Southeast Asia’s gaming market is booming, and it is now gearing up to
be a key battleground for mobile games. Huge numbers of avid gamers,
region’s economic growth prospects and fast-rising internet connectivity
(especially mobile) all point towards solid growth in terms of game
spending for many years to come.
According to latest data from Newzoo, a market intelligence firm
covering global games and esports, mobile games already dominate in
Southeast Asia. By 2017, mobile revenues alone approached $1.3Bn in
the region, growing at an impressive CAGR (2013-2017) of +56%.
Underlying this growth is the fast-rising (mobile) internet connectivity
across the region. Much of the region’s population is young, with the
majority in, or about to enter, the working age demographic. This plays a
key role in the region’s current and forecast competitive advantage in the
world economy.
However, each country’s different culture, gamer preferences, and
spending behaviors means there is no one size fits all approach to the
region.
*Source: Newzoo
Key reasons why Southeast Asia will be the key battleground for global players in the game space.
Mobile games is already a $Bn
market, and revenue is projected
to reach $2.4 billion by 2021.
The number of mobile online
gamers in Southeast Asia will rise
to 250 million by 2021.
Mobile games are growing
considerably faster in Southeast
Asia than PC online games, with
mobile games revenue expected
to surpass PC games revenue
this year.
Games is already the largest
mobile app category in emerging
Southeast Asia. Mobile game
revenues are growing at a
staggering rate.
Mobile games experienced
surprising growth in 2014 in
emerging Southeast Asia. In
some countries, game
downloads climbed over 100%.
The sheer size of the Southeast
Asian population, its rapid rate of
urbanization (1.4% average
annual rate of change compared
to China’s 0.5%), and its young
and tech-savvy demographic, are
all factors favorable for growth.
There are still blue-ocean markets in
the region with entertainment-hungry
populations ready to consume the next
hit game.
*Source: Newzoo and Statista
CAMBODIA
For the past 3 years, we have seen how Cambodia has been becoming more acquainted with
the digital sphere. In particular, Facebook has been one of the most ubiquitous social media
platforms amongst the locals with over 6.8 million users, a significant increase from 2017’s 4.8
million.
Explore how Cambodia’s digital ecosystem might grow in the years to come and how it can
affect a wide range of industries.
*Source: Newzoo and Statista
With the largest population in Southeast Asia, accounting for 40% of the entire Southeast Asian
population, Indonesia is the biggest mobile games market by both revenue and players. According to
gaming researcher Newzoo, in 2017 there were an estimated 43.7 million active gamers in Indonesia,
spending a total of USD 879.7 million for an average annual spending of USD 20.13 per person. This
made Indonesia the largest gaming market in Southeast Asia and 16th largest globally. In fact, the
number of mobile gamers in Indonesia is set to exceed 100 million in 2019.
INTERNET
POPULATION
*Source: Newzoo and Statista
Malaysia is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries of Southeast Asia, with a
melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Tamil communities. Therefore English is the common,
unifying language in the country. In 2017, there were 14 million gamers in Malaysia, spending a total of
US$589 million. This makes Malaysia #21 worldwide in terms of game revenues. 83% of Malaysians
access the internet for personal reasons daily and 57% of the population is playing video games on
mobile.
INTERNET
POPULATION
*Source: Newzoo, Statista and GlobalWebIndex
Video gaming in the Philippines is still an emerging industry. It is worth to mention that between 2004
and 2014, internet access in the Philippines grew more than 800%, the fastest rate in the region,
primarily due to the boom in mobile internet. In 2018, the Philippine mobile games market is expected
to generate revenues of US$191 million. Total revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate
(CAGR 2018-2022) of 7.5%, resulting in a market volume of US$256m in 2022.
INTERNET
POPULATION
*Source: Newzoo and Statista
Vietnamese mobile games market has many of the characteristics needed for mobile success: a young
population who have grown up with smartphones and tablets as their primary internet touchpoint,
widely spread internet penetration, and the booming number of smartphones. In 2017 there were 32.8
million gamers in Vietnam, spending a total of US$367 million. This makes Vietnam #28 worldwide in
terms of game revenues, with an expected market volume of US$208M in 2022.
INTERNET
POPULATION
*Source: Newzoo and Statista
To capture attention of the SEA gamers and inspire them to
download and play the Vainglory mobile game
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Educating audience through Social Media and PR releases
Content curated around upcoming tournaments, VPL and building
awareness about the Pro Teams existence
Reaching larger audiences and generating brand awareness with
ongoing large online media campaigns and creative influencer
campaigns
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To have a top-ranked mobile game in every market in Southeast Asia.
