This is a slide deck that is presented at MGF Event in seoul. it provides an overview of the southeast asia mobile environment, smartphone distribution and the points to take note for publishing in the key countries in South East Asia.

1. MGF ICONS: SEOUL
Navigating the South-East Asia Mobile Ecosystem
Presented By: Robin Ng

2. About ME!
My name is Robin Ng
International Business Director of
Asiasoft
Into mobile stuffs since SMS days
Specialize on SEA market since early
days

3. Leading Game Publisher in SEA
14 Years
6 Countries
600+ Staff
35 Published Games
150m Gamer Base
Public Listed in Thailand
Asiasoft – Some Facts

4. South East Asia
The Market Potential

5. South East Asia is a region
- 11 Countries
- Different Languages
- Different Cultures
- Different Behavior
- Different Likes
- East Meets West
Sizing the South East Asia Market

6. Sizing the South East Asia Market

7. Sizing the South East Asia Market
• Young Population
• Hungry for Content
• Smart Phone Conversion
• Improved mobile networks (4G, LTE)
• Increased Income Level
• Lifestyle Changes & Trends

8. 8
155MONE HUNDRED & FIFTY FIVE MILLIONS & MORE!
Sizing the South East Asia Market

9. Number of Smart Phones in SEA
• Smartphone penetration is less than 35% of the population
• Mobile penetration rate is more than 100% for all countries
• People are buying smartphones as their first digital device than a PC

10. Number of Smart Phones in SEA
• Thanks to Google for android open platform
• Thanks to China for the low cost android phones
• Thanks to Social Media & Entertainment Content for fueling the demand

11. 11
SEA Appstore Revenue Split
• Thanks to Apple for helping to segregate the market
• Payingconsumers has a higher chance to use an iPhone

12. SEA Mobile Gaming Market
The Opportunities & Challenges

13. Global Games Dominates!
Global games in fact is dominating the app stores in SEA. However,
does not mean that any game will work in SEA and this may
continue in the long run

14. 14
South East Asia Appstore Behavior
• RPG genre dominates the
grossing chart in SEA
• SEA users do not have a specific
preference of games from a
certain country
• Loyalty for core users are high.
Some are playing the same game
for more than 2 year
• China developed games are
attracting good following in TH &
VN
• Western games still dominates

15. Common Challenges faced in SEA
Common Challenges
• Localization
• Community
• Customer Support
• Payment Channels
• Marketing Costs

16. Localization – Not just text alone
Localization of games is not
just localizing text but more
towards localizing the
marketing programs and
campaigns.
How to effectively develop a
localize marketing campaign
is the key challenge.
Generic message may not be
effectively in reaching out to
gamers. This results in high
acquisition cost and low ROI.

17. Community – Are you part of my gang?
The community spirit of gamers in
SEA is very strong. It creates strong
bonding among the players and
encourages the members to keep
playing and growing.
Building the community helps to
increase the LTV of the game and
retention. The forming of the
community roots needs to come
from the publisher.

18. 18
Customer Support – Showing the care
Most of the gamers in
countries with strong native
language use prefer customer
support to be in local language
SEA gamers needs to be spoon
fed, they expect CS to lead
them all the way to resolve the
problem faced
Expectations from gamers are
very high especially those
spending users.

19. 19
Payment – where is the money?
Payment is the biggest concern as ARPU is still very low in SEA. Low credit
penetration and heavy use of Scratch Cards for payment is relatively new to
overseas publishers. This results in low revenue for mobile which discourages
Publishers to focus more efforts & resources in SEA.
Local payment channels are available for publishers to tap onto the market but only
a few has the full access to hook up the whole region

20. Marketing – Fast Rising Costs
The common way to get users is via CPI. However rates are getting competitive
due to influx of publishers. SEA has limited ads inventory which spikes prices
constantly. Note that pay rate is low and needs a mass of users to reach top of
ranking chart
iOS Appstore
Google Play Store

21. South East Asia
Taking the step into South East Asia

22. 22
Indonesia – Most Populous in SEA

23. 23
Country is wide spread from east to west but focus is only within a few key
cities.
Tremendous growth of Internet subscribers is pushing Indonesia to quickly
upgrade the mobile network from 3G to 4G.
The Indonesian government has signed a regulation requiring that all 4G-
capable smartphones sold in the country as of the start of 2017 must include
30 percent local content.
Indonesia’s Creative Economy Agency, announced plans to boost Indonesia’s game
industry.
Emergence of local game studios
Pricing needs to be skew to local income demands
Indonesia – Most Populous in SEA

24. 24
Malaysia – Diversity in Gaming

25. 25
More than 60% of the spenders for
mobile games are from the chinese
population
3G and 4G fueling growth of internet
usage in sub-urban areas
Playing behavior and preference of
Chinese and Malays are very diverse
Emergence of local studios
Malaysia – Diversity in Gaming

26. 26
Philippines – Avid Gamers

27. 27
High number of players but ARPU is lowest in the region
Infrastructure of Internet access is a key issue. High internet usage
growth but not able to meet the needs of demand, one of the
slowest and most expensive in the region
Similar to indonesia, good growth projection but spending habits will
take time to cultivate
IAP pricing needs to skew to cater to local income levels
Emergence of local studios
Philippines – Avid Gamers

28. 28
Singapore – Smallest Country in Size

29. 29
Highest ARPU in SEA region.
Growth has reached the peak for gaming. Not expecting much
growth
Population is 40% non locals, china chinese has the high % share
Best place to setup business entities in SEA
Most of gaming giants has office in singapore. (Google, Facebook)
Emergence of local studios
Singapore – Smallest Country in Size

30. 30
Thailand – Matured Gaming Country

31. 31
LINE is the #1 used messaging service with over 33m registered
accounts. Facebook most used SNS.
Gamers has bee cultivated to pay for games over the years from the
start of PC games
Most of thai gamers don’t speak english fluently
Consumes mobile content faster than most of SEA countries
Country eyed by many publishers to enter, fierce competition
expected
Emergence of local studios
Thailand – Matured Gaming Country

32. 32
Vietnam – where the 3rd Party Stores rule!

33. 33
Government has been trying or controlling the mobile games market
Local companies needs to obtain license per game to conduct
marketing activities through local channels and media
Followed the china style. 3rd party stores rule the android market (for
now)
3rd party payment is a absolute must to integrate for revenue
generation
Less educated gamers tends to lean towards china style games
Emergence of local studios (most in SEA)
Vietnam – where the 3rd Party Stores rule!

34. 34
Summing up SEA
Been in the mobile gaming spotlight for 2015
High growth region but not on revenue
East Meets West – anything goes!
Fierce competition expected from china
Changing trends and taste of local gamers
Indonesia will be the biggest growth country for 2016

35. 35
Questions & Answers

36. Robin Ng
Director
International Business &
Strategic Development
Asiasoft Corporation PCL
M: +65 8121 7577
E: robin.ng@asiagroup.net
W: www.asiasoft.net
Skype : dweeteng
LINE : dweeteng
WeChat : robinasiasoft
Kakao : dweeteng
Contacting Me!

37. 37
Credits to Information Source
• We Are Social
• Niko Partners
• Nielsen
• Waiwai marketing
• Chartboost
• Asiasoft
• Appannie
• Facebook
• Google – helping me on the searches

38. SEA Appstores Long Tail for Top 100 Grossing Games
After #30 in ranking, it is a long flat line.