EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online2 Press Conference, Singapore, 21st July 2008.
Press Reply to Thai Media: Weekly Online

Can you describe IAHGames profile and why IAHGames plans to bring EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online 2 to the Southeast Asian region?

IAHGames is a leading regional publisher and operator of interactive video games in Southeast Asia. We bring only the best online and console games to the region, previously operating Granado Espada and Hellgate: London, and distributing the best-selling Grand Theft Auto IV.

The world gaming market has expanded exponentially over the past 20 years, now earning more revenue worldwide than the Hollywood movie industry. The population and economic growth of Southeast Asia has produced a hotbed of gamers eager for access to the best games available, and IAHGames meets that demand.

With EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online 2, IAHGames brings the best soccer game on the market to fans and gamers in Singapore and Thailand. Already a success with over 6 million users in Korea, the game combines interactive and beautiful gameplay with unique online features that are fun and immersive for soccer nuts and gamers alike.

-What is your expectation of EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online 2? How many fans would an online football game attract?

As stated before, the first Korean version, EA SPORTS™ FIFA Online, has over 6 million registered users, one tenth of the entire population of that country.

Due to the immense popularity of soccer around the region and the pedigree of the game, we expect to see 10 million or more registered users for the game.

-For how many games is IAHGames currently providing service? How are they received by gamers?

IAHGames has two games in operation: the Baroque fantasy Granado Espada, and the post-apocalyptic adventure, Hellgate: London. Granado Espada was well received region wide, listed as the #2 game in Singapore for many weeks after its release, and currently has over half a million registered gamers. Two expansions have already been released, with a third coming later this year.

Hellgate: London created immense hype among fans of the Diablo series, and had a very successful launch. In Singapore alone, over 7,000 gamers attended the launch event to purchase the game and met a few of its creators.

-How does IAHGames see the gaming market in this region? Is it still able to grow? If so how much and for how long?

Southeast Asia’s gaming market has shown tremendous growth over the past few years, and will continue to do so as online and gamer penetration expand. The vast population of the region still exhibits a multitude of untapped potential, and judging by the evolution of gaming in Korea and China, Southeast Asia’s market will continue to grow exponentially for at least the next 5 years.

-What is the future trend of online games?

Online capability has became the core of modern gaming. As regional infrastructure grows to accommodate a rising demand, we will continue to see gamers gravitating towards interactive experiences that allow them to play together.

In addition to more sophisticated and immersive online content, developers are becoming more adaptive, working to merge the gap between console gamers and PC gamers, creating multiplayer and full online games that can be enjoyed across platforms.

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