They may be big, but they move fast. Games development is pushing full steam ahead in the local branches of top global studios such as Koei, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore (LAS) and 10tacle.
Koei Singapore is currently beta-testing its Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG), Romance Of The Three Kingdoms Online, in Japan.
Based on Koei's established Romance Of The Three Kingdoms series of strategy games, this Singapore developed game will pit armies of players against each other in massive battles in ancient China.
The game is expected to be released in China by the end of the year, with an English version and international release to follow next year.
LAS is not far behind. Its newest division for handheld games is now 20 strong, and is expected to produce its first game for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo Dual Screen (NDS) within one to two years.
Said Mr Christian Kubsch, managing director of LAS: 'At this early stage, the only thing I can tell you is that it is a new game and promises to have features that are unlike any other games of that nature in the marketplace now.
'I don't say that lightly, it is not an advertising slogan, it's a mission. In terms of gameplay and things you can do, it is a lot different than what's out there right now.'
More details would be forthcoming within half a year, he promised.
Electronic Arts' Singapore studio is also currently developing an online game, while 10tacle Asia has plans to produce a Nintendo Wii game by the end of next year, as well as a handheld title on the NDS and PSP.
10tacle Asia is the Singaporean branch of Germany's top games publisher, 10tacle.
This flurry of activity means a scramble for creative talent. LAS is looking to double its headcount from 150 to 300. Electronic Arts, which grew from 14 people in 2005 to 150 today, has not stopped its hiring frenzy.
Now, it is an employee's market.
One of the difficulties of operating in the local industry now, say its leaders, is the dearth of local creative talent and leadership.
Said Mr Chris Thompson, Electronic Arts' vice-president for the Asia-Pacific: 'Our biggest challenge is finding strong, senior level talent. There are only two choices: you either import the talent or Singapore needs to explore better ways to develop creative leaders.
'I talk to students all the time from all the leading universities and polys, and I work with a number of schools in an advisory basis. I also work closely with many of the local development houses. Youth here are talented. They just need to be allowed to explore their creativity more.'
While Koei Singapore got around this by hiring developers at the entry level with a view to training them with help from its parent company in Japan, Koei Singapore's general manager Raymond Wong said that there was 'a lot of handholding' done, as expected of a talent base in a young industry.
Agreed Mr Kubsch: 'Singapore is a growing talent base...what you don't have here yet are artists who have completed their training five years ago and have worked five years in the business. That's the kind of talent Lucasfilm in California would hire.
'We have to lower the bar on entry-level qualifications because there just aren't enough artists here with that kind of experience.'
To address this and accelerate talent development, Lucasfilm Animation is currently planning an 'unprecedented' training and mentorship programme that will see them bringing 'a large number' of mentors from its family of companies in the US, including Industrial Light And Magic and LucasArts.
These mentors, who will be based here, will bring with them decades of industry experience from working on blockbuster feature films, to animation and games.
The programme will be open to Singaporeans and other talented people from around the region, who can look forward to employment opportunities with LAS at the end.
LAS has taken over another floor at its building in Changi Business Park, just to accommodate this training programme, which will be launched in early 2008.
Summed up Mr Kubsch: 'We have lots of ambitious plans for what we want to do in Singapore, but we found out in order to do these things, we need a larger momentum of seasoned talent.
'While we have a lot of great people now, there is a fair amount of local entry-level talent at the company. We just need to get over the hump, so to speak.'
