The Singapore Games Association (SGGA), formerly Singapore Games Guild (SGG), officially launched on August 3 with the mission of creating a sustainable local gaming and esports ecosystem as well as attract more esports events to the region.
Singapore Games Guild (SGG) was a non-profit sister organisation of the International Games Development Association Singapore (IGDA|SG). The new SGGA organisation is operating with support from Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
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SGGA will serve as the sovereign city-state’s primary trade association for gaming and esports. Players in Singapore spent a total of $327.2 million (£250.4 million) on games in 2019, according to Newzoo, making it a strong market in Southeast Asia.
SGGA’s initiatives will begin by hosting an Industry Day on August 7-8 for local game professionals, as well as those hoping to enter the industry. The organisation will also work with Gamescom Asia as part of the digital event. In the third quarter of 2020, SGGA will launch its paid membership programme, which is open to all companies registered in Singapore, as well as Singapore-based individuals including freelancers.
The SGGA also announced the Singapore Esports initiative to establish industry-wide standards for hosting esports events and to celebrate the achievements of the Singaporean esports community. The initiative will include events, training, networking conferences, and awards/recognition for achievements within the local industry.
The Singapore Esports initiative also includes a local public directory of esports-related services, to be hosted on the SGGA website.
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Jayf “Babael” Soh, executive committee member of SGGA and founder and CEO of Singapore-based esports team, Resurgence, commented on the organisation’s plans in a release: “Esports is a new and growing industry with massive potential. The end goal is to create the right environment for a prosperous and sustainable ecosystem in Singapore for our esports businesses and all stakeholders to thrive in. This initiative is the first step towards it, with a key focus on shaping perceptions and changing mindsets while laying the foundations for industry standards.”
The SGGA will continue to build upon existing partnerships with other gaming and esports associations, and plans to showcase Singapore companies at international events such as Taipei Game Show, Tokyo Game Show, and the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in 2021.
Gwen Guo, chairperson for SGGA and Co-founder/Creative Director of Imba Interactive, added: “It is an exciting time to rally the gaming and esports industry and work together to uplift our expertise and break new ground, as we fly the Singapore flag high on the world stage. SGGA will retain a core element of SGG – uniting the local community through events, celebrating local games and offering our talent a friendly, nurturing home to explore, grow and connect with potential collaborators – and offer more. We look forward to nurturing a more resilient and innovative industry with sustained growth and opportunities through infrastructure and capabilities building.”
Esports Insider says: Singapore joins a growing list of government-sanctioned efforts to bring more esports to their respective regions. It will be interesting to see how SGGA works alongside or in competition with existing organisations like the Global Esports Federation (GEF) and Singapore Esports Association.
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