Smilegate SEA sets its eyes on regional domination with redesigned Gambooz service

Smilegate SEA is to relaunch its proprietary distribution service Gambooz as a Steam-style service later this year. The new service will be launched in Singapore and Malaysia throughout October and November, and will launch in the Philippines between the beginning of December and the end of January. Other Southeast Asian countries will receive access to the improved Gambooz service throughout 2015.

(See: Why is CrossFire so popular in Asia?)

The improved service is part of Smilegate SEA’s plan to unite Southeast Asia under a single service. CEO Justin Park stated that the fragmentation of Southeast Asia’s market makes it difficult to reach the audience they want. He commented that the “market is not ready” to stand on its own yet, but that creating this centralized platform is a big step toward that goal.

 The current situation in Southeast Asia makes it difficult for local developers and publishers to achieve meaningful penetration. Southeast Asia is divided not only by national borders, but by culture and language as well. Park believes that the only way to be successful here is to have an operation running from within, which is why Smilegate SEA was opened last year. By having a platform that caters specifically to Southeast Asian audiences, Park believes that they can attract customers who may have previously relied on other means.

Gambooz’s biggest game is Korean developed FPS Crossfire which Park himself is an avid player of. He notes that many gamers in Southeast Asia are using VPNs to play abroad instead of using the local Gambooz service. Park believes that improving this service will draw these wayward gamers back to local servers, and help Smilegate understand the Southeast Asian market better.

The new Gambooz initiative does not stop with PC gaming, but will incorporate mobile gaming as well. Philippine publisher Gameclub, also the local distributor for Crossfire, will be rebranded as Gambooz. This renaming will be applied retroactively to Gameclub’s games, helping to build the Gambooz brand.

In short, if you are in Southeast Asia and haven’t heard of Gambooz, expect that to change shortly. With the popularity of Crossfire, and the drive of Smilegate, I suspect Gambooz may become an essential part of Southeast Asia’s gaming ecosystem over the next few years.

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