Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly state an investment rating for the mobile gaming industry in East Asia Core Insights - The East Asia mobile gaming market is projected to show strong growth, with a total download of 1.93 billion in Q1 2025, marking a 3% increase from Q4 2024, indicating high player engagement and demand for new content [32][33] - In-app purchase (IAP) revenue for the region reached $625 million in Q1 2025, ranking seventh globally, showcasing significant monetization potential driven by a large user base and improved digital payment systems [32][34] - The report highlights the success of top games like "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang" in maintaining long-term user engagement and operational success in the East Asian market [19][34] Summary by Sections East Asia Mobile Gaming Overview - The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the mobile gaming market in East Asia, covering revenue and download trends, major game types, and country-specific performance [19][27] Download and Revenue Trends - In Q1 2025, Indonesia led the region with 870 million downloads, a 9% increase, while Thailand topped the revenue charts with $162 million, driven by strong digital payment infrastructure [34][35] - The overall download growth in East Asia is expected to drive player spending, establishing a foundation for revenue growth [32][33] Game Type Performance - Casual and arcade games dominate download volumes, while strategy and role-playing games lead in revenue, indicating diverse player preferences [38][40] - The report notes that games with strong social features and personalization, particularly RPGs, effectively convert player engagement into revenue [38][40] Country Highlights - Indonesia's mobile gaming market is characterized by strong performance in simulation and arcade genres, while strategy and MOBA games lead in revenue [45][46] - Thailand's market shows a diverse revenue landscape with sports games leading in income, while puzzle games see significant download growth [51][53] - Vietnam's market reflects a strong demand for diverse gaming experiences, with both local and international titles performing well [56][58] Top Games and Market Dynamics - The report lists top-performing games in the region, highlighting the impact of new titles and established franchises on market dynamics [41][59] - Games like "Garena Free Fire" and "Last War: Survival" are noted for their strong performance in downloads and revenue, showcasing the competitive landscape [41][59]

Group 1 - Southeast Asia is projected to be the second-largest mobile game market globally by Q1 2025, with 1.93 billion new downloads, reflecting a 3% year-on-year growth [1] - In-app purchase (IAP) revenue in Southeast Asia for Q1 2025 is expected to reach $625 million, ranking seventh globally, indicating significant untapped monetization potential [1] - Indonesia leads the region with 870 million mobile game downloads in Q1 2025, showing a 9% increase, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam with 366 million and 329 million downloads, respectively [1] Group 2 - Southeast Asian publishers are increasingly influential in the global market, with total downloads exceeding 5.8 billion in 2024, making them the top region worldwide [2] - Three Vietnamese publishers have entered the global top 15 in download volume, highlighting Vietnam's growing strength in game publishing [2] - The Southeast Asian mobile game market is characterized by a large and active player base, with significant growth and innovation potential, driven by evolving consumer habits and increasing monetization opportunities [2]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the internet media sector, indicating an expected investment return exceeding 15% over the next 6-12 months compared to the market benchmark [3][18]. Core Insights - The global mobile gaming market is experiencing steady growth, with a focus on product cycles of major US gaming companies like Take-Two Interactive and Electronic Arts. The report highlights the potential revenue increase from upcoming game releases, particularly Take-Two's anticipated launch of "GTA 6" [2][3]. - In Q4 2024, global in-app purchase (IAP) revenue reached a record high of $39.4 billion, marking a year-over-year increase of 13.5%. However, mobile game revenue growth is stabilizing, with IAP for mobile games at $20.2 billion, reflecting a modest year-over-year growth of 2.6% [1][2]. - Developed markets, particularly Japan and the US, showed strong IAP performance, while emerging markets like Indonesia and Nigeria demonstrated significant download growth, indicating future monetization potential [1][2]. Summary by Sections Global Mobile Gaming Market - Q4 2024 saw a total of 34.1 billion app downloads globally, with mobile game downloads declining by 4.2% year-over-year. Despite this, single-download payment amounts are growing steadily [1][2]. - Strategy games are leading in popularity, with IAP reaching $4.85 billion, a year-over-year increase of 27%, while RPG games saw a decline in IAP to $3.87 billion, down 20% year-over-year [1][2]. Company Performance - Take-Two Interactive reported Q4 2024 net revenue of $1.36 billion, a slight decrease of 0.73% year-over-year, with a net loss of $125 million. The company anticipates significant revenue contributions from upcoming titles like "GTA 6" [1][2]. - Electronic Arts maintained strong profitability in FY25Q3, with net bookings of $2.22 billion and net income of $289 million, supported by the performance of the EA SPORTS FC series [1][2]. - Unity's revenue decline has narrowed to $460 million, a year-over-year decrease of 25%, with effective loss control measures implemented [1][2]. - Roblox reported Q4 2024 revenue of $990 million, a year-over-year increase of 32%, with significant user engagement metrics [1][2].