Singapore Launches Games Exchange Alliance

Games companies looking to commercialise their games in Asia have another reason to cheer. Hot on the heels of the launch of the Games Bazaar1, a regional pay-as-you-use test-and-hosting platform, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) today launched the Games Exchange Alliance (GXA). The GXA is a Singapore-Inc network of companies. It helps games companies cross ‘last-mile' commercialisation hurdles to place games titles into the hands of gamers in Asia. Each GXA member provides their respective strengths in games distribution, hosting, localisation and marketing to shorten the time-to-market for games companies.

Initiated by IDA, the GXA is managed by the Singapore infocomm Technology Federation Digital Media Chapter (SiTF DMC) and has twelve members. The GXA is part of IDA's Digital Exchange (DX) strategy to grow the value of digital transactions through Singapore from S$150 million to S$500 million by 2006. Part of the DX efforts also involves working with the games developer community to add to the quantity and range of content managed through the Digital Exchange.

Mr Khoong Hock Yun, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry), IDA said, "If content is king, then distribution is the power behind the throne. As a Digital Exchange hub, Singapore is powered to be Asia's distribution node for content and digital assets. IDA will work with the games developer community to add to the volume of digital transactions passing through Singapore."

Mr Mock Pak Lum, Chairman of SiTF DMC said, "The games industry is growing by leaps and bounds. There are already a few Singapore companies involved in the development and distribution of on-line games. Through the GXA, SiTF DMC hopes to harness the strengths of these companies so as to present a consolidated platform and bring these companies to the next level."

The GXA is presently a twelve-member business alliance. In the area of games services and publishing are Teckwah Online, Mikoishi, 10tacle and Pacific Internet. Webvisions, Equinix and 1-Net are key infrastructure providers of the GXA while InerWorx Technologies, IV Lab and Camelot Hobbies have expertise in technology and localisation. The GXA has members providing support services too. For instance, Systems@Work offers secured payment services while Hardware Zone offers events, media and marketing expertise.

"We want more companies to join us to add to GXA's breath and depth of games commercialisation services. This will widen the geographic outreach of the GXA. With more members, we can establish more digital or digi-ports and pave the way for games companies to enter markets which we already have access to," explained Jasper Tan, Chairman of GXA and President of Teckwah Online.

Share this GiN Article on your favorite social media network:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *