Category Archives: Game News

Console VS PC/Mac gaming is no longer relevant…

A new 2017 Gaming report by IDC and App Annie has shown that the spending on mobile game has way exceeded that of console and PC. To be exact, according to the report, mobile gaming is 2.3 times that of PC/Mac games and 3.6 times of home gaming consoles. Now, it’s no longer the case of console vs PC. Mobile is officially the newest and shiniest kid in the block.

This chart from the report tells it all. The emerging trend of mobile game is overshadowing both PC/Mac gaming as well as home gaming console.

What it means for gamer

Good news for you if you are mostly playing games on your mobile phones. Already we have seen some very high quality mobile games recently such as Lineage 2 Revolution, Fate Grand Order and Onmyoji . With this ongoing trend, expect more investors pouring money into development of mobile gaming. So more choices and high quality games for you. On the flip side, being such a lucrative market, gamers may see more pay-to-win games emerging. Developers may also start to get creative with ways to get you to part your money via micro transactions.

Console game developers are fighting back

Not to lose out on the growth of mobile gaming, lately we have seen traditional console game developers such as Nintendo and Square Enix moving into the mobile space.

Nintendo now has a number of titles in the iOS and Android store. Amongst them Super Mario Run which was a paid game at $9.99. Traditionally, Mario had never leave the Nintendo console ecosystem. This game is the first for the Mario franchise and a pretty bold move for Nintendo.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp launched in October 2017 has also attracted a fervent group of gaming. Some of whom turned the game into a weird experimental cult game. Nonetheless, for Nintendo, it is an encouraging results from their early foray into Mobile gaming.

Then you have games that used to be on consoles but are now ported to mobile. Some like Final Fantasy VII and IX are mere direct port from the original console version.

The latest Final Fantasy XV (15) Pocket edition is Square Enix first attempt at repurposing a console game title into a mobile games built almost from ground up. I must say that the playability, graphics and experience of FF15 Pocket is way better than the normal direct port version of other Final Fantasy.

Gaming by region

Asia is the biggest spender in gaming. According to IDC and App Annie, 60% of the global spend on gaming came from the Asia Pacific region, led mostly by China, Japan and South Korea.

Gaming experience

Recently, there are many distasteful decision by game developers aiming at monetizing their game. You may have encountered some of these games.

Whatever the outcome of this gaming war is going to be, we sincerely hope that developers do not deviate from providing the best gaming experience to gamers.

Data source: IDC and App Annie

GameStart 2018 is announced – 13 to 14 Oct

GameStart 2018 is officially announced! Attracting more than 24,000 visitors last year, GameStart was a fun-filled event that gamers should not miss. Like last year, we will be there to bring you the highlights of GameStart 2018.

This year, GameStart will be venturing outside Singapore and into Indonesia’s shore where they will hold the first inaugural GameStart 2018 Indonesia. More details will be provided by GameStart later this year.

With  games across multiple platforms, from PC to mobile, console and tabletop, there is will be something for any types of gamers. Esports, cosplay and Founders Base, which provides discounted booths for startups, artists and indie developers to showcase their products, will again be part of the event.

SEA Major, the top fighting game tournament in South East Asia will also be back at GameStart 2018. Lineup of games include Street Fighter V, Tekken 7 and more. Check out more details at www.beastapac.com.

Meanwhile, you can read up on the last year event here as well as view the video below for some of the highlights of GameStart 2017.

 

SITEX 2017 – Beyond Just Buying Gadgets

It’s the time of the year again for some Christmas shopping! If you have a electronic that you wish to buy in 2017, SITEX is your last chance to get good deals at a major consumer electronics event. This yearly event is happening right now at Hall 7 and 8 of the Singapore Expo from 23-26 Nov 2017 (Thu-Sun) from 11am till 9pm.

With the opening of the new phase 3 downtown line, it is even easier to get to SITEX this year. Do take note that unlike previous year, this year, SITEX is located at Hall 7 & 8.


Something for the Gamers…

Game console trade-in is provided by GameXtreme at Hall 7. You can trade in your old console and get a new one at a discount. For those who wish to quickly get rid of their consoles while buying the latest PS4 Pro or Nintendo Switch, this could be what you need. If not, you can always post it on GameTrader.SG and sell it on your own.

