Video games in Thailand

In 1995, the launch of Microsoft's Windows 95 allowed more people to use PCs for gaming. PC games were initially distributed on 1.44 MB floppy diskettes, and as technology advanced, Thai gamers were able to play games such as Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Command & Conquer, Diablo, and StarCraft. Initially, these games were played in single-player mode, but with the establishment of LANs in the late 1990s, Thai gamers began playing in multiplayer mode. Popular games included Counter-Strike and other first-person shooters, leading to the establishment of game shops all over Thailand, particularly near schools and universities. B. M. Media (Thailand) Co., Ltd. licensed games such as Valve's Half-Life and Sierra Entertainment's Pharaoh, while foreign companies such as Electronic Arts and New ERA Company established branches in Thailand to sell licensed games.^[7]

The popularity of online games in Thailand began in the early 2000s, starting with

CyberPlanet Interactive, established in 2000, is considered a pioneer in video game development in Thailand. They created "Magic Chronicle" in 2003, the first real-time strategy and PC game developed by a Thai company. At the time, they were also considered the first and largest console game developer in Southeast Asia.[11] Their product line on consoles included casual games for the DS, Wii, PSP, and PS2, as well as mobile games. In 2005, the company released "CEO City", a city-building game that incorporated Thai cultural elements, which gained a cult following and remains a beloved title among fans of the genre in Thailand.^{[12][13][14][11]} The company was renamed to United Power of Asia in May 2015 and has since converted to an energy company.^[15]

Debuz, established in 2006, developed "Asura Online" in 2007, which was proclaimed by the company as the first MMORPG created by Thai developers.^[16] "The House", a flash horror game developed by Sinthai Studio, was released in 2005 and quickly gained popularity. It was followed by its sequel, "The House 2", in 2010, which also became a hit among horror game fans.^[17][18] K.I.A. Online (Killed In Action) is a third-person shooter released in 2010 by Virus Studio. It was made using Unreal Engine 3 and has a World War II theme.^[19] However, due to a low player base, the game was closed in 2013. Moreover, Virus Studio shut down operations following the closure of the game. A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda is a 2.5D side-scrolling action platform game released on December 14, 2010, and developed by Extend Studio. The same company also developed "So Many Me," a puzzle platformer game that was released in 2014.

12 Tails Online [th] was considered one of the most popular online games in Thailand at the time. The game was an action-RPG of Thai origin developed by a team of four Thai developers at Big Bug Studio. Development began in April 2008 and took three years, with its official release in 2011. Unfortunately, the game was closed in 2016,^[20] but it was relaunched again in 2021 by a different publisher.^[21]

A number of Thai horror games have been released, including "Araya", which was launched in 2016 and is a first-person horror-themed adventure game developed by MAD Virtual Reality Studio for Microsoft Windows. Another notable Thai horror game is "Home Sweet Home", a single-player survival/horror/puzzle video game developed by Yggdrazil Group. This game draws on elements of Thai folklore and is available on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and various VR devices. Several Thai-developed mech games have been released, such as 'M.A.S.S. Builder', an RPG-mech-fighting game developed by The Vermillion Digital and released in 2019, 'Dual Gear', a 3D mech action shooting and turn-based strategy game developed by Orbital Speed Studio Co., Ltd. and released in 2020, and 'Project Nimbus', a high-speed mech action game set in a devastated future Earth and developed by GameCrafterTeam, also released in 2019.

There have also been Thai survival games, including Mist Survival, which was developed by a single person using Unreal Engine 4 and was released in August 2018,^[22] and Into the Haze, which was released in February 2021 by MSOFT.

Timelie and Kingdoms Reborn are two highly successful games released in 2020. Timelie is a single-player stealth puzzle game where a young woman with time-controlling abilities must escape hostile robots in an unfamiliar dimension, while Kingdoms Reborn is a city builder that allows players to construct and manage a procedurally-generated world map with simulated citizens. Both games received critical acclaim and commercial success, with Timelie being recognized with multiple awards and Kingdoms Reborn becoming the fastest-selling game in Thailand on Steam, generating 100 million baht (approximately 3.2 million US dollars) in under a year.^[23]

Game companies in Thailand

Game developers from Thailand

Misc

Co-Development Services

Defunct developers

Video game publishers of Thailand

Thailand is home of

In September 2021, the Thai government recognized esports as a professional sport, which has led to increased funding, recognition, promotion, and support for the local esports industry. Eligible esports teams and athletes can receive financial support from the Sports Authority of Thailand and its Professional Sports Promotion Fund. The government's involvement in promoting esports has helped the industry to grow, with revenue expected to reach $5.94 million in 2022 and an annual growth rate of 12.25% from 2022 to 2027. While the industry still faces challenges due to traditional attitudes towards video games, the Thai government and leading educational institutes, such as the Thailand E-Sports Federation (TESF), are working to develop esports curricula to generate competitive gamers to represent Thailand internationally.^[39]

