch platform. The product is
developed by a team trained in multimedia content
development whose research focuses on creating creative
and innovative multimedia content-based products.
The mobile game series can be considered as
family/friends entertainment as it is also meant for
families and friends that allow them to spend quality time
together via new technological means.
The developers expect that this product will do well in the
market by offering it at a minimal price and for various
mobile platforms, designing it with creative and
innovative touches, marketing it through strategic
aggressive e-marketing channels, and distributing it
through various mobile application stores/channels. With
the new design, the product is suitable for all ages. We
plan also to convert the games for other popular mobile
platform such as Symbian to widen the product
accessibility and availability. All these, together with the
1
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
team’s expertise in multimedia content development, will
be the basis for the product’s success.
___________________________________________________
Section 2.0 PRODUCT AND SERVICE DESCRIPTION
2.1 Product Overview
Mobile Congkak games are developed for the purpose of
preserving Malay heritages, upgrading Malay traditional
games innovatively, and promoting Malay traditional
games to worldwide.
The idea and the creativity in the creation of our traditional
games by our old folks have its art value and its own
beauty that need to be preserved and inherited in the new
era. Such values of their efforts do not deserve to be
forgotten by the new generation or dissolved as the time
goes by. Although there are efforts to preserve it such as
on Wikipedia, Thinkquest Library or by our ministry, it will
remain as museum artifacts, or history materials if we do
not develop and adapt it into the new technology.
The first product in our game series is to preserve our
traditional Congkak games. In Malaysia, we believe that it
is a Malay traditional game. But, according to Wikipedia,
Congkak is a family board games played in South East
Asia which includes Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and
the Island of Borneo. It is also known as Tchonka, Naranj,
Congklak, Dakon and Sungka, which is played in
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives, the
Philipines and the Marianas. The word “congkak” is
believed to be originated from the Malay word “congak”
which means “counting using memory”. The game is
believed also to be originated from Malacca Kingdom and
became spread to South East Asia by travelers who
visited the popular trading city.
According to Wikipedia, Congkak is a mancala or “countand-capture” game types. Players start by placing seeds,
counting their seeds to plot the game, and taking turns to
sow and capture based on the state of the Congkak board.
2.2 Product Flow
The first product in our game series is called the
Magnificent Congkak. The game offers two game
modes: (1) Classic Mode, and (2) Revolution Mode. As the
names imply, the classic mode follows the original
2
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
Congkak rules with an option to choose from 5 to 9 holes
for the game board. The revolution mode is an advance
Congkak game with special compensations. Some of the
seeds are given magic power with certain ‘power-up’. For
example, if a player gets a seed that has the seed of love
power, the seed has the ability to duplicate itself into two
seeds. It is up to the player to decide where and when to
use the power of the seed. This means, players need to
play with strategies and calculation skills to win the game.
2.3 Product Layout
The Product Layout for this game is a simulation of the
traditional Congkak game. The following Figure shows the
layout for the product using 7 holes for each player on the
iPhone’s interface.
In the Revolution game mode, players will gain the ability
to use Magical Seeds by stages. The higher stage you go,
the higher chance you have to use these Magical Seeds.
3
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
2.4 Product Elements
Type of Seeds
Usage
Seed of Love
The drop of Seed of Love will
duplicate itself into two seeds of
love. Then, it can duplicate again
and again till end of the game.
If the opponent picks seeds in your
house that contains Seed of
Revenge, it will distribute normally,
but in the end of his turn, you may
take three seeds from his house to
your storehouse. Seed of Revenge
will become normal seed after this
reaction.
Seed of Envy will make the
quantity of current house and the
opposite house to be same if the
opposite house seeds larger than
current house. One of them will
deduct the opposite house to
current storehouse until the
quantity is same. Seed of Envy will
become normal seed after this
reaction.
This seed will sacrifice one of your
seed to opponent’s storehouse,
but you gain three continuous
round. Seed of Bitter will become
normal seed after this reaction.
Sharing is caring. Once triggered
the opposite house and current
house will distribute the seeds until
they have the same quantity. If the
number of both seeds is odd, the
last one will drop into current
house. Seed of Share will become
normal seed after this reaction.
