Retail News CRM

Tag: game

  • Vietnam’s gaming firm profits fall 52 pct in 9 months

    Vietnam’s gaming firm profits fall 52 pct in 9 months

    Vietnamese online gaming giant VNG has reported Jan-Sept 2018 profits of VND152 billion ($6.5 million), a 52 percent year-on-year slump. The company has said in its third-quarter financial statement that higher expenditures have eaten into its profits.

    Selling and administrative expenses of VND853 billion ($36.7 million) and VND382 billion ($16.44 million) respectively in the nine-month period marked a 72 percent and 27 percent year-on-year surge.

    At its recent annual meeting, the company’s management board had predicted a sharp drop in profits compared to previous year as the company wanted to focus resources on investment in strategic products and diversify operations.

    The company focuses in four main areas: e-wallet, mobile product development, ecosystem building, and e-commerce.

    VNG has set a revenue target of over VND5 trillion (more than $215 million) for this year, 17 percent higher than in 2017.

    However, after-tax profit is expected to only reach VND549 billion ($23.62 million) compared to VND938 billion ($40.36 million) in 2017.

    VNG, which used to be known as VinaGame, also owns major news site Zing, popular music site Zing MP3, instant messaging app Zalo, and e-commerce site Tiki.

    Tiki, VNG’s largest investment in e-commerce, continues to suffer increasing losses. In the first half of this year, Tiki’s losses of VND102 billion (nearly $4.39 million) were more than double the same period last year.

    The cumulative loss of this e-commerce site has reached nearly VND600 billion (about $25.82 million) after seven years of operation, beginning in 2010.

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  • National Airlines of Qatar treats fans to football match

    National Airlines of Qatar treats fans to football match

    As an Official Partner of FIFA, Qatar Airways is keen to bring fellow football fans across the globe with their #OnYourFeet challenge on social media sites. The winners of the challenge will receive two Business Class tickets to any destination on the award-winning airline’s global route network.

    Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM has begun, marking an entire month of excitement as fans from around the world gather in Russia to celebrate their love for football. Whether you are a football enthusiast, dedicated to supporting your national team or even your favourite local team, the World Cup is a global event that unites us all, and we are thrilled to be supporting such a world-class sporting occasion.”

    The award-winning airline recently captured the excitement of the upcoming tournament by launching its new 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM campaign, featuring a re-recording of the classic song ‘Dancing in the Street’ sung by renowned singer and TV star Nicole Scherzinger. The upbeat TV commercial has seen tremendous global success, with more than 20 million views across the airline’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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  • Razer aims to take over MOL

    Razer aims to take over MOL

    Gaming company Razer aims to take over Southeast Asian virtual gaming credits and e-payment platform MOL Global at a valuation of US$100 million.

    Razer already holds a nearly 35 per cent stake in the platform.

    Razer co-founder/chief Tan Min-Liang says the acquisition will enable Razer to take over one of Southeast Asia’s largest e-payment networks, deepen its presence in the “under-served” region, and create one of the world’s largest virtual-credit platforms for gamers.

    In August, Tan took up Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Twitter challenge for an e-payment proposal to turn the state into a cashless society. The following month, Razer proposed to develop and deploy an e-payment system, RazerPay, for which it would commit S$10 million in seed funding.

    Tan this week said the system would also enable cashless capabilities in Southeast Asia as well. It would be complementary and accretive to Razer’s gaming business.

    Razer, which is dual-headquartered in Singapore and San Francisco and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, says it will pay about US$61 million to acquire 65.1 per cent of MOL’s issued share capital.

    The acquisition will be by way of a statutory merger, upon which MOL will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Razer.

  • Game development experts converge on Pakistan’s first Game Summit by Gamebird

    Game development experts converge on Pakistan’s first Game Summit by Gamebird

    Pakistan’s second most populous city and the country’s cultural center, Lahore, was the go-to place for game developing experts and enthusiasts from Google, Telenor, and the best of Pakistani talent in the industry. The event was Pakistan’s first Game Summit hosted by ‘Gamebird’, Telenor’s new platform that connects game developers to boost the gaming ecosystem in Pakistan.

    Pakistan has a vibrant gaming app developing ecosystem and this Game Summit was aimed at helping developers learn the latest tips and best practices about how to take their app business to the next level. The one-day, invitation-only event gave developers a chance to come together with Google, Telenor industry experts, and fellow app developers to ask questions, give feedback, share learnings, discuss projects, and be inspired.