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Building relationship with the audience through EXPOs and
community events
Releasing consistent game updates of fresh new content
Encouraging referrals in exchange for free in-game items
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Partnerships with popular food chains in each country – free ingame items (heroes, skins, etc.) for scanning a QR code in various
restaurant outlets
University Tournament activating students across whole SEA region
(Online Qualifiers, and on-ground Quarter Finals to Finals)
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Partnership with popular food chains in each country
Partnership with Universities & phone brands
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To develop a professional mobile game league with regional divisions
Facebook content localization, with separate fanpage for each
country
24/7 player support and striving to grow Vainglory community
through social media
Content curated around ongoing tournaments and participating
teams
“Let’s Play” videos to activate the audience
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Running a series of events – amateur and semi-pro tournaments
Continue updating the game with fresh new content (new heroes,
skins etc.) to help keep users engaged with the game
Attending gaming events with branded booths to hold large player
gatherings and throw events for the community
Strategic implementation of in-game bonuses
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Creating daily/weekly/monthly special in-game events, like 10v10,
responding to the community, and improving the game each month
Incorporate in-game events, like contests or time-limited quests
Incentivize community with an option to create their own in-game
items
Partners input – limited edition in-game items
Develop Vainglory merchandise
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Host live streams and entice players to watch and participate with
DLC and/or virtual currency giveaways
Marketing efforts focused on the platforms where the community is
Run regularly scheduled events on our channel - including new DLC
announcements, “challenge a dev”, Q&A sessions
In-house team sponsorship in each country
Reward hardcore fans by hosting mini-events in hot-spots around
SEA
Extend partnership and activities that players can participate in in
real life
Build a “sharing community” where players can share advices and
resources with each other
Introduce social features, such as leadeboards
Award top players for each season with free customized items
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Pro-teams sponsorship
MARKETING
Quality content is what ultimately drives user acquisition. Our content and social media tactics will build the awareness around the upcoming
tournaments, with a video as a prime marketing asset for mobile games. Special emphasis will be put on the main prize, to encourage user’s
participation. We will communicate with users in places that are popular with that demographics. As press coverage from a high-profile outlets
can work wonders to drive awareness, we will run ongoing large brand campaigns to get more installs and educate audience about VainGlory.
METHODS OF EXECUTION
Our tactics will be focused on the social layer, s seamlessly integrated with the game itself. We will encourage referrals by asking users to e.g.
invite friends to unlock a certain bonus levels or in-game items. By taking part in EXPOs and community events, we can develop a meaningful
relationship with our audience and receive important feedback.
SCALABILITY
Popular food chains is where our target audience spend its free time. This is why we will build a partnerships with leading restaurants in
each of the countries and introduce an engaging activation for all new and existing users. By scanning a special QR code placed on the
tables, they will get free in-game items (heroes, skins, etc.), differing by the restaurant outlet.
University Tournament will be an amateur tournament dedicated to university students across whole SEA region. After online qualifiers
at the biggest universities in each state, our special Gaming Truck geared with mobile phones and LED screen, will travel to all major
cities. We will then run quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals to choose the best national team that will be awarded a VainGlory
scholarship.
MARKETING
Our marketing efforts will embrace social game play. For referring a game to a friend, or publishing his achievement on facebook, twitter or
google+, user will rewarded. This will create a viral, snowball effect for the game. To actively engage users, we will publish “Let’s Play” videos that
are currently second only to video game trailers in terms of viewership.
METHODS OF EXECUTION
User engagement relies on three key aspects: community, product, and live operations. We will attend major gaming events to hold large player
gatherings and throw events for our community. This will give us a chance to meet our players in person and make sure they have the most
positive in-game and out-of-game experience with us. Regular game updates with fresh and exciting content taken directly from community
feedback and also showcase of current trends in mobile gaming, will help keep users engaged with the game. Our amateur, semi-pro and pro
tournaments will enhance the real-world experience of playing the game and will positively influence the users retention.
SCALABILITY
We strive to create the best gaming experience for the users. The game-related activities will be highly engaging to make sure our
users keep wanting to come back for more, and they will play a crucial role in our user retention. Incorporating daily/weekly/monthly
special in-game events, like contests or time-limited quests, give players new things to do and a sense of urgency because the event
(and the opportunity to earn a related reward) will not always be there. Community will get a chance to create in-game items, like
heroes and custom skins. Users involvement and responding to the community, will help us build an engaging experience for our
players. With time, we will develop a Vainglory merchandise – by purchasing merch in real life, users will get free in-game items.
MARKETING
To engage and excite people who play the game, we will run regularly scheduled events on VainGlory channel. We will host live streams and
entice players to watch and participate with DLC and/or virtual currency giveaways, “challenge a dev” and Q&A sessions.