Seed of Revenge
Seed of Envy
Seed of Bitter
Seed of Share
4
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
Seed of Happiness
Seed of Darkness
Seed of Hatred
This seed can be activated during
the third turn of this seed’s move.
Each available house in congkak
board will receive one normal
seeds. Seed of Bitter will become
normal seed after this reaction.
Active during the third turn of this
seed’s move. Once activated,
each house in current row of drop
of this seed will donate 1 seed
randomly to opponent storehouse.
Activate during fifth turn of this
seed’s move. The dropper’s house
will be burnt and declared as
‘Burnt House’. All seed also will be
gone.
Section 3.0 TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION
3.1 API and
Programming
Language
Mobile Congkak for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms
will be developed using Cocoa API. Cocoa is one of Apple
Inc.’s native object-oriented application program
environments for the Mac OS X operating system. It is one
of the five major APIs available for Mac OS X besides
others are Carbon, POSIX (for the BSD environment), X11
and Java. Other programming knowledge such as OOP,
JAVA, NET, C and Visual Studio is also important as
familiarity to Cocoa API. Cocoa framework will be
developed using Objective-C language.
3.2 Software
Software Development Kit (SDK) is a set of development
tools that allows a software engineer to create applications
for Mobile Phones or Computers. The iPhone SDK is
software that allows developers to make application for
iPhone and iPod Touch. The environment development is
Xcode and iPhone simulator. Xcode is a complete
development environment provides project management,
a powerful source editor, and a graphical debugger.
iPhone simulator used to run, test, and debug your
application locally on your Mac using a simulated iPhone.
3.3 Platform
Mobile Congkak will be developed using Intel Macintosh or
Mac OS X. The platform must be installed with Xcode or
5
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
Objective-C and iPhone SDK. Testing environment is
through Apple iPhone and Apple iPod Touch that must be
installed with iPhone Simulator in it.
3.4 Future Platform
Mobile Congkak is also targeting other mobile platform as
well. The game will be developed for other Smart phone
OS as well such as Symbian OS, Windows Mobile,
Blackberry and Palm OS.
3.5 Intellectual
Properties
As the product is developed under the supervision of the
Faculty of Information and Communication Technology,
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, all the intellectual
property rights belong to the University. However, upon
the potential of commercialization, the university has
agreed to share the intellectual property rights with the
developers, in an agreement that will see both the
University and original developers receive due royalties
and recognition. Product design and innovative features
will be filed for Patent, while the game engine will be filed
for Copyright.
___________________________________________________
Section 4.0 MARKET AND COMPETITION
4.1 Commercialization
The product will be downloadable from the associated
mobile devices’ on-line application stores. As for the
Mobile Congkak for iPhone and iPod Touch platform, the
product will be sold on the Apple Apps Store. The
proposed price for this game is at USD $1.00. For each
product download, we will be getting USD $0.70 with
70:30 profits sharing with Apple.
As of September 2009, there are 50,000,000 iPhone and
iPod Touch users from all over the world. If the product
manages to attract at least 0.001% of these users to buy
this product, that would translate to 50,000 downloads and
the profits can be as high as USD $35,000 or RM 122,500.
4.2 Market Opportunity
As of September 2009, there were 85 millions applications
available at the Apple Apps Store, and there were 2
billions downloads from the Apps Store. Although iPhone
and iPod Touch are new in the market compared to other
smart phones, but as of September 2009 the devices have
captured 50% of the smart phone market shares.
6
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
As of 13 December 2009, Bejeweled 2 (a
classic/traditional puzzle game) is the top paid apps at the
Apple iTunes App being sold at US$ 2.99. This shown that
traditional games have the opportunity/potential to be
marketable worldwide.
4.3 Industry Analysis
There are several companies that have developed games
for iPhone and iPod Touch platform. As indicated on the
2008 Best App Ever Awards website, there are game
developers for casual, long-play, arcade, puzzle,
traditional, racing, kids, strategy, and word games. The
following are the 10 games that were short listed as the
Awards nominees for traditional games category:
Games
Solebon
Solitaire
Burning
Monkey
Casino
Monopoly
Here &
Now: The
World Ed.
