eSports is experiencing incredible growth globally with analysts
projecting that the eSports market as a whole will grow to US$5.48 billion by 2029 from US$1.44 in 2022.
The Philippines is one of the countries where
eSports is becoming increasingly popular. The country is home to the
biggest eSports organization in Southeast Asia and to some of the
most talented esports players in the world, ranking 8th in the world in terms of skills. As a
rising gaming juggernaut, 95.8% of Filipino internet users play video
games across different devices. In fact, 76% of Filipino gamers prefer to play on
mobile phones due to its affordability and accessibility.
With the
continued growth of the industry and its recognition as an official sport in
events including the Olympics, it’s not surprising that many Filipinos are
beginning to view becoming a professional gamer as a career option and are
investing in good quality gear to upgrade their gaming experience and
performance.
Improving one’s
skill takes time and logging in hours upon hours of playtime can lead to the
wear and tear and damage in gamers’ devices. Continuing to play on a damaged
phone or one with a cracked screen not only presents challenges to gameplay
performance, it can also cause injuries to the player.
Regional insurtech
Igloo understands that fixing damaged parts or in more serious cases, replacing
the entire phone itself, can be very expensive, which is why it introduced
various insurance products to not only protect mobile devices from unwanted
incidents such as cracked screens and water damage but also the health of
mobile gamers.
With the Cracked Screen Protection and the 360-degree Phone Protection, mobile users are provided complete
protection for their mobile devices for as low as P21 a month through the GCash
GInsure Marketplace and Shopee.
“The global gaming industry is growing at such
a rapid rate, with Southeast Asia accounting for over 50% of this growth. At
Igloo, we aim to provide insurance products for every kind of lifestyle and
that includes mobile gamers,” said Igloo’s Country Manager for the Philippines
Mario Berta. “Through products like the Cracked Screen Protection and the
360-Phone Protection, we aim to ensure that Filipinos are able to access
affordable comprehensive protection through convenient, easy-to-use platforms
like GCash and Shopee.”
The
health risks of mobile gaming
The loss or damage of one’s gaming smartphone
isn’t the only risk when embarking on a mobile gaming career as long hours of
gaming and spending hours in one position can also lead to health issues such
as carpal tunnel syndrome or even heart attacks.
The World Health Organization has sounded the
alarm over Video Game Addiction or Gaming Disorder as legitimate illnesses that
plague gamers from all over the world. Understanding its role in providing
protection to mobile gamers, Igloo, together with leading Indonesian e-wallet
platform DANA, introduced Gamers’ Protection last year.
The award-winning product provides coverage
for heart attacks and carpal tunnel syndrome, illnesses that can be caused or
exacerbated by frequent and long gaming sessions.
“While we share the world’s enthusiasm for
mobile gaming, we understand that gaming for long periods of time can also pose
health risks for gamers. Understanding our role as an insurtech company
providing protection, has spurred us to create Gamers’ Protection,” said Mario.
“Gaming is more than just having the best device or skills–it’s also about
having protection for yourself and your devices to unleash your full gaming
potential.”
Gamers’ Protection is currently available in
Indonesia but Igloo is looking to bring the product across Southeast Asia in
the near future.
“We’ve seen how this insurance product has
benefited gamers from Indonesia and are currently seeking to introduce said
product to other countries within the region in the near future as we believe
Southeast Asian gamers will benefit from the protection this product provides,”
Mario added.
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