Introduction

In recent years, Singapore’s gaming industry has witnessed remarkable growth and has become a significant player in the global gaming landscape. With a substantial number of gamers in Asia and a thriving ecosystem of developers, publishers, and hardware manufacturers, the gaming scene in Singapore is poised for continued success in 2023. This article explores the current state of Singapore’s gaming industry, key demographics, major players, and emerging trends.

1. The Rising Potential of Singapore’s Gaming Industry

Singapore’s gaming industry has tremendous growth potential, with 45 percent of the world’s gamers residing in Asia. 41% of mobile gamers spent more than 15 hours a week playing video games. This fact, coupled with the country’s strategic location and strong infrastructure, has attracted numerous game developers, marketers, publishers, and manufacturers to establish their businesses in Singapore. Notable companies like Ubisoft, Riot Games, and Razer have chosen Singapore as their base of operations. The presence of these industry powerhouses indicates the immense opportunities available in the local gaming market.

We managed Pokémon UNITE’s Facebook social media pages across 7 countries and handle translations across 4 languages.

Mobile gaming market in Singapore is highly promising, featuring the highest smartphone use and penetration, expected to reach 93% by 2025. In Opensignal’s measurement of multiplayer mobile Games Experience, Singapore has the highest rating globally. One of our clients, Pokémon UNITE, is a mobile MOBA game expanding towards the Singaporean market. We helped them manage their social media pages and translations across the Southeast Asian market to help bridge the cultural and language differences, a tough area to navigate when entering a local market.

From our market research, more than 2/3rds of Singapores between 16-34 play video games often.

2. Demographics and Diversity

The majority of gamers focus on the mobile gaming platform, with a more even distribution in gender.

Contrary to popular belief, the gaming community in Singapore is not limited to teenage boys. Most gamers in Singapore range from the 16-34 age range, but even up to 30% of Singaporeans aged 55 and above identify themselves as gamers too. 

According to Newzoo’s statistics, women aged 36 to 50 years form the largest subset of Singapore’s gaming community, accounting for 23 percent of the 3.8 million gamers in the country. This demographic, referred to as ‘time fillers,’ demonstrates the diverse range of gamers in Singapore. The inclusivity and broad appeal of gaming have contributed to its widespread popularity across various age groups and genders.

3. Regional vs Local Gaming Hub

Singapore has positioned itself as a regional gaming hub for top global studios like Ubisoft, Riot Games, and Bandai Namco. An example is the newly released Street Fighter 6 by Capcom, which we had the pleasure of developing their social media account and presence on Tiktok for. As many global companies are realising the importance of Singapore as a gaming hub, development in social media accounts and base of operations dedicated to the local market have increased exponentially.

Expanding into Singapore’s market, we helped Capcom find its voice and take a brave new leap into Tiktok, where we manage its brand identity and creative direction.

However, local studios are not one to shy away. During our visit to AFA 2022, we visited the booth ran by Battlebrew Productions, and were thoroughly impressed with their upcoming game Cuisineer.  Their game has already received critical acclaim as one of the BitSummit X-Roads 2022 Official Selections winners and as a PAX Together Pick at PAX East 2022. With a very promising start and recognition on social media mixed with local culinary elements such as Mala and Bubble Tea, Singapore’s unique cultural appeal has begun to come forefront on the gaming scene, and potentially even breaching global markets depending on the success of this outstanding game.

Screenshot of Cuisineer’s gameplay

4. Evolution in Esports

Singaporeans themselves may also develop a stronger, thriving esports scene. Just in May 2023, Singapore won their first SEA Games esports Gold Medal in Valorant. Singapore also has prominent successful esports figures, such as EVOS SG team for Mobile Legends, DOTA2 Player Daryl Koh Pei, or professional Street Fighter champion Ho Kun Xian. With governmental support in the scene to promote this direction, like Singapore Games Association (SGGA) supported by government agenices Enterprise Singapore, Media Development Authority and Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore begins to develop itself as an attractive esports venue and location for overseas companies. Visitsingapore’s two day guide for esports enthusiasts featuring Ho Kun Xian himself also promotes a potential esports tourism location for local esports to evolve in the near future.

Ho Kun Xian at NINETEEN80 arcade

5. Singapore’s Contribution to the Global Gaming Scene

Singapore’s gaming industry is not limited to its local market but has made significant contributions to the global gaming scene. The presence of 83 game developers, marketers, publishers, and manufacturers in Singapore signifies the country’s growing prominence as a hub for gaming [3]. Notably, global players like Ubisoft and Riot Games have established a strong presence in Singapore, while local companies like Razer continue to make their mark [2]. This synergy between local and international players strengthens Singapore’s gaming ecosystem and positions it for further growth and innovation.

Conclusion

As of 2023, Singapore’s gaming industry is flourishing, driven by its vast potential, diverse demographics, and the presence of key industry players. The inclusive nature of the gaming community in Singapore, the fierce competition among gaming consoles, and the advent of subscription services are shaping the gaming landscape. With its strategic location and supportive infrastructure, Singapore continues to attract both local and global stakeholders, fostering a vibrant gaming ecosystem. As we look ahead, the future of Singapore’s gaming industry appears bright, with opportunities for innovation, growth, and captivating gaming experiences.

Singapore is a very lucrative market for global gaming companies to explore. If your company is interested to explore Singapore’s complex cultural market to tap into its rich assets, PRAP Points has the ability to support your social media and marketing goals to challenge even the most entrenched companies in the Lion City.

Sources:

1. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/gaming-video-mobile-e-sports-sea-talent-developer-studio-3497161
2. https://intenta.digital/gaming-industry/video-game-industry-singapore/
3. https://cdn.opensignal.com/public/data/reports/pdf-only/data-2020-02/state_of_mobile_games_experience_february_2020_opensignal_2.pdf
4. https://www.imda.gov.sg/Content-and-News/Content-Hub/Content-Hub-Articles/2020/12/Exploring-virtual-worlds-Five-industry-insights-from-Singapores-gaming-ecosystem
5. https://sea.ign.com/sea-indie-games/195678/news/singaporean-roguelite-cuisineer-releasing-this-year-through-publisher-xseed-games
6. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/sea-games-e-sports-valorant-singapore-wins-gold-after-indonesia-forfeits-3480906
7. https://www.visitsingapore.com/singapore-itineraries/2-day-guide-for-esports-enthusiasts/

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Ian Tan

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