With the gaming industry flourishing, Lenovo, the world's largest PC maker, has set its sights on becoming the No.1 player in gaming devices and PCs, driven by its sub-brand Legion.
Launched in 2017, Legion has become known for its wide range of gaming laptops and desktop computers and is now "the fastest growing brand in the Asia-Pacific region", Ian Tan, Asia-Pacific Gaming Lead of Lenovo, told the Bangkok Post in an interview.
"Gaming PC sales have seen steady growth in recent years, and the pandemic has boosted interest in this type of device as users spend more time entertaining themselves at home," said Mr Tan.
"The gaming PC market in Asia-Pacific has grown 20%, and Thailand's market has seen a 10% increase during the pandemic, but there is an ongoing supply chain issue which affects sales. This is expected to be resolved by end of 2022, and we expect interest in gaming to outlive the pandemic."
Gaming today is no longer confined to young audiences as it has become a mainstream entertainment activity for all, and this will allow the gaming PC market to grow, he said.
"As it becomes a mainstream activity, more people will get involved in buying gaming subscriptions, and that will prompt need for a specialised gaming device as they want to fully experience their favourite games," he said.
Gaming has grown into a huge industry globally, and a 2020 report by Newzoo and Gamescom.asia noted there are "over 32 million gamers in Thailand generating over a billion dollars, making it one of the highest-profile games markets in Southeast Asia". The report claimed 84% of gamers play on a PC. A wide variety of games for every age group, and availability on PCs, consoles and smartphones, has enabled rapid growth of the industry.
Games now also allow people to connect with their friends so they can play together, and that is a major reason gaming has become more popular, said Mr Tan.
"Gaming PCs are growing in popularity because people want more powerful computers to support multitasking, as well as needing to be plugged into different monitors to maximise their gaming experience. Also, many gamers want to create videos and stream their game play to share with others. As well as gaming, people want to create their own content, or even make animation, and a powerful gaming PC is the perfect device to help them do everything they want," added Mr Tan.
According to Mr Tan, the gaming PC market will continue to thrive in years to come as more and more people gear up for online engagement.
"At the same time, gaming is becoming very advanced. There are a lot of exciting new games with highly complex and realistic graphics, so people invest in very powerful machines like our Legion computers that allow them to have the full experience," he said.
FUTURE GAMING PCs
Gaming PCs are designed for a variety of needs and budgets, with entry-level, mid-level or high-end devices available.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is perfect for entry-level gamers, while Legion devices cater to more advanced users. The Legion 5 is ideal for mid-range users, and the Legion 5 Pro, Legion Slim 7 and Legion 7 are at the top-end of the scale.
"Gamers demand high specs like fast processors and long battery life, and they also look for thinner, lighter laptops too," Mr Tan said.
The Legion Slim 7 is one of the lightest gaming PCs. At less than 2 kilogrammes it is the perfect portable laptop at work during the day, becoming a powerful gaming device at night. Legion gaming PCs are also designed to be more stylish and fit users' needs, whether they are using their PC for business meetings or e-sports tournaments.
According to Mr Tan, there has been a surge in interest in portable gaming forms and hybrid consoles.
"We believe that in the future, the portable platform will become more popular, and people may want their PC games to be available on a portable platform," Mr Tan said.
If gamers prefer to use a big screen, they can connect their console to a TV for gaming or use a gaming PC. Those who prefer small screens with more mobility will use smartphones for gaming.
Cross-platform gaming is another major upcoming trend, and there has been an increase in games with cross-platform play support across consoles and PC. "We have less of a distinction whether you're a PC gamer or a console gamer, because to us the game is the same game," Mr Tan said.
Another key trend is that graphics are going to get more realistic. Although 3D graphics have been around for over 25 years, they keep improving to the point where sometimes people cannot tell the difference between the game and the movie.
"In order to have these kinds of graphics you will need a very powerful PC. That's why when we designed our Legion PCs, we made them as powerful as possible," added Mr Tan.
