The quadrennial Olympic Games kicked off in Rio, Brazil this August!  The Games saw a good number of new records created, but also made many people drop their jaws.  Each participating country went all out to fight for gold medals and gave full play to their abilities.  The most important part was the display of sportsmanship, which also highlighted the precious nature of human social emotion.  Although the preparations for the Olympic Games went through some hardships and this year’s games might not be perfect, Brazil, immersed in Samba dance, has remained exuberant.  Brazil, one of the BRIC countries, has let South America’s first Olympic Games write its own legend.  Once the long-delayed Brazilian law is passed, this game (amusement) market is expected to see explosive growth.  More than a decade ago, I went to the country to participate in a game show and walked across the streets of Sao Paulo.  Now I still remember the dynamic momentum in the market at that time.

Earlier we went to Indonesia to take part in Fun Asia, which is held every two years.  During our trip, we visited the Indonesian Family Recreation Association (ARKI) and had a field trip to local amusement centers in Jakarta.  We saw a wide range of game machines from Taiwan and China at the sites attracting numerous consumers to play.  With a population of more than 200 million people, this BRIC member country possesses a market capacity that should not be ignored.  Shortly after that, we went to Malaysia and visited the Malaysian Association of Amusement Themepark & Family Attractions (MAATFA), successfully facilitating exchange between the two sides.  We were also invited to visit Genting Highlands, where we checked out the game center at the First World Hotel and found Taiwanese and Chinese game machines were very popular.  Currently there are many theme parks under construction or undergoing expansion in Malaysia.  The country shows strong demand for game (amusement) equipment and the prospects for growth in the market look very promising.

The charm of the ASEAN regional market has been increasing and this regional economy is continuously expanding in its scope and influence.  Whether it is ASEAN Plus Three or ASEAN Plus Six, this emerging market has become the first choice for exploring opportunities.  The two GTI Expos, GTI Taipei Expo and GTI China Expo, are representative and historic game (amusement) shows of large scale and are two of the most visited shows among industry professionals from Southeast Asian countries.  Based in Taiwan and eyeing the globe, GTI wholeheartedly welcomes overseas and domestic industry members and hopes to jointly move forward to plant a flag in new markets and seek new opportunities.  Soon GTI China Expo 2016 will take place on September 9-11 at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, China while GTI Taipei Expo is gearing up for a spectacular display on May 11-13, 2017 at the Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

※The article is published in the GTI Magazine Issue No. 145 in August, 2016