    The top speakers of the Game Summit included Dr. Umar Saif – Chairman, Punjab Information Technology Board and Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University, Fawad Asghar – CTO, WeRPlay, Sadia Bashir – Founder & CEO, Pixel Art Games Academy, and Faizan Iftikhar – CEO, GeniTeam, among others.

    Telenor Pakistan has been developing initiatives to strengthen the local developer community, while Google has tools and insights with a focus on game creation and monetization. Together, the speakers from Telenor Pakistan & Google elaborated on their expertise and how the gaming ecosystem can benefit from it. Prominent local developers also shared experiences, challenges, and ideas on how to better contribute to the local game development ecosystem. Gamebox, Pakistan’s indigenous game store, was a sponsor of the Game Summit and showcased its offerings at the event.

    “We are proud and delighted to be hosting the country’s first Game Summit in a city that’s fast emerging as one of Pakistan’s key app development centers,” said Durdana Achakzai, Chief Digital Officer at Telenor Pakistan. “We are grateful to the experts from Google and the local gaming community for coming together and exploring ways to boost the Pakistani game development industry. We hope that the learnings the event’s participants take home today will prove valuable in putting Pakistan on the global map for gaming innovation. With Gamebird in place, we are expecting more of such knowledge-sharing networking events for the gaming community in the future.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Umar Saif, the keynote speaker who is Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board and Vice Chancellor Information Technology University, said:

    “We congratulate Gamebird for hosting this insightful event and giving game developers the opportunity to demonstrate their skills. The launch of Google DCB has been a game changer for the gaming industry as it has provided earning avenues to game developers. I appreciate Telenor’s role in spearheading the launch of Google DCB in Pakistan and hope that Pakistani Gamers make good use of it to come up with a superb game in the near future.”

    Gamebird is an e-Sports platform for gamers and gaming app developers in Pakistan. The platform hosts events, tournaments, broadcasts, and provides reviews and plays of different games. Gamebird is geared for more initiatives in mobile & PC gaming (tournaments, community meet-ups, etc.) in the near future.

     

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  • Lotte unveils El Cube Game in Korea

    Lotte unveils El Cube Game in Korea

    South Korean retail giant Lotte opens a dedicated game products store in Seoul tomorrow amid a rapid growth of the country’s computer game industry.

    Lotte Shopping Co said it has remodelled its el Cube store in Hongdae, western Seoul, into a shop exclusively for games, to be called el Cube Game.

    El Cube is Lotte Department Store’s “mini” version, targeting consumers in their 20s and 30s. There are currently five el Cube outlets throughout the country.

    Lotte said the first offline store of Netmarble Games, South Korea’s top mobile game maker, will open at its outlet in Hongdae, one of South Korea’s most popular hangout places.

    The El Cube game store will also sell toys targeting “kidults,” referring to adults with a keen interest in toys that many regard as for children, it said.

    The market size of South Korea’s game industry was valued at around 11.5 trillion won (US$10.84 billion) as of last year, up 18.5 per cent from 9.7 trillion won in 2013, Lotte said, citing the Korea Creative Content Agency.

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  • Lenovo Set To Open Retail Stores In Asia Pacific, Gaming Brand Push

    Lenovo Set To Open Retail Stores In Asia Pacific, Gaming Brand Push

    Lenovo has said that they are looking to establish over 100 Lenovo gaming stores in the Asia Pacific region, it’s not known if or when any Australian stores will be established.

    Currently JB Hi Fi has an exclusive deal with Harvey Norman who are not seen as a destination for hard core gamers. The decision to go exclusive with the mass retailer was made by Brandan Lau the Director of Consumer PC’s at Lenovo Australia.

    Initially JB Hi Fi was going to range Lenovo gaming products but dropped the Chinese brand in favour of staying with the Alienware brand from Dell, which has been highly successful for the retailer.

    According to Lenovo sources in Hong Kong, the new Asia Pacific stores will sell a range of gaming products including workstations, notebooks, accessories including mouse and keyboards as well as gaming bags.

    We also understand that the Company who are successful direct sell operators in Australia, are also looking to sell their B2B PC range which includes Think Pads and 2 in 1 products via the new stores.

    Currently Lau is banking on heavy discounting to drive consumer PC sales while at the same time investing in extensive direct sell marketing in mass newspapers and online, for Lenovo PC products a move that has not gone unnoticed by Lenovo consumer PC retail partners.

    The Company are also major partners with Amazon.

