THE video game industry in the turn of the century has rapidly rose in status amongst the emerging new media and stamped its dominance in contemporary culture. Video games such as Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Silent hill have all made their way to the big screen with laudable box office success, not to mention the influx of movies making forays into the gaming industry as well.

The industry is looking to be lucrative commercially. Some studies project revenue figures even outstripping that of Hollywood in a few years time. According to a 2005 study by Price Waterhouse Coopers, in Asia alone, the industry is projected to grow to $23 billion by 2009.

Hence the arrival of game development giant UbiSoft in Singapore in February this year raised more than just a few eyebrows. UbiSoft, best known for its Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell series, has pledged to set up base with 300 employees, capable of producing two triple-A titles - again, think Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell - causing quite a stir in the industry.

Some, however, have adopted a cautious "wait-and-see" approach to this latest development. Cynics will point out this was not the first time a big brand name has entered the local games development industry with great expectations; Koei Singapore and Electronic Arts have both set up shop in Singapore since 2005.

Notably, one of the global games giant made a statement at its Singapore launch that proved to be telling in the years that followed- an intention to "customize and localize". True to its definition, in the past three years, noticeably more games have been developed "for" the Asian market than "in" the Asian market.

The big question to ask then: Is Singapore ever going to see major titles being developed here, even with such famous studios apparently attracted to Singapore as an gaming hub?

While some parallel the rise of the local advertising industry to the potential growth of the game industry, both being creative sectors, there are invariably more obstacles to surmount in the latter.

To begin, the sheer amount of time and resources that go into the development of a game necessarily reduces the amount of risk exposure that a company is willing to take.

30-year-old games animator Foo Zhi Wei, who works in a local start-up games development company and has experience working at Capcom in Japan, said that the pressure on game development studios is immense.

"Games typically need at least a two to three-year production cycle. Millions are pumped into it for the technology, the staff, then the marketing and publicity - and there is no guarantee for commercial success."

"You cannot blame overseas studios for not having the confidence to hand over the reigns to our local guys, who have far less experience. We have seen companies folding after banking on the success of a single game - and failing."

Raymond Wong, General Manager of Koei Singapore, agrees that it would take time before local development studios get a chance to see top-notch games conceived and eventually birthed in Singapore.

"I think [we] need to bear in mind that Singapore has a shorter history in developing games compared to many other countries. If it is something that is top-end cutting edge, it will more likely be done nearer to headquarters... where most of the companies key assets are located." Wong said.

However, Wong thinks that there is reason to see that the tide is turning - slowly but surely, citing his own company as an example. Koei Singapore recently released "Romance of Three Kingdoms Online", a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) that has developed a sizable fan base here in Singapore and other parts of Asia. Wong feels that with time and some experience, "local startups can stand a chance of being globally accepted".

Another major concern however, is whether local graduates entering the industry with promises of creative input and free conceptual reign would end up doing the backend jobs of programming and coding. The fear is that they might end up becoming "drones", handling all the technical aspects while receiving creative directives from the headquarters based overseas.

The onus however, Wong feels, is on Singaporeans.

"As in any industry that Singapore has started, we have to jump-start the process a little-utilize our advantages in education and work ethic and push our graduates to quickly accelerate beyond just being a low-level production worker." Wong observed.

"Of course, graduates to need to start somewhere, so some of those activities are unavoidable, but we should expect them to move up quickly in the value chain."

"In the end, the keyword is talent: whether we produce or attract it."

However, regardless of the reservations they may have, insiders were quick to point out that the opening of new studios and expansion of existing ones could only be a step in the right direction for Singapore's future as a gaming hub.

"Bringing these big names do help, [they] do carry weight. Now we can say - alright, these are names already on board, we evidently have the infrastructure and resources - and from there pitch for other accounts," Foo quipped.

In the end, Foo believes its up to Singaporeans to decide what mark they want to make in the global industry.

"Singaporeans need to step up to the plate and prove that they can deliver. Foreign companies are not going to automatically hand over the reigns of a two-year development cycle, multi-million-project. We need to excel both in terms of quality of work and support provided to make a splash in the global market."

Kelvin Kao was born a gamer and has played Western Bar, owned a Dreamcast and worn out five Playstation controllers in his life.