The output value of Taiwan’s mobile game industry could increase by 70 percent this year as the market continues to grow, a manager with the Taipei Computer Association (台北市電腦公會) said on Sunday.
Due to the growing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers, association official Jesse Wu (吳文榮) predicted that the mobile gaming sector would continue its rapid growth, with production value reaching NT$15 billion (US$474 million) this year, a significant rise from NT$8.8 billion last year.
The output value of Taiwan’s gaming industry was NT$50.6 billion last year, up 11.7 percent from NT$45.3 billion in 2013. Mobile games in particular saw a significant annual growth of 226 percent, Wu said, citing figures from the Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC, 產業情報研究所), a division of the government-sponsored Institute for Information Industry.
Wu, who is also a curator for the annual Taipei Game Show that closed on Sunday, said the growing popularity of mobile games was evident at this year’s show.
Close to 200 exhibitors, most of them mobile developers, set up 1,471 booths this year, an increase from the 950 booths last year, he said.
The five-day show ended up drawing a 13-year-high of 430,000 visitors.
Growth in mobile games and competition from Chinese companies have impacted traditional online game developers in Taiwan, Wu said.
However, the nation still has a competitive edge, as it has many creative independent game developers and respect for intellectual property rights, he said.
The Taipei Game Show’s Indie Game Festa section, which showcases products from independent developers, saw 10 times more business discussions this year than last year, he said.
The output value of Taiwan’s gaming industry places it among the world’s 10 top game producing countries, meaning that there is a lot of potential for the nation in the future, Wu said.
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