A Country-by-Country Summary 

For this study, we focused on the ‘Big Five’ of the region. We excluded Vietnam in the research due to lack of knowledge of the local gaming scene.

Singapore: The Regional Hub

Population: 5.75m – Lowest (in the region)

Internet penetration: 84% – Highest

Estimated gamers: 2.8m – Lowest

Paying gamers: 1.1m – Lowest

Average spend/ gamer: $66 – Highest 

Gross spent on games: $330m – Lowest

GDP/ capita: $62k – Highest

Keyword: Infrastructure & Access

• Highest GDP/km2 & internet penetration rate in the SEA region.
• Regarded as most adaptable to new technology due to easy access to market & relatively strong purchasing power (SG$1 : $0.72).
• English widely spoken – Official language – Very High Proficiency (63.52).
• High internet penetration – 81.2%.
• Location for most regional offices for game publishers & developers and companies e.g PlayStation, 2K, Ubisoft, and so forth.
• Government-led initiative & support via Media Development Authority via Games Solution Centre.
• 29% of mobile gamers spend money on mobile games (estimate).

Pros:

• Active government support & participation leads to a thriving independent games studios circuit
• Proximity to regional publishers’ offices
• Relatively quick initiation due to language and infrastructure access

Cons:

• High cost of startup and operation compared to other countries
• A crowded local indie games market may hinder attempts to stand out

Next: Malaysia - Rapid Growth at A Fraction of Singapore’s Cost