- Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, to enter into strategic alliance with 3 Group
- Collaboration to include co-branding, mobile devices and plans, and virtual currency distribution
- 3 Hong Kong and Razer to open RazerStore in Hong Kong
San Francisco, London and Hong Kong (15 May 2017) – 3 Group and Razer have today announced an exciting global strategic alliance. This is the first-ever collaboration between Razer and a mobile network operator.
Together they will focus on co-branding to reach out to the gaming community and youth audience, mobile devices and tariff plans specifically designed for the gaming community, as well as the distribution of Razer’s virtual currency, zGold. Razer will distribute their award-winning gaming products, leveraging on 3’s leading mobile data networks, for the gamers to enjoy a spectacular experience.
Industry experts estimate that in 2015 there were close to 2 billion people playing electronic games worldwide, with smartphone players contributing over US$27 billion to the US$100 billion global gaming industry[1]. Gaming and esports competitions are growing at a blistering pace, with esport spectator numbers increasing by 19% last year to more than 6 billion hours[2]. The total number of gamers is projected to rise to over 2.5 billion by 2018[3].
Razer is world-renowned for its high-performance hardware and software tailored to meet the demands of top esports athletes and passionate gamers. The 3 Group is a pioneer of high-speed mobile data networks and mobile broadband technologies. As an early adopter of innovative technologies, 3 recognises the advancement of the growing gaming industry and the importance of mobile to the development of electronic gaming allowing gamers and spectators to take their games on the road and access them anytime, anywhere.
Through partnership with Razer, the 3 Group aspires to become the network of choice for this exciting and growing community. 2.3 million of Razer’s registered users reside within 3’s global footprint. 3 Denmark already offers Razer accessories in its stores. To kickstart this collaboration, 3 Hong Kong and Razer will open a RazerStore in June this year. A series of joint gaming promotions are also in the works.
“The 3 Group has always embraced developing trends in the mobile sector, and mobile gaming and eSports are definitely on the rise,” said Susan Buttsworth, CEO 3 International Opportunities Development, “3’s partnership with Razer underscores our commitment to customers who are casual fans as well as those who are avid gamers of mobile eSports.”
“Razer is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers and reaches billions of gamers globally. In addition, we’re pioneers in esports – one of the most exciting media platforms in recent years,” said Min-Liang Tan, co-founder and CEO of Razer. “We are incredibly excited about joining forces with the 3 Group to bring our cutting-edge gamer lifestyle to their audiences. From co-branding to mobile and virtual currencies – we’re excited to work with the 3 Group to reach out to the youth in their markets.”
About 3 Group
The 3 Group is part of the telecommunications division of CK Hutchison Holdings, a leading international conglomerate committed to development, innovation and technology. The 3 Group is the leading global player in mobile data networks and mobile broadband technologies, with mobile operations in Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Macau, Sri Lanka, Sweden, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
For more information about 3, please visit www.three.com.
About Razer
Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers.
The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the world, with a fan base that spans every continent. The company has designed and built one of the largest integrated hardware and software platforms for gamers with over 35 million users. Razer is transforming interactive entertainment across multiple platforms, including the PC, console and mobile.
Razer’s award-winning products include an array of hardware and software. Among its signature products are high-performance PC and console peripherals, the Razer Blade line of gaming laptops, software services such as Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher), and zGold (a virtual currency and payment engine for gamers). The company additionally provides audiovisual certification and IP development services through its subsidiary THX Ltd.
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, Razer is backed by Digital Grid, Intel Capital, IDG-Accel and Temasek. For more information visit http://www.razerzone.com/about-razer.
[1] newZoo 2015 Global Games Market
[2] IHS Markit quoted from Financial Times article 8 May 2017
[3] newZoo 2015 Global Games Market