Page 75 - Forbes - Asia (July - August 2018)

IGG cofounder and COO Kevin Xu: “I wanted the company to move 100% to mobile games—
there was a humongous opportunity in front of us.” (IGG’s Singapore o ce, above.)
“For many consumers in the region, the corporate tax rate. Also, when the com-
smartphone is the irst and only device that pany raised its second round of funding,
gives them access to the internet and to Vertex—an arm of the Singapore govern-
gaming.” ment’s investment company, Temasek—
For IGG, too, the Asia-Paciic region took a stake. (Vertex has since exited.)
is a big contributor, accounting for 49% of IGG has 100 employees in Singapore.
2017 sales. he company, which oper- hirty are into game development, and
ates in the strategy-games niche, is listed they work with more than 750 game
on the Hong Kong stock exchange and developers across the globe. China has the
counts China, Vietnam and Indonesia as largest contingent with 400 gamers. he
key markets for its agship game, Lords Singapore team coordinates with China
Mobile—in addition to the U.S. But IGG through videoconferencing. Developers
still ranks only No. 20 in the region in get a revenue share if a game does well, a It’s constantly working on increasing its
terms of gaming revenues because it ields critical incentive in an industry that sees appeal—through worldwide premieres of
intense competition from gaming biggies attrition rates as high as 40%. its games. It has roped in Hollywood com-
like Japan’s Bandai Namco, Mixi, Konami, IGG is looking to launch eight games poser Klaus Bedelt (of Pirates of the Carib-
Square Enix, Gung Ho and CyberAgent; this year. his comes on the heels of the bean fame) and the London Symphony
China’s NetEase and Tencent; and South December launch of Sweet Maker in the Orchestra to produce game soundtracks
Korea’s Netmarble and NCSot. same genre as the hugely popular Candy for Lords Mobile.
IGG—founded in 2006 by Cai, Xu, Crush from America’s Activision Bliz- But the threat of competition looms
Hong Zhang (who’s the chief technology zard. Cai, who is said to spend ten hours large with thousands of companies and
oicer) and Yuan Chi (who’s a nonex- a day gaming, oversees the developers developers churning out games.
ecutive director)—chose to situate its who work across the globe. IGG has also As Newzoo’s Wijman puts it: “Games
headquarters in Singapore in 2009 because developed long-term relationships with are getting more immersive, competitive
the government gave it a concessional Google, Apple, Microsot and Amazon. and complex.” F

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