Getting to Know the Asian iGaming World Holistically

Asia is a huge region with 48 countries and where more than half of the world’s population resides. For game providers, system developers, aggregators, and operators, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for this market. There is a need to focus on the target market, perform comprehensive and elaborate studies of the market, and get dedicated crews on the ground, but even so, success is not necessarily guaranteed. 

Below are some key components to  take note of in order to increase the chances of success in this region:

1. Localisation – 

   1. Plays a key component in game development. Slots are about creating the ideal experience, where your audience is competing with customers from the movie industry (Netflix) and also social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.). The tricky part is understanding whether the game will perform or not. Good game development with localised flavour may take between two to four months to gain traction with the local crowd. 

   2. Players nowadays are savvier and more demanding; thus, the need for thematic games that relate to their culture is crucial to the success of your game offerings.

   3. Let us take dragons for an example. A game provider needs to differentiate between a Chinese dragon, a Korean dragon, and a Japanese dragon (Word of Caution: Even if you do that, there’s no guarantee of success for the game.)

2. Technical Solution –

   1. Make sure the game can even load in the country/demographics that you are servicing. Get a CDN and ensure fast loading speeds, as players are extremely impatient nowadays. A recent study has concluded that if a game takes more than 10 seconds to load, it will virtually be “game over”, with very little to no game play. 

   2. Rule of Thumb: 10 seconds of loading time is too much; 5 seconds is highly recommended.

   3. Remember to separate your RGS server location by region – one for Europe, one for Africa, and one for Asia. With regards to languages and currencies, don’t rely on generic Google Translate; get an in-country translator.

   4. Online translation services are either a big hit or a big miss – there is no in-between. If you skimp on that part, you’re almost guaranteed to fail.

3. Strong Local Support –

   1. Once the target countries have been chosen, a customer service team, account management team, and sales team are crucial for the success of your games. You need to set up a team that speaks the language. A point of presence in the market is a MUST.

   2. Besides having a local team and local presence, please bear in mind that lots of slang is used in different markets. 

   3. Lend your ears to the operators. Many big game developers make the same mistakes over and over again – they simply don’t listen to the operators.

   4. Marketing consultants have proven time and again that they are not experts in the gaming industry. Effective communication is needed here. 

   5. A middle management team that truly weaves the magic is essential. Account managers are the key here. A team that doesn’t understand the player perspective or the game itself will fail miserably.

   6. Customer service is absolutely vital. Passing feedback up the chain takes a really long time. We must keep trying to have direct contact with the PIC so that things can be improved much more quickly.

   7. Asia is a totally different animal altogether. Forget what you do to get things done in Europe or America – you need a truly local person in Asia to understand the lay of the land. The market is extremely saturated and competitive at this moment in time.

4. Know Your Stuff –

   1. As a provider, whether a small start-up, mid-size company, or giant with an international presence, it’s a massive investment at the initial stage. However, if you don’t make the investment, you might never see the returns.

   2. Budget/finance and staffing/manpower are the two most crucial elements in the success or failure of your business in this region.

   3. There are two biases – the player’s and the provider’s. There are also sub-demographics within each country, such as fishing game players in China. Operators are very vigilant, checking to see if the games are performing.  If not, the games will be removed, as operators are not very forgiving in this aspect.

   4. Some top 10 games might not work for VIP players, but some games that work for VIPs may be more niche and never make the top 10.

   5. Providers that are arrogant or unresponsive will see aggregators shifting toward those that are easier to work with. Good aggregators not only find great games but also meet  high service requirements.

   6. Some providers are shifting to mobile-only, but desktop players are still important in some key markets. You must be flexible in creating games that adapt to each device – more difficult to develop, but it won’t alienate players. Players often play on different devices, so making the interface as consistent as possible helps avoid pitfalls.

   7. Asian trends sometimes follow European ones, but they’re just trends only – when you look deeper, it’s completely different. Even different provinces within an Asian country might have their own ways of doing things. It’s really about how localised you want to get.

   8. Generalisation: Indians don’t play slot games, while Japan and Korea are mature slot markets. Bias goes both ways – Europe is also not just one unified market.

Explore these and other topics at Eventus International’s upcoming events: https://www.eventus-international.com/