METHODS OF EXECUTION
The goal is to establish an ecosystem with highly engaged players, enhanced with the real-world experience of playing the game. We will
extended activities that the players can participate in by adding the chance to earn in-game rewards, like redeemable tickets that grant
access to exclusive side quests for anyone who participates. To further engage and reward hardcore fans, we will by hosting regular minievents in hot-spots around Southeast Asia. Great idea would be to reward players interacting with the game while spending their time at
one of our partner’s locations. We can offer them in-game content with the purchase of one of the products, or offer a free DLC item if
they play while connected to the partner’s WIFI.
SCALABILITY
The game’s leaderboard helps give an app`s existing users added encouragement that they are part of an established community,
while enticing new potential users with the allure of using an app that already has an active and engaged user base. Diehard fans
and top players from each season will be awarded with VainGlory custom made products. As an element of surprise, such
strategically implemented bonuses can be a great way to keep players coming back.
Building relationship with the audience
through EXPOs and community events
Partnering with a popular food chain to
engage audience on-ground
Suggested food chains: KFC, Dairy
Queen
University Tournament activating students
across whole country
Suggested phone companies and/or Telco partners:
Smart Axiata / Metfone
Our Gaming Truck will be visiting the
top universities in each state,
searching for the best students team
across whole Cambodia.
1.
2.
Online Qualifiers in high schools
and universities.
Our truck starts its tour around
Cambodia.
2.
3.
On-ground
events:
each
weekend, our truck will be
travelling to another state, where
we will run a local Quarter Finals,
Semi-Finals and Finals, in one of
the partnering universities area.
Best teams from each state will
fly to one location to play a
country Finals.
Building relationship with the audience
through EXPOs and community events
Building relationship with the audience
through EXPOs and community events
Suggested events: Game Start, Comic
Con Indonesia
Suggested events: Game Start, Comic
Fiesta
Partnering with a popular food chain to
engage audience on-ground
Partnering with a popular food chain to
engage audience on-ground
Suggested food chains: KFC
Suggested food chains: McDonald’s, KFC
University Tournament activating students
across whole country
University Tournament activating students
across whole country
Suggested phone companies and/or Telco partners:
Telkomsel (Singtel’s partner) - The Gaming Co. is
currently working with Singtel
Suggested phone companies and/or Telco partners:
Digi / Maxis (Singtel’s partner)
Indonesia is an island country, what
unables us to use the Gaming Truck.
Instead, we will run on-ground events
in the university premises.
2.
1.
3.
Online Qualifiers in high schools
and universities.
On-ground
events:
each
weekend we will run a local
Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals and
Finals in another state, in one of
the partnering universities area.
Best teams from each state will
fly to one location to play a
country Finals.
Our Gaming Truck will be visiting the
top universities in each state,
searching for the best students team
across whole Malaysia.
1.
2.
Online Qualifiers in high schools
and universities.
Our truck starts its tour around
Malaysia.
2.
3.
On-ground
events:
each
weekend, our truck will be
travelling to another state, where
we will run a local Quarter Finals,
Semi-Finals and Finals, in one of
the partnering universities area.
Best teams from each state will
fly to one location to play a
country Finals.
Building relationship with the audience
through EXPOs and community events
Building relationship with the audience
through EXPOs and community events
Suggested events: ESGS 2018
(in Conjunction with WESG)
Partnering with a popular food chain to
engage audience on-ground
Partnering with a popular food chain to
engage audience on-ground
Suggested food chains: Jollibee
Suggested food chains: Lotteria, KFC,
Burger King
University Tournament activating students
across whole country
University Tournament activating students
across whole country
Suggested phone companies and/or Telco partners:
Globe Telecom (Singtel’s partner)
Suggested phone companies and/or Telco partners:
Mobifone (Singtel’s partner)
Philippines is an island country, what
unables us to use the Gaming Truck.
Instead, we will run on-ground events
in the university premises.
2.
1.
3.
Online Qualifiers in high schools
and universities.
On-ground
events:
each
weekend we will run a local
Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals and
Finals in another state, in one of
the partnering universities area.
Best teams from each state will
fly to one location to play a
country Finals.
Our Gaming Truck will be visiting the
top universities in each state,
searching for the best students team
across whole Cambodia.
1.
2.
Online Qualifiers in high schools
and universities.
Our truck starts its tour around
Cambodia.
2.
3.
On-ground
events:
each
weekend, our truck will be
travelling to another state, where
we will run a local Quarter Finals,
Semi-Finals and Finals, in one of
the partnering universities area.
Best teams from each state will
fly to one location to play a
country Finals.