"Legion PCs are able to perform at a very high level of processing power, and the cooling system is designed to be very efficient to keep the temperature down while giving maximum performance."
With Legion PCs, users have the best graphics that deliver the best immersion and experience, he said.
METAVERSE JOURNEY
Shared virtual environments which people can access via the internet, known as the metaverse, made global headlines in October when Facebook announced its interest in this technology.
Lenovo is also taking note of the metaverse.
"We continue to explore all available technologies, including metaverse. We like to assume that anything is possible," said Mr Tan. "To join the metaverse, processing power needs to increase further to enable a realistic virtual environment for users, and that means improved computing."
Demand for new display technologies with even better colours, better resolution, better contrast and better light will increase, while portable displays embedded with virtual reality and augmented reality must get lighter over time and have a longer battery life, he said.
According to Mr Tan, Lenovo has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) with Legion AI software within the Legion PC. It can tune PC performance to exactly the right level needed for games, as different games need different central processing unit power and graphic processing unit power. Legion AI software automatically chooses the best power setting for the different components.
"Inside the PC, we need to make sure the customers have the best gaming experience by bringing the best components, and we use AI and all our technologies to create that powerful performance," Mr Tan said. "So, this is what we call 'stylish on the outside, and savage on the inside'."
VARIETY OF GAMERS
The perception of gamers may not reflect the reality. Females make up half of today's gamers, and children of the 1980s, who were the first generation to grow up playing computer games, still play today, said Mr Tan, noting that 40 is the average age of today's gamer.
It means that gaming PCs are used for more than gaming alone, and about 20% of usage is non-gaming related. As a result, Legion tuned the product to fit changing needs.
Typical gaming displays have a 16:9 ratio, but this year Legion introduced a 16:10 display to give a more squarish screen that has more space when viewing documents and text. Mr Tan said adding the panel itself helps people to work and play better.
"Lenovo's laptops are also able to use different kinds of power adapters -- heavier and bigger adapters for playing games and lighter and smaller ones that can easily be carried for business meetings and learning," he added. "Customers said they want to have a machine that is 'not just powerful, but also flexible'."
NO.1 PLAYER
Mr Tan said Legion has been the fastest growing gaming PC brand in Asia-Pacific and in Thailand, even though it hit the markets only a few years ago. This is because the products respond to what the customers want.
"Our customers have been very positive and have given us a lot of support, while our business partners have helped help us become the fastest growing gaming brand," he said.
He added that Legion continues to take feedback from customers and uses this to develop features people would like to have.
In the long-term, the company wants to become No. 1 player, not only in gaming PC, but also gaming phones and other accessories, such as monitors, Mr Tan said. There are also new products and new categories in development.
The company also attaches importance to customer support, including giving up to a four-year warranty when purchasing a gaming PC.
Customers replace their gaming PC about every two years, he said. Having a four-year warranty means users can resell their PC before the end of the warranty period ends, or pass them to family members or friends.
With continual improvements and a growing reputation Legion has gained better "mindshare", reaching No 2 on Google Trend searches for gaming computers in Thailand. It was ranked fifth just two years ago.
"When people think of gaming, I want them to think of Lenovo Legion. That is my long-term goal. It is going to take some time to get there, but we are committed to delivering the best gaming experience for everyone," Mr Tan said.
LEGION ACADEMY
Mr Tan is also proud of how the company engages with the community, such as heeding the opinions of user groups and making online game tournaments for casual gamers.
The Legion Academy has been set up to help talented people build a career in the gaming industry, with skills such as product development, sales and marketing, game casting, streaming, 3D artists, online tournament events and e-sports coaching being promoted.
"Thailand has always been one of the biggest markets in Asia for gaming -- on par with Indonesia, and Taiwan," said Mr Tan. "The recent government support of e-sports as a profession will also motivate more people to explore more possibility and drive into his aspiration."