The latest PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim are the top selling consoles at GameXtreme.

Here are the trade-in prices.

Do check out their booth at Hall 7.

Something for the Treasure Hunter…

While you are at SITEX, how about winning some free prizes such as a Moto M Smartphone or a SkullCandy Headphones?  You would just have to visit each of the five zones (Smart Home, AutoTech, KidsTech, VR/AR and The Audio Room) and answer three to five simple questions. The TechHunt has two sessions, one on the 23rd of Nov (Thu) and the other on the 26th of Nov (Sun).

The first 300 registrant will be entitled to a free TrackR. TrackR is basically a bluetooth tracker that will ring and light up when you activate it remotely via the TrackR app. Perfect for those who keeps misplacing their items.

Here is the link to register for TechHunt.

Something for the Phone Enthusiast…

Apple Fans have their iPhone X to drool about while Android fans have the latest Google Pixel 2 XL and the much talk about Razer Phone. Both of them are available for you to try out at the Singtel Booth (Hall 7).

Google Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 XL feels great on my hand. Display is crisp and colours are vivid. And being a Google ‘official’ phone, it will get the latest Android OS right after the release. So you can be sure your Pixel 2 XL will always be running the latest OS.

Razer Phone 

This is the baby that we can’t wait to try out. Although it is being marketed  as a gaming phone, this Android Phone is highly capable of being a mini home-theater system.

We tried the video that demonstrated the power of the Razer Phone sound system powered by Dolby Atmos (the same sound system used by some theather). We were blown away! Despite the noisy background, the sound coming out from the phone sounds really good. The two powerful speaker residing on both sides of the phone does an excellent job in throwing out the audio to us with surround sound quality.

Gaming-wise, there are three games to try at the booth. Definitely, the visual look fantastics on the display. However, we feel that there could be more that the Razer Phone is capable of. Perhaps not all Android games that is out in the market now will be able to harness the full power of the Razer Phone which is a pity.

Buyer has to note that the new Razer Phone is running on Android 7.1 (Nougat) and not the latest Android 8 (Oreo). While we are told that the update will be coming in a few weeks time, no one is really sure when exactly it will be coming.

Something for the Audiophiles….

If you like listening to good quality music, you must visit SITEX’s Audio Room. Tuck away in a corner of Hall 8, it’s the best place to go to chill out amidst the hustle and bustle on the show floor.

Listen to some music from the DJ or plug in your own devices to try out some of the headphones at the Audio Room. We pampered our ears with the top end Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Headphones. It cost around USD1,200 and is showcased at this year CES 2017 in Las Vegas. You would have to try the headphones yourself to experience it yourself.

Something for the Cryptocurrency Beginner…

Heard of Cryptocurrency and always wanted to have your own mining server? Building your own computer to mine cryptocurrency like Ethereum and Bitcoin may not be a trivial task.

The guys are the Mining Rig Club are there to help. Located at Hall 8 at the Innovation Zone, Mining Rig Club is a newly form startup that had concoct what they believe is the highest ROI rig for cryptocurrency. Buy a rig from them and let them run and service it for a monthly fee. It is that simple. Their rig comes configured for your use so you don’t have to trawl through the internet to find out what to install or run in order to mine cryptocurrency.

They are located at the Innovation Zone at Hall 8.

Something for the Smart-Shopper

IUIGA is a start-up that promotes luxurious quality product at affordable prices. They are kind of like your Muji except a lot cheaper with products at the same quality.

How do they do it? IUIGA operate via a Original Designer Manufacturer (ODM) business model. A ODM is a manufacturer that does designing and produce the good for a brand. The ODM owns the product and design rights. Hence, IUIGA is able to find those same Manufacture for well-known brands like Muji and Samsonite. Their ‘Aluminium Alloy Frame Luggage Bag‘, which is the from same manufacturer a Samsonite but at almost half the price, is already sold out.

Their app is available on both iOS and Android.


WIth things to buy, win and see, spending your weekend at SITEX will be well worth your time. Also, get your Christmas presents early. SITEX would most likely have what your love one needs.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

GameTrader.SG is the official Media Partner for SITEX 2017