TAIPEI: Foreign investors have taken keen interest in Taiwan's online game companies, as the sector drew the greatest number of expressions of interest from potential investors during an overseas tour aimed at drawing foreign investment.

According to officials of Taiwan's over-the-counter (OTC) market , the Taiwan-based firms, including International Games System and Soft World International Entertainment, had the most inquiries by foreign enterprises over the past two days during three-day seminar in Hong Kong and Singapore. The seminar is being staged by Taiwan's OTC market authorities and JP Morgan Bank, along with biotechnology and computer-related firms.

Since 2006 OTC market authorities have been promoting investment seminars overseas. The effects, particularly on the local entertainment business, have gradually emerged and have increasingly paid off, they explained.

Thanks to Taiwan's language and cultural advantages in the Greater China area, many foreign enterprises are seeking to cash in on the lucrative Chinese-language video game market - worth 25 billion yuan per year on the mainland alone. To do this they want to forge cooperative arrangements with Taiwanese companies, the officials said.

Taiwan-based China Gamer International Corp announced recently that it had marketed one of its 3D online games on the mainland through a joint venture with Changyou.com, a listed affiliate of Beijing-based Sohu.com - the top Web portal on the mainland - in a bid to grab a larger slice there.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 11/26/2009 page2)