    Combined Lenovo’s consumer and enterprise product lines each contributes 50% of Lenovo’s PC sales in Asia Pacific with the Chinese Company set to shortly market a 25th anniversary range of ‘Think’ enterprise products to lift awareness of their enterprise offering.

    What Lenovo are looking to achieve with their direct sell retail format, according to sources, is uptake for a new gaming brand called Legion. All their new gaming products including a new range that will be released at IFA in Germany in September will be branded Legion.

    Ivan Cheung Asia Pacific President at Lenovo said recently that excluding Japan and China that gaming products made up 75% of the Asia Pacific’s overall consumer PC sales, Retail News understands that this is not the case in Australia due in part to Lau’s decision to consolidate his gaming sales primarily via Harvey Norman.

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  • Vietnam’s Flappy Bird creator is back with a new Ninja game

    Vietnam’s Flappy Bird creator is back with a new Ninja game

    The unexpected success in 2014 has turned Nguyen Ha Dong into a star of Vietnam’s startup scene in recent years. Just one week after its debut, the latest mobile game from Nguyen Ha Dong, the creator of Flappy Bird, has become the new addiction of many people around the world.

    The fast-paced Ninja Spinki Challenges has won many positive reviews from users on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

    The new game, which is free, is a collaborative effort between Nguyen Ha Dong’s Gear studio and Japanese game maker Obokaidem.

    Staying true to the familiar 8-bit style found in Flappy Bird, it requires game players to have a good mix of dexterity and fast reactions to tap and swipe through levels.

    “The game is entertaining and brain-teasing at the same time,” said Huy Can, a gamer.

    “What should I do when it comes to the point of frustration?” a player asked sarcastically, referring to the game’s difficulty.

    Flappy Bird was released in May 2013 with little fanfare. By February 2014, the sleeper hit topped the charts in more than 100 countries and had been downloaded more than 50 million times. Dong reportedly earned an estimated $50,000 a day.

    The Vietnamese government has seen successes like Flappy Bird as an encouraging sign. It is trying hard to cultivate a startup scene where tech entrepreneurs can create products and services that will go global.

    The overnight success of Flappy Bird seemed to overwhelm its creator, who later decided to pull the game from the app stores.

  • PlayStation 4 Pro is now officially available in Malaysia

    PlayStation 4 Pro is now officially available in Malaysia

    Malaysian gamers and fans, you can finally head out and purchase the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro now as it’s been officially released in the country according to an announcement that was made via the official Playstation Asia Facebook page.

    We reported on the announcement of the PlayStation 4 Pro previously, and it was scheduled for an initial release in certain markets on 10 November. Although the retail price for most countries, including Malaysia was revealed (RM1799), an actual release date was not confirmed.

    It seems now that fans in Malaysia won’t have an agonisingly long wait to get their hands on the new console as Malaysia is also releasing the console today (10 November 2016).

    According to the Sony Playstation Asia Facebook page, you can head to Sony Centres around the country to get the console. There are limited units available at the moment and according to the Facebook page, customers are advised to contact the Sony Centres to confirm availability of stock. You can get a list of Malaysia Sony Centres here.

     

    As for customers who have pre-ordered the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro beforehand, you should be getting your units pretty soon as well. We managed to get in touch with Sony and they said that pre-order batches are expected to reach retailers today (10 November 2016).

    We, however, could not ascertain which particular retailers these were and whether they included online e-commerce sites like Lazada, 11thStreet and GemFive. It has been advised that customers who made their orders via those channels to check with the sites themselves for confirmation.

    Do tell us if you managed to get your pre-ordered PlayStation 4 Pro or purchase it at an authorised retailer. We’re guessing there are pretty limited stocks available for Malaysia so although it may be officially released here, there might be a bit of a wait till customers will actually be able to get their hands on one. We’re currently reaching out to Sony on the stock availability and restocking schedule, so stay tuned!

    And if you don’t mind waiting and still want to get your hands on a PlayStation 4 Pro, you could still pre-order a unit below.

  • Will Singapore Pools’ new sports betting site launch in time for Euro 2016?

    Will Singapore Pools’ new sports betting site launch in time for Euro 2016?

    It’s anybody’s guess as to whether Singapore Pools will be able to launch its new online sports betting site in time for the Euro 2016 football tournament.

    In February 2015, Singapore’s new Remote Gambling Act (RGA) took effect, prohibiting all online gambling sites except those that divert most of their proceeds to charitable and other social causes. Unsurprisingly, the new act led to an exodus of betting sites that had been serving the market.

