GCA: Singapore serious about games

In the opening ceremony for Games Convention Asia, guest of honour Vivian Balakrishnan, minister for community development, youth and sports, and second minister for information, communication and the arts, detailed the extent that Singapore is prepared to go to in order to become a games industry centre of excellence.

"Singapore intends to be part of the action," he said, after pointing out that the Asia-Pacific region is estimated to contribute 40 per cent to the industry's global revenues of USD 39.8 billion by the end of 2008.

Balakrishnan revealed that the Singapore government is spending SD 500 million to stimulate research and development in the digital interactive sector, and went on to outline the GAMBIT initiative, a student exchange between Singapore and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The opening ceremony also played host to the signing of a Memorandum of Intent between ten Asian game developers associations from countries including Japan, Korea, Australia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Memorandum states the understanding that "signifies the recognition of each other as ideal counterparts for future collaboration and co-operation in this region for the benefit of the games industry," and the signing event was the first time that representatives from all ten associations has met in one place.

Games Convention Asia is the inaugural trade and public games show from the organisers of Games Convention in Leipzig, and runs until Sunday September 9 at the Suntec City Convention Center in Singapore.