As the Game Convention Asia Conference gets underway in Singapore this week, the event's head has told us that the Asia-Pacific region is primed for expansion that could see it become a key market for the industry - comparable to Europe, Japan or North America.

Specifically Joerg Zeissig, MD of Leipziger International Asia, said that Asia can raise the stakes when it comes to online and casual games.

He said: "We would like to see the competitiveness of video game industry in Asia-Pacific to the level similar to the ones in Europe, Japan and the US. We believe competition would bring positive results to the industry, where everyone would strive to make the best game and provide the best game services.

"In Europe there are many different countries, with different languages and cultures, which is also found in Asia-Pacific. However, European taste and market are closely related to the US market, where retail gaming still dominates the business. Meanwhile in Asia, online multiplayer games for PC is the most played type of games in the region as it is easily accessible, considerably affordable and appealing for Asian gamers who enjoy playing video games with their peers, instead of just playing against the computer.

"The biggest challenge is to create a compelling game that attracts everyone. Meaning that this game should not be limited by technology, console or cultural differences. The game should be easily picked up by anybody and he/she can just jump right in and play with the other gamers. I said ‘other gamers’ since it has been proven that most successful games have a very strong multiplayer aspect."

Click here to read the whole interview with Zeissig on our sister site Develop.