Five Dice
Publisher
Smallware
Category
Price (US$)
Card Games 1.99
Free Verse
Inc.
Casino
Games
0.99
Electronic
Arts
Board
Games
4.99
Pelted Soft
3.99
Aki
Mahjong
Hexy
Ambrosia
Soft Inc.
Fifth Ace
Productions
Cocoa Stuff
Board
Games
Puzzle
Games
Puzzle
Games
Strategy
Games
Casino
Games
Card Games
4.99
0.99
Deep Green
7.99
Chess
MotionX
MotionX
2.99
Power
Texas
Apple Inc.
4.99
Hold’em
UNO
Gameloft
Card Games 4.99
With creative and innovative design plus strategic
positioning of the Mobile Congkak products, we believe
that there are still places for traditional ‘count-and-capture’
game types, since this will offer variety of traditional
7
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
games on the traditional games market which is currently
monopolized by Card, Board, Puzzle, Casino, and Strategy
Games.
4.4 Competitive
Analysis
The following are among the companies that are direct
competitors to Mobile Congkak products, currently
heading
the
top
ten
traditional
games
developers/publishers:
 Apple Inc. – This company is the developer for
iPhone OS (operating system). Starting from Sept.
2006, Apple has released several iPhone games.
Texas Hold’em is the Awards winner for
traditional games category, selling at US$4.99.
Other games produced by Apple include Chinese
Checkers, Solitaire, Brick, Parachute, and Reversi.
 Smallware – This Company has been producing
solitaire games since 1997 (over a decade of
solitaire experience) and recently has converted
their games to iPhone platform. Solebon Solitaire
is one of the top 10 finalists for the 2008
Traditional Games Awards.
 Freeverse Inc. – This Company develops software
for Mac and iPhone platforms. They have received
6 Apple Design Awards with 2 of the top 10 paid
iPhone Apps. Burning Monkey Casino (that offers
7 different games e.g Blackjack, video poker &
Scratch-N-Win) is their Casino game that was
nominated for the 2008 Traditional Games
Awards.
 Gameloft – Gameloft is a leading international
publisher and developer of video games for mobile
phones and consoles. Established in 1999, it has
emerged as one of the top innovators in its field.
The company creates games for mobile handsets
equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology.
Gameloft games are also available to players on
WiiWare and DS, Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Arcade,
Apple’s iPhone and PCs. UNO is their Card game
nominated for the 2008 Traditional Games
Awards.
Other
games
include
Chess,
Backgammon, and Wonder Blocks.
 Electronic Arts (EA) – EA is a developer,
marketer, publisher, and distributor of video
8
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL

4.5 Target Market
games. The company was a pioneer of the early
PC games industry. EA Mobile develops a wide
variety of game genres such as fighting games,
puzzle games and sport titles. These include
Scrabble, Monopoly, Mahjong, Tetris, and
JAMDAT Bowling.
PopCap Games Inc. – This Company, founded in
2000 with 3 people, starts with creating goodlooking, simple games that people could play on
the Web. Their flagship game called Bejeweled
was awarded Computer Gaming World's Puzzle
Game of the Year award in 2001. As of 13 Dec
2009, their iPhone based games called Bejeweled
2, a simple puzzle game priced at US$2.99, is the
top paid apps on Apple iTunes. They have
developed 35 games and 24 games won awards.
This game is suitable for all ages especially 9 – 35 years
old. Although the traditional Congkak was originally
created for the king & family and the palace residents in
the Malacca Kingdom, it became spread to the general
population of the kingdom. This shown that the game is
playable by all ages. In Malaysia, we believe that the
Congkak games are played by Malay only, but history
shown that the games are played in South East Asia with
minor variants and different names. Even the wooden
Congkak board was found in West Africa. All these shown
that the product has the potential to be played by any
races from all over the world.
We are just targeting a humble percentage of 0.001% of
the current total 50,000,000 users of iPhone and iPod
Touch users.
