Southeast Asia Gaming Market Over the Years: What We Know So Far

The Southeast Asia gaming market seems to always change. To understand more about the development of the gaming market in this region over the years, check this article out

Southeast Asia is a region consisting of several countries. By the total number of people alone, you can clearly see that SEA is one of the major players in the economy. This also affected the growth of the gaming market. So, how has the Southeast Asia gaming market over the years?

The gaming industry is one of the few industries that did not experience any setbacks throughout the pandemic. The industry is constantly growing despite the change in everyday life. Furthermore, this industry seems to have increased during the pandemic stroke in many regions such as SEA.

Consoles or PCs might be a popular choice for experienced gamers. However, many are more prone to the choice of using mobile games as tools. This also applies in Southeast Asia. Over the years, the gaming industry in this part of the world seems to widen, here are some recaps about the change and the direction of the industry. We will also discuss how to penetrate through this region if you are one of the very few people who own a gaming company. This article might help you to understand the situation within SEA and prepare for the business.

Southeast Asia Gaming Market Size

The SEA gaming market size is hot like an oven. The gaming industry apparently still set its eyes on this region. This is not without reasons. It is stated that there are more than six hundred million people in this region alone. With a total of eleven countries, the growing market of gaming always seems to change forward.

In 2014, the SEA had more than 126 million gamers generating more than one billion in total based on Newzoo. This growth seems to have surpassed even Japan and South Korea. Based on the new market research in Mordor Intelligence titled Southeast Asia Gaming Market Report (2023-2028), this region seems to have a promising future for the industry. In 2023, the gaming market is estimated to gain USD 14.76 billion. This growing market has focused on esports, in-app advertising, and many more.

With this profit, it is clear that the market is a competitive one. Big and small players in the industry seem to keep the market busy. There are several players that seem to take part in the majority of market share in 2023. Such as Asiasoft Corporation Public Company LimitedIGG, Com2uS Group, Netmarble Corp., Tencent Holdings Ltd, Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia Pte. Ltd, Sherman Chin, Sea Limited, Nintendo, Sony Corporation. There are keys to the Southeast Asia gaming market over the years. Here are some examples:

• The popularity of the mobile game in SEA has surpassed PC and console. This is because mobile gaming does not require expensive hardware that does not have mobility.
• The gaming companies in Asia also seem to provide free-to-play options. This option attracts many players from casual to experienced ones.
• The development of 5G is expected to play a vital role in the gaming industry. Give players a good experience of gaming.

Mobile Game in Southeast Asia

PC or console might give bigger revenue on in-app purchases. However, this is not the case with the SEA market. Mobile games are still strong in the Southeast Asia gaming market. Based on data from Newzoo, with more than 1.9 million smartphone ownership users in Asia-Pacific, the use of mobile games has also increased. The revenue of global mobile games is definitely affected by the Southeast Asia market. This fact is thanks to the growth of internet connectivity and its high population. The majority of the mobile gaming market is affected by the six countries in SEA. They are Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and also Indonesia. The six countries are accountable for almost 90% of the population in SEA. With the majority of young people ready to enter the working age, this population plays an important role in the world's economy as well as the gaming industry. The revenue for the SEA games market is expected to continue to grow. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia seem to become the largest market in this region. The use of smartphones to play mobile games is popular in the region. A Google survey stated that over one-third of phone users of those six SEA countries have played mobile games at least once in the last 7 days. With the growth of smartphone users, especially Android, you could expect that the mobile game industry in SEA will still be number one. Therefore, the demand for mobile games in SEA will still be available.

Mobile Game in Indonesia

To understand the Southeast Asia gaming market, we cannot exclude the important role of Indonesians. Indonesia has a very large number of gamers that still grown over the years. This is not a surprise, since Indonesia has the largest and biggest population in SEA. So, considering the market condition of this country is necessary. Based on Google Play download data, Indonesia has become the third-largest mobile game market. According to a data.ai report, Indonesian players spent a total of USD 370 million on mobile games in 2022. This number will be higher by USD 50 million by 2021. The State of Mobile 2023 Gaming report also implied that mobile game downloads will increase by 0.32 billion from 2021 to 3.45 billion in 2022 alone. Research shows that there will be a lot of opportunities in the gaming market in Indonesia since we have seen more than 3 billion downloads of mobile games alone in this country.

How to Get Started in the Southeast Asia Gaming Industry?

Starting to develop your game in the Southeast Asia gaming market could be quite different from other regions. There are some differences and struggles you might face in the future. Here are some steps you want to consider before jumping through this popular hot spot for the game industry.

Use In-Game Advertising

Except for some countries, the SEA is still one of the developing countries. With this fact, you cannot expect a lot of big spenders in the game developed here. Hence, it is crucial to seek a way that generate profits without making gamers in SEA spend too much money. The solution is to use in-app advertisements. This advertisement will allow you to benefit from game players without taking any money from them. This strategy is more effective than using in-app purchases. Especially because many SEA gamers are more likely to use mobile games rather than PC or consoles.

Keep the Size of The Game Small

The phone's qualities will affect how your game is received by the people. Using a flagship phone will give you a good experience of the game. However, you should not always think that everyone owns a high-end phone at home. Many people in SEA have varied phone qualities. Therefore, it is good to consider lowering your game size so it can be played with low-end phones easily. If you develop games only in iOS, making Android versions might be a good idea if you want to penetrate this market.

iOS or Android?

Game developers need to adapt to certain conditions in the intended countries. This needs to apply in the Southeast Asia gaming market too. The popularity of iOS might continue to grow over the years in this region, however, if you look at the number, Android is still on a winning streak. Based on the comparison data of Google Play and the iOS App Store, Google Play still plays a significant role in the hearts of SEA people. This could be because of the price of iOS devices that are still considered expensive in this region. Therefore, a lot of people are more attuned to Android devices that have a wider range of prices from low-end phones to flagship phones. Moreover, many middle-range phones on this day are quite suitable for playing games with complicated graphics. Hence, this makes people able to play more. Game makers should be able to generate their game for Android users if they want to penetrate this market soon.

Consider Localizing Your Game

Though English is used in many countries in SEA as a second language and taught in school, not many people are fluent in it. Some people still struggle to understand the order of the game when it is in English. Hence, it is important to always consider localizing your game into their language. Localizing your game into Indonesian, Vietnamese, or Tagalog will benefit your game. Your game could reach wider audiences and gain more popularity. This will increase revenue for the game itself. Using localization in your game will help to make it engage with the people. Hence, people will continue to play it more.

Conclusion

The Southeast Asia gaming market is still strong. The numbers will still be counting more and more in the future. You can start to dive in on this industry by knowing what the people want and need. Keep changing and move forward.