Why Blizzard needs a publisher for Hearthstone in Vietnam

It’s been a good six months since Hearthstone was released worldwide, and its influence has grown steadily around the world. Tournaments are sprouting internationally, and Vietnam is no exception.

The Vietnamese Hearthstone community has grown very quickly in the last six months. However, its growth is still slow compared to other Asian countries, especially its neighbor, China.

This is because of Blizzard’s lack of attention towards Vietnam. I believe Hearthstone needs a publisher here to localize the game and think of strategies to help the game properly enter the market. Aside from the obvious reasons as to why Vietnam could do with a local Hearthstone publisher, here are some others.

1. Evoking childhood memories

Card games are one of the most popular genres Vietnamese gamers enjoy, especially as children. When Yu-gi-oh was released ten years ago, middle school kids completely switched from everyday activities to card games. Hearthstone has recreated the entire card game experience virtually, and offers old-school features such as collecting new cards, dueling with others, and competing with differents strategies.

2. Another way to experience Warcraft

Warcraft is so important to the Vietnamese eSports community. It was one of the pioneering eSport games before Fifa, League of Legends, and Dota rolled around. Many people believe that Warcraft has helped created a foundation for the Vietnamese gaming community. If you visited any game shop in Vietnam now, chances are you’d still see many people playing Icefrog’s original Warcraft III Dota. Blizzard games are deeply rooted in Vietnamese gaming and people have enjoyed Warcraft for years, so a game that utilizes the Warcraft universe is one that will sit close to many hearts.

3. Growth in iPad and smartphone usage

Smartphone and iPad usage has grown in Vietnam in recent years. Its predominantly young and tech-savvy population has contributed to a rapid growth in internet usage and infrastructure, and mobile phone use is expected to double by 2020. With Hearthstone available on the iPad, I foresee a potential growth in Hearthstone players as well.