Commentary: For a nation of a gamers, why doesn’t Singapore have more homegrown video games?

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans love gaming. Data by market research company YouGov suggests that three-quarters of the country’s population play video or mobile games. Mobile service provider MyRepublic found in a survey that 41 per cent of its subscribers spend more than 15 hours a week playing video games.

Singapore recently made its mark on the international stage by winning its first SEA Games e-sports gold medal.

Despite being a nation of gamers, Singapore has not developed many homegrown games. There are several notable local players however, from large publishers like Sea Group’s Garena, to indie developers like Battlebrew Productions, maker of mobile game Battlesky Brigade Tap Tap, and The Gentlebros, creator of video game series Cat Quest.

In recent years, video games with a distinct Singaporean flavour have attracted attention, like the action role-playing game (RPG) Ghostlore, which draws on Southeast Asian folklore, and puzzle adventure game Chinatown Detective Agency, set in a futuristic, cyberpunk Singapore.

Both these titles are passion projects worked on by individual developers in their free time, supported by crowdfunding.

With so many in Singapore passionate about gaming, why are Singaporean video games such a niche genre?

Singapore's gaming industry has enormous growth potential with 45 per cent of the world's gamers based in Asia. Not surprisingly, the competition to win over gamers in Asia is the toughest in the world.

While many Singapore residents play video games, the size of this market pales in comparison to countries like South Korea and China, which have large populations of avid gamers.

With a market value of close to US$11 billion in 2022, South Korea is often referred to as the mecca of gaming. China is