    Singapore Pools, which holds a monopoly on sports lottery products in the city-state, was given six months in which to apply for an exemption to the RGA. The company duly submitted its application last July, but was warned at the time that the approval process could take up to one year.singapore-pools-betting-site-euro-2016

    Fast-forward 11 months and Singapore Pools is no closer to launching its new site. This, despite less than two weeks remaining to the June 10 kickoff of Euro 2016. The Straits Times recently contacted the Ministry of Home Affairs to inquire about the state of Singapore Pools’ application, only to be told the paperwork is “currently being evaluated.”

    The company’s existing site allows punters to check sports odds, but actual wagers must be placed over the phone or at one of the company’s retail points of sale. Singapore Pools’ new site, which is to be powered by betting technology stalwarts OpenBet, would allow punters to place wagers directly online.

    Given the lateness of the hour, Singapore Pools’ management is likely going through antiperspirant products much faster than usual. But given that the company is hardly a stranger to local authorities, the possibility that the new site won’t launch in time – which could reduce sales during Euro 2016 and thus deprive those social causes of badly needed funds – the delay in approving the company’s application seems sketchy at best.

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  • Playphone Game Store Expands into Asia With GASH Prepaid Game Cards at 114000 Retail Outlets

    Playphone Game Store Expands into Asia With GASH Prepaid Game Cards at 114000 Retail Outlets

    Playphone®, Inc., a global leader in mobile social gaming and recently acquired by premier game developer GungHo, announced today a partnership with Gamania Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (GASH), a leading Asian online game publisher based in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Playphone and GASH are partnering to offer Asian gamers a revolutionary new social gaming experience with the world’s most popular games, a unique set of advanced social features, and GASH prepaid game cards − the preferred local payment method for the region.

    Playphone develops and operates social game stores worldwide, offering mobile gamers a single engaging app to discover, download, play and share thousands of their favorite games with friends. Playphone Game Stores are deeply integrated with social features throughout the gaming experience, easily connecting gamers with friends to recommend games, challenge or invite to play, brag leaderboard ranks, and more. Playphone’s gaming platform, with games from over 3,000 global developers, is rapidly expanding distribution in emerging markets.

    GASH is the largest online game publisher and digital entertainment platform in Taiwan, and its prepaid card platform is the most widely used game payment system in the region. GASH prepaid cards facilitate mobile purchases of paid games or in-game items without the need of a credit card. Gamers purchase GASH prepaid game cards in varying denominations at over 114,000 retail outlets in Asia. The GASH digital entertainment platform supports over 10 million active users, and current GASH users can now use their prepaid GASH cards to purchase paid games and in-game items from the Playphone Game Store.

    “Our partnership with GASH perfectly aligns with Playphone’s vision of providing the best social gaming experience in Asia, where gamers are hesitant to input credit card information into their mobile apps,” said Ron Czerny, CEO and Founder of Playphone. “As a gaming leader in the region, GASH has provided an invaluable contribution to our efforts to tailor our gaming experience to local Asian gamers.”

    “We are very excited to partner with Playphone to offer GASH gamers a technically-advanced, personalized gaming experience,” said Simon Lu, Chief Operating Officer of GASH. “And our partnership is a huge win for game developers, who simply upload games to the Playphone Developer Portal for instant access to Asian distribution and the GASH payment solution.”

    Game developers add games to the Playphone Game Store simply by uploading their existing Android game file (APK) to Playphone’s Developer Portal (developer.playphone.com). Playphone’s technology automatically integrates the game into the Playphone platform, providing the game with instant access to Playphone’s global distribution channel, preferred local payment solutions including GASH prepaid game cards, and world-class social features.

     

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  • Razer Taiwan opens gaming retailer idea

    Razer Taiwan opens gaming retailer idea

    US-based digital video games big Razer has opened a singular flagship retailer in Taiwan’s capital metropolis, Taipei.

    Razer was created by CEO and Min-Liang Tan, a Singaporean, and specialises in merchandise marketed particularly to players. The Razer model is presently being marketed underneath Razer US.

    Within the new Taipei retailer, which opened final Friday, players can attempt the corporate’s distinctive units together with excessive finish pc mice designed for on-line video games, keyboards and different equipment.

    Centrestage are the Razer Edge pill, a handheld pc operating Home windows eight optimised to game-playing – and a purpose-built PC unveiled finally yr’s Shopper Electronics Present in Las Vegas.

    The opening was celebrated on-line with a minisite – #TWRazerStore (in Chinese language language) and weblog and social media postings in English. Most of the firm’s US administration flew to Taiwan for the opening.

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