What projects do the MDA look for?
What projects do the MDA look for?
For the next 6 months (Oct-Mar 2012), the MDA is looking out for projects that:
(i) have a very strong story element
(ii) are suitable for showcase on the Singapore-China Singapore Game Box
(iii) have received indication of interest from publishers
For (i), projects with very strong story element would mean: (I) Production budget > $1.5M and (II) quest-based denominated universe e.g. Single-player campaign adventure game, MMOs on consoles and PCs. We would generally exclude puzzle games, casual games, word games, action-oriented games, sports games, advergames. Also, Facebook and Mobile platforms generally do not qualify under this category.
For (ii) for showcase on Singapore-China Singapore Game Box would require a product in Mandarin, have a competitive element (i.e. PvP) and does not require a client to launch the game. It must be compatible for use on the current SG-China SGGB platform (i.e. for PC platform).
For (iii) these projects would need a letter of intent from the publisher whereby the publisher is party to the funding arrangements
Where the project being proposed falls outside the 3 areas above, MDA could link the applicants with potential aggregators who might be able to help them with their funding application (since they would then fall into category iii if selected).
Singapore’s Games Industry
Globally, the games market was estimated to be worth $59.5b in 2010 and projected to grow to $70.1b in 2015, at a CAGR of 3.3%. Strong growth in the mobile and online games markets are expected to lead the trend1.
Singapore’s games sector comprises of over 62 games development, publishing and services companies2. Companies looking for a regional media hub capable of creating, publishing and distributing cutting edge games content will find in Singapore a skilled workforce, IT infrastructure and strong intellectual property rights protection regime. The country also houses major industry players such as Electronic Arts, LucasArts, Tecmo Koei, and Ubisoft.
Locally-based developers such as Ratloop Asia and Protege Production are also gaining international traction. Ratloop Asia’s games have been regularly featured at the Independent Games Festival, and the developer is currently working on a 3D stereoscopic game, Rocketbirds: Reloaded! for the PlayStation Network. Protege Production’s game Armor Valley first debuted on Xbox Live, and the IP has since been among the first games to launch on the Windows Mobile 7 platform. The developer currently has offices in Singapore and Silicon Valley.
1 MDA research based on DFC Intelligence 2010 data.
2 Compiled numbers by the MDA as of June 2010.