Turk Internet: Hello Mr. Eder. Why are you here?
Stefan Eder: Actually I am here because I want to know more about the best kept secret in the European market, which is the Turkish market.
Turk Internet: You are looking for gaming market in Turkey, yes?
Stefan Eder: I am looking for both. I am looking for, as a publisher, the opportunities to publish my games here and to search for partners for that in the media industry but also let’s say in bigger portals and stuff. But on the other side we are also searching for interesting titles from developers, the Turkish developers, to publish in Europe. So I am here for both.
Turk Internet: I want to ask you what kind of games you are publishing in Europe and are you publishing any games here in Turkey. Do you have servers here?
Stefan Eder: Not yet. We are not publishing in Turkey yet but that’s why I am here. We are publishing all around Europe and Northern America and we will range our products.
Turk Internet: Could you give me some names, some examples?
Stefan Eder: Yes, of course. Some of the ones you’d know might be S.T.A.L.K.E.R and we did Risen. We did some Square’s products and we are distributing them in many territories. Items like Batman – Arkham Asylum, we are distributing that as well. But we are also distributing kids games like Horse Life and NDS games so it’s a broad portfolio I would say.
Turk Internet: What are you thinking about Turkish market now after you came here? You said it’s the secret market but what is your opinion now?
Stefan Eder: I think it’s an extremely promising market and I agree that it will be one of the biggest for “free to play” and “online gaming”. I totally agree with that view. But it is also a very difficult market.
Turk Internet: Why?
Stefan Eder: Especially in terms of payment on the one side. And in terms of how can you..?
Turk Internet: Regulations?
Stefan Eder: Yes, regulations and taxes. And the other thing is how you can attract players. The whole Internet caf seen here is not that popular or that familiar to as relatively to Western Europeans. We don’t have that culture. It is very interesting, but challenging as well.
Turk Internet: Do you know how many Internet cafes there are in Turkey?
Stefan Eder: I think the rough figures are about 15.000? Something like that?
Turk Internet: Yes that’s correct. When do you think you will come again or what are you thinking about entering the market in Turkey?
Stefan Eder: Well actually I am here on first hand to learn about this market, because it is new to us, but I am also here to search for business partners who can help us. You know it is a huge market and you can’t do all things alone. I can’t phone all those 15.000 Internet cafes that would be madness. So I am searching for help here actually.
Turk Internet: Is there any promising partner here, of which during this meeting you met?
Stefan Eder: There were a lot of interesting partners here that I could talk to right now. It is GSS for example but there is also Mikro deme… So there are lots of interesting partners but also there are lots of interesting developers here who present interesting games to us that we could market in European territory as well.
Turk Internet: Do you have any mobile games?
Stefan Eder: Not yet I have to say. Mobile games sector is a bit tricky. Because we think that for big publishers, I mean the real big publishers like we are, it is pretty hard for us to get into that market I have to say. It is very interesting for small publishers, or small developer companies because the budgets are a little bit low and you don’t have to do a massive marketing. For example if you go for iPhone there is the App Store and all you have to do is develop a good game and then Apple is pushing you. So we don’t really go into that market. But we are using social media like Facebook and iPhone for marketing purposes and brand purposes of course. And I met a few developers here who are developing applications for Facebook and iPhone and that’s an interesting business contact but because we are all on the searching for marketing games and for brand games we are looking for also developers.
Turk Internet: Is there anything you want to add?
Stefan Eder: I would say that everyone who wants to move into this market has to really learn a lot, has to visit Turkey, and has to talk to companies to understand that. I don’t think that there will be a lot of companies who can do that on their own actually.
Turk Internet: Thank you.
Stefan Eder: No problem you’re welcome.
