How to Thrive in Asia When Most Publishers Fail

Understanding the opportunity, challenges, and solutions of the globe’s biggest gaming market

Asia makes up 30% of the world’s land mass, and holds 60% of its population. It’s also home to a remarkably vast video games market, which continues to grow.

So why do so many fail in the region?

To answer that, let’s take a look at the challenges currently limiting publisher success across the Asian market, and the solutions that can level up your global distribution strategy.

To seize the full opportunity of the vast Asian market you need access to China. Which means you’ll either need a notoriously difficult to secure ISBN licence, or to understand the patchwork quilt of local e-stores which sell Steam keys outside Valve’s platform. You’ll also need to navigate a daunting blend of local laws, regulations, and taxation conventions. Understanding such an intricate ecosystem demands more resources than many publishers can give. Entering Asian markets without that local knowledge can see minimal sales and retention.

THE SOLUTION: Choosing a global distribution partner lets you inherit the resource and local expertise you don’t have in-house. For example, at Rokky we help publishers access thousands of different e-shops within our single distribution platform. We also make sure your games remain compliant to regional regulations, minimising friction while maximising revenues.

Players in Asia are often unaware of a Western studio’s brand, reputation, and game library. A household name in France, Germany or even the US may not carry the same weight in Japan. That can dramatically increase the already significant challenges of discoverability and user acquisition.

THE SOLUTION: A global distribution partner should bring more than a platform alone. They should also help with your marketing and promotion efforts. At Rokky we do just that, as we work with our network of local partners, including influencers. We place marketing banners across our network of selling platforms and local forums with an engaged gaming audience. We also manage targeted customer relationship management (CRM) and social media campaigns to keep players and platforms aware of launches, upcoming releases, and special offers.

Throughout this blog we’ve been referring to Asia as a single entity. In reality, it’s an enormous, diverse region with billions of people and thousands of languages. A lack of understanding of unique region-specific marketing opportunities can seriously limit a game’s ability to connect with local audiences. Traditions and festivities can provide rich opportunities for in-game events and other promotional activities that can lift sales and player spend – but without deep understanding of geographical cultures and mindsets, can backfire.

THE SOLUTION: A global distribution partner should always furnish you with intimate knowledge of local culture, events, and sensitivities. At Rokky, we frequently tailor promotional activities based on regional and seasonal trends, such as China’s Lunar New Year or less-known Dragon Boat Festival. We can also strategically steer price reductions, tying them to local events, holidays or trends to make the deals more appealing.

There’s no need to turn your back on Steam. Many Asian players will prefer to buy directly from Steam itself – and in any case, you’ll need your game on Valve’s platform to generate all those keys. But putting your game on Steam isn’t enough. In fact, simply getting your game on the many Asian e-shops that distribute Steam codes isn’t enough either. You need thorough post-launch support, especially in terms of performance reporting - to deliver data and insight to steer your ongoing LiveOps ps and commercial strategy.

THE SOLUTION: A global distribution partner should always strive to give you precise reporting that guides future sales and promotional activity – and all the marketing support touched on above. At Rokky, we’re committed to bringing you the very best, insight-driven reporting, starting with monthly sales and performance reports as standard. Many of our publishing partners chose more frequent updates, and we can always deliver responsive bespoke reports – as well as all that marketing support, of course.