Discover Genesis Frontier's journey from its founding in 2011 to becoming a leading distributor of trading card games and pop culture merchandise in Southeast Asia. Executive director Shannon shares insights into their growth, upcoming events like TableCon Quest, and their commitment to supporting retailers and promoting brands. Explore their story and future plans.
Q: Please give a short introduction about yourself and Genesis Frontier. What is your role? What is Genesis Frontier about?
Genesis Frontier is a company we created in 2011 to build bridges that enable the brands we represent to reach out and connect with the customers and businesses in Southeast Asia. We distribute Trading Card Games and Merchandise related to Pop Culture. I am the executive director of the company.
Q: Readers are always curious about the origin stories. When did you decide to start Genesis Frontier? What was your motivation for starting Genesis Frontier at that point in time?
I started out as a retailer and ran a shop selling Anime Merchandise for 11 years. I faced many challenges as a retailer and one of those was having to deal with distributors, who cared only about the sale they made and not the longevity of the brands they carry nor for the retailers who carry their products. Genesis Frontier was created with like-minded shareholders with the ideal that we would do our best to treat the retailers who support the brands we represent right and in doing so, the same retailers would then become the very ambassadors of the brands we carry.
Q: How has the company grown since its founding days? What are the new products and services that have been added since then?
We began with the brands Cospa and Bushiroad. We were working out of a shared office space with only 4 team members doing everything from sales, marketing, logistics and events. Today, we are still a very lean company but have expanded out of Singapore into Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam with our own offices and Joint Venture companies.
While most of the brand directions still come from the Singapore office, each office handles their own sales, logistics and events.
Q: Your company is the official distributors for some of the most popular Japanese trading card game in Singapore. How much has the interest in Japanese TCG grown since you started?
I would say for me, Cardfight!! Vanguard from Bushiroad created a whole new generation of card gamers when they broke into the local scene. Where trading card games used to be something that had a high barrier to entry for new comers, Cardfight!! Vanguard made card games very accessible for anyone who was interested to learn.
I think a great indication of how far Japanese TCG has grown since we started is to look at the sheer number of regional qualifier events happening in just Singapore alone for several trading card games and the number of players who turn up for each of these events. Coincidentally, till today, Bushiroad is still one of the few Japanese Trading Card game companies who hold free to entry Regional qualifier events for their customers. It is their way of showing their appreciation for customers who support their products.
Q: What do you think about the trend of Japanese TCG in Singapore and what do you think is driving this trend?
I think trading card games will continue to be popular and the number of players will continue to grow, especially with more and more companies starting to see the potential in the markets here. I think that part of the reason is that playing card games offer people the opportunity to interact with one another in real life. They form real friendships and bonds through playing card games with each other and that is the power of card games.
Q: Your team will be participating in TableCon Quest. Can you tell us about the highlights of what you are presenting in this event and what attendees can look forward to?
We will be showcasing for the first time the full version of the Ultraman Card game and a new multiplayer product for Shadowverse: Evolve in the Gloryfinder format. There will be exclusive promo cards to be given away to attendees if they complete certain activities. This is also the first time we are simultaneously doing free learn to play workshops for almost all the card game brands that we carry. This is a great opportunity for card game enthusiasts to sample many card games and play styles at one go.
Q: Getting into a new TCG is often a daunting task for a newbie player given that there are so many things to learn in order to get into the hobby. What do you think is the best way for newbies to start the hobby?
Come to TableCon Quest; participate in the free learn to play workshops and demo sessions!
Q: What are the future plans like new products or events for Genesis Frontier? Any dates already in consideration?
We will be exhibiting and showcasing all our new upcoming products and projects at TableCon Quest. Please do come down to see what we have in store!
Q: Where can we find out more about Genesis Frontier?
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