| |
Speech by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Second Minister for Trade and Industry at the opening ceremony of Electronic Arts Asia Pacific's Studio in Singapore on 5 December 2005 at 4:30 pm at Guthrie House
Mr Jon Niermann, President, Electronic Arts Asia,
Ms Irene Chua, Vice President, Electronic Arts Asia,
Mr Chris Thompson, Vice President & General Manager, Southeast Asia Publishing, Electronic Arts Asia Pacific
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Good morning. I am pleased to be here for the opening of Electronic Arts' Singapore studio. We are all familiar with Electronic Arts record as the world's largest game publisher with a string of successful hits, including blockbusters such as "Need for Speed" and "The Sims". This studio in Singapore will conduct game localization for the regional market and incorporate an online game development team. This will help bring Singapore's digital media industry to a higher plane.
2. Today's announcement follows closely on the heels of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and cross-platform game developer, Seasky Netjoy. Singapore also recently hosted two major international gaming tournaments, the Cyberathlete Professional League World Tour Singapore, as well as the World Cyber Games Grand Final. Earlier this year, Singapore's first full-fledged online game development studio by Koei was established. Each of these developments is significant in its own right, but the more important point is that we have gained momentum in the digital media sector, and this has set the stage for Singapore to attain critical mass for this industry.
3. In 2003, the Economic Restructuring Committee envisioned, amongst other things transforming Singapore into a global media city. In response, MICA, together with various agencies formulated the Media 21 Blueprint to develop the media industry so that it contributes 3% of GDP by 2012. This exciting sector includes the Digital Media industry, encompassing the production of electronic games, digital animation and special effects, as well as licensing, distribution and merchandising, content-hosting and financing. In particular, digital media areas such as games and animation are expected to grow at double-digit growth rates. The earnings of the game industry are already overtaking the Hollywood box office. The digital media sector also generates significant spin-offs in broadcast programming, merchandising and licensing. Pokemon, the popular children's character is one such example, having recorded cumulative sales worth a total of S$31 billion.
4. Singapore has great ambitions for our digital media industry, and we are placing big stakes to play in this fast-moving, dynamic industry. The EDB, IDA and MDA have collectively made Singapore a compelling location for digital media companies across the entire industry value chain. We will intensify this multi-agency effort in the years ahead. IDA, for example, has its Digital Exchange initiative that aims to position Singapore as the global distribution hub and trading centre for the processing, management and distribution of digital assets. The MDA, as part of its local enterprise development strategy has been working closely with local digital media companies to help them develop new original "Made-in-Singapore" animation and games for international export. As a result, mobile game developer Mikoishi and online game developer Playware Studios Asia, as well as numerous other local animation and game development studios have been set up.
5. I am pleased to announce that the EDB will be giving a bigger boost for the national Media 21 Blueprint. Under this plan, we expect digital media itself to contribute a value add of S$10 billion per year by 2018. This will create at least 6,000 new jobs, and another 24,000 jobs through the economic spin-offs.
6. EDB will earmark S$500 million to develop the digital media industry over the next five years. Thereafter, EDB has long-term plans to replicate this commitment of another S$500 million for the subsequent five years.
7. EDB's plan is based on four key thrusts. First, EDB, together with MDA and IDA will intensify their engagement of players across the entire digital media spectrum to set up in Singapore. The creative industries map in Singapore is expanding rapidly, with large and small, foreign and local media companies all staking early territorial ground in a booming Asia market. The Games Creation Community established last year to provide game start-ups and entrepreneurs easy access to a network of partners has now about 20 partners and 20 members, and continues to grow.
8. Our second thrust is to attract more international specialty schools to offer a range of digital arts and animation programmes for our local young talent. We will also draw talent from the region to our specialty schools. These efforts will complement our institutes of higher learning, which are already producing nearly 800 graduates annually, and whose digital media courses are already oversubscribed. Some of our highly-skilled graduates are already working here right in this studio, as well as in other major studios like Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Genki. This will also complement the MDA's ongoing work in capability development for the local digital media sector, offering scholarships for promising digital media students to attend reputable institutes of higher learning, as well as organising masterclasses for digital media-related skills.
9. Cutting edge technological innovation is a hallmark of the digital media industry. Increasing private and public sector technology R&D is, therefore, our third thrust. This is in line with our national drive to promote knowledge creation and innovation. The National Research Foundation will be set up next year to oversee the national R&D effort and there is significant growth potential for R&D in interactive and digital media technology. Collaborative exchanges between industry and academia will take place in the new Fusionpolis - a future landmark icon and hotbed for these research activities. We will establish a supportive fiscal environment to encourage companies to devote more resources in this area.
10. Good ideas need funding to take them from conception to commercialization. The fourth thrust therefore, is to attract more major digital media funds to be managed out of Singapore. This ensures that enterprising digital media companies here will have ready access to the necessary support and investment throughout business and production cycles.
11. The Media 21 blueprint, will bring many diverse exciting opportunities for Singapore. Career options will open up to people with the flair for combining art, culture, sports, games and technology. I hope to see many budding entrepreneurs and startups proliferating in this industry.
12. On that note, let me extend my heartiest congratulations to the Electronic Arts team in Singapore. I'm delighted that you have chosen Singapore as your home base for your Asian game localisation and online game development studio. We look forward to celebrating your creations and blockbuster hits from this studio. Thank you.
|
|  |
|
