True Axion Interactive has agreed to a strategic partnership with TV Tokyo Corporation to elevate the Thai gaming industry to an international level.
Game development company True Axion Interactive is a joint venture between True Corporation and Canada's Axion Ventures, while TV Tokyo Corporation is a Japanese TV station known for its anime content.
The partnership will focus on the creation and development of anime-style games, a genre gaining popularity worldwide. The inaugural project under this collaboration, Project Regulus, is a fantasy role-playing game set to launch by June 2024.
The collaboration should set a standard for Thai intellectual property in response to the burgeoning content business and the rapid expansion of the global gaming community, said Mana Prapakamol, board director at True Axion Interactive. He said the tie-up would initially involve project-based cooperation, with a long-term partnership the goal.
The company believes the launch of Project Regulus, combining the joint venture's production values and TV Tokyo's expertise in anime content, will position Thailand at the forefront of the global gaming market, setting a new benchmark for the country's gaming industry.
Mr Mana said the new game will be mainly developed by the core team at True Axion Interactive, providing game design, coding and production, while TV Tokyo will offer consulting and help with storytelling in the game creation.
He said Project Regulus features a mixture of turn-based combat and action set within a fantasy universe. It boasts anime-style graphics, currently trending among gamers across Asia, Europe and the US.
The game is projected to be available on both Android and iOS platforms, with the company expecting a top 10 ranking among downloads by Thai gamers on iOS.
True Corp holds a 40% majority share in True Axion Interactive, while 60% is held by other shareholders, including Canada's Axion Ventures.
True Axion Interactive established a Thai game development studio in 2018 with the objectives of being a front-runner in local game development and to elevate the domestic gaming industry to an international level.
In 2019, the studio developed Invictus, an AAA-grade mobile game known for its premium production quality. The game blends card game mechanics with real-time combat.
The studio launched the Meawsanova hyper-casual game in 2021, followed by The Collectors, a CSR game with CP Group in 2022, and Nice To Z U, a party game with the concept of hide and seek in 2023. All games created by the company are free to play.
Birathon Kasemsri Na Ayudhaya, head of content strategy and partnership department at True Visions Group, said the value of the Thai digital content sector is growing. The market value in 2019 was 31 billion baht, 39.3 billion baht in 2020, and 42 billion baht in 2021, according to the Digital Economy Promotion Agency.
Games have the largest value in the digital content market, worth 25 billion baht in 2019, 34 billion baht in 2020, and 37 billion baht in 2021.
However, its total value is dominated by imported games that account for 97% of the overall Thai market.
"The partnership is expected to catalyse limitless growth within Thailand's creative economy, demonstrating a potential that meets international standards," Mr Birathon said.
Meguru Akao, executive officer for the international strategy department at TV Tokyo, said the company is an industry expert recognised for its anime content, including popular series like Naruto, Pokémon, Shaman King and Beyblade. TV Tokyo will provide expert consultation on game development, creative design, and strategic market investment for the partnership. It will share deep industry knowledge, advanced skills, and comprehensive expertise in anime to contribute to this project.
True Axion Interactive, as the production studio, will be responsible for game creation, development, narrative structure, creative design, character creation, sound effects, soundtracks, and all other visual elements.