Growth

Vlad Micu of VGVisionary and WindowsPhoneFans.com has stated in 2012 that Thailand's video game industry is on the rise, mostly through the increase in various app stores and a growing interest from foreign investors in Thai game development talent. Noting that some Thai games are slowly getting a foothold in the international market, Micu stated that "more and more Thai game studios are being empowered to produce quality content for a global audience."^[40]

In 2015, both Newzoo and Niko Partners have stated to expect a massive growth in revenue of video games in Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries in following years.^[41]

In 2019, Thailand was ranked 20th globally in terms of game revenue, reflecting the growth of the gaming and esports market in the country. With 32 million gamers, Thailand is now considered the top market in Southeast Asia according to Newzoo's 2021 report. The widespread use of mobile devices and the popularity of games like

In February 2023, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) jointly launched the 'depa Thai Game Industry to Global' program to support the growth of the Thai gaming industry on an international level.^[44] The program was developed with various partners, including the Thai Game Software Industry Association (TGA), Infofade, Southeast Asia Center of Asia-Pacific Excellence Wellington Creative, and Lane Street Studio.^[45][46][42]

The depa Game Online Academy project deploys an online learning platform that was launched in October 2021, offering courses in art, design, programming, and character creation for personnel in the Thai gaming industry. The goal of the platform is to enhance the skills of its participants and support the industry's growth. Successful participants receive e-certificates for each course they complete.^[45][47]

The depa Game Accelerator Program, another initiative under the 'depa Thai Game Industry to Global' program, was developed by depa in partnership with the TGA and Infofed to support the growth of local entrepreneurs in the gaming industry. The program provides training and funding to help entrepreneurs scale up their businesses. The program is offered on a regular basis and is open for applications periodically throughout the year.^[46][42][48]

In addition to the depa Game Online Academy project and the depa Game Accelerator Program, the 'depa Thai Game Industry to Global' program also involves creating inspirational video content and conducting interviews with prominent figures in the gaming and IT industry. These efforts aim to inspire the new generation to pursue careers in the Thai gaming industry and facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge among industry professionals.

These initiatives are part of depa's efforts to promote the Thai game industry on the international stage, align with the policy of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), and are expected to drive the industry's growth.^[49]

Video game conventions

The Thailand Game Show (TGS) is an annual video game convention held in Bangkok, Thailand, and features game demos, cosplay contests, gaming tournaments, and other related activities. The event is a major gaming event in Southeast Asia that attracts many gaming and cosplay enthusiasts from Thailand and other countries. In 2022, the Thailand Game Show was held on October 21–23 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) and broke the record for a three-day event with over 160,000 attendees. The event introduced two new zones: the NFT & Metaverse zone, which capitalizes on the growing popularity of cryptocurrency, and the Business Matching zone, which aims to enhance business opportunities. The TGS Cosplay Contest is also held at the event. The event is organized by Show No Limit in partnership with True Digital Group's "Online Station".^{[50][51][52][53][54]}

Gaming platform market share

The gaming industry in Thailand is dominated by mobile phone games, which make up 61% of the market share. Computer games (PC) account for 25% of the market, while video game consoles (such as Playstation and Xbox) make up 14% of the market. According to Newzoo, 95% of gamers in Thailand's urban online population play on mobile devices, with female gamers being slightly more likely to play on mobile while male gamers prefer console and PC. In the console market, Playstation has a leading market share of 94.56%, while Xbox accounts for only 5.44% of the market. The shooter genre is the favorite among gamers, with 38% of mobile players, 35% of console players, and 34% of PC players choosing it as their favorite genre.^[2][55][56]

Controversies

In 2008, copies of the

After the 2014 Thai coup d'état, Thailand's military junta the National Council for Peace and Order banned Bulgarian video game Tropico 5, in which players can act out the role of a dictator in an island state. According to Nonglak Sahawattanapong, sales manager of New Era Thailand, "some parts of stories within the game affect Thailand's situation," and though Sahawattanapong was "disappointed" by the decision, the company complied with the ban.^[59][60]

References

Sources

• Soranastaporn, Songsri (2015). Wolf, Mark J. P. (ed.). Video Games Around the World. MIT Press. pp. 545–564.
  ISBN 9780262527163
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