This game will entertain players with traditional games but
using new approaches. It preserves traditional games
innovatively and has the potential to be promoted and
9
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
4.6 Customer Value
Proposition
spread to all over the world. Other than classic mode
game, the product also offers a new revolution of congkak
where the Revolution Mode will challenge the players’
cognitive skills to plot strategies to win the game. The
product is not just any game, but it has educational value
as well. To win the game, players need to have
Mathematics skills in their strategy.
Our product offers ensure that the customers feel very
convenience. By offering it at a minimal cost of USD1.00
at the Apple Apps Store, the product is affordable and
downloadable anytime anywhere 24/7 accessible
worldwide. Having implemented on touch screens of
iPhone/iPod Touch devices, the interface is user friendly
and players will have a real experience in playing the
Congkak games. They can have a similar experience as
playing the game on real congkak board.
Multimedia offerings are standardize and controlled at high
quality standards by Apple. So, we can guarantee that the
multimedia quality is at high quality compared to other
products on mobile devices. Quality of Service (QoS) is
also guaranteed.
___________________________________________________
Section 5.0 BUSINESS MODEL
Today, mobile devices are part of the life style of the
young generation. Mobiles are not used only for calling
and messaging, but they are also used for other tasks as
well such as gaming, internet surfing, video conferencing,
music listening and many more. Each mobile has its
games and this is one of the major attractions to attract
people to have a mobile.
5.1 Revenue Model
For a start, the revenue model is Download Sales Model.
The Mobile Congkak products are offered as
downloadable games at the associated mobile Apps Store:
e.g Apple iTunes Apps Store for iPhone platform, or Nokia
Ovi Store for Nokia/Symbian platform. The price offered
will start at a minimal price e.g. US$1.00. The profit will be
shared with the mobile Apps Store e.g. 70:30 with Apple
iTunes where we get US$0.70 per download sales.
Based on the current market analysis, there are
50,000,000 iPhone and iPod Touch users from all over the
world. As a start, the product is targeting to attract at least
10
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
0.001% of these users to buy it. These would translate to
50,000 downloads and the profits can be as high as USD
$35,000 or RM 122,500. iPhone has been chosen as the
game platform as the ability of the phone that has multi
touch screen function where players will have alike
experiences as playing the game on real congkak.
5.2 Sales and
Marketing Strategy
The types of promotional strategies that will be used
include:
a) Internet and Mobile Advertising
Other than normal advertising efforts through
broadcast and printed media, we will do aggressive
e-advertisement efforts for Mobile Congkak
products. E-advertisements will be placed on
strategic on-line forums, social networking, viral (email and mobile) marketing, Google AdSense, and
article marketing. This strategy is our effort mainly
to attract and penetrate the worldwide markets.
b)
Joint-Venture
Advertisement
with
Mobile
Operators/Government Agencies
Since we will be developing traditional games
originated from South East Asian (SEA) countries,
it will ease the penetration to Malaysia and SEA
region, if we have the help of local SEA mobile
operators or the related government agencies.
5.3 Strength &
Weaknesses or SWOT
(if possible)
Every business carried out already doubtless have his
competition distinctive.
The following is the SWOT analysis for our product:
Strengths
 Introducing new game
category
(count-andcapture) to the mobile
games users
 Enhancing & upgrading
traditional games to go
worldwide
 Developers have good
knowledge regarding
multimedia
games
Weaknesses
 New in the business
compared to existing
big companies that
have
a
lot
of
experience
in
the
worldwide
games
market
 Limited resources to
move
quickly
to
support all types of
11
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my
CONFIDENTIAL
content development
as well as software
development
 Usage of touch screen
on mobile
devices
gives users real gameplay experience
 Have large base of
50,000,000 iPhone and
iPod Touch users from
all over the world
mobile platforms
 Help
to
promote
traditional games
Opportunities
Threats
 Penetrate international
market
 Develop the traditional
games for other Smart
phone OS
 Perception problem
 Many
experience
competitors
in the
worldwide markets
 To further enhance the
game technology into
augmented
reality
interfaces to enhance
the
immersive
experience
- END -
12
Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (389346.D)
MSC Headquarters, 2360 Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 8315 3000 Fax: 603 8318 7612 URL: www.mscmalaysia.my