Looking to tap into Brazil's growing market, Samsung has set up its first game production studio outside South Korea, the company's home country.

The studio, based in Manaus and unveiled this Thursday (28), aims to explore the burgeoning market for portable device games and establish a "creative hub" for smartphone and tablet development. The goal is to deliver two more elaborate and complex games each year, free of charge.

The first game, "Invasion," is a fast-paced "runner" style game, 100% "made in Manaus," and is already available in Samsung's virtual stores worldwide. These exclusive games for Samsung devices can be downloaded via Samsung Hub and the Google Play Store for Android.

"You don’t sell devices just for their hardware, but for the services they offer. We create solutions in this area because people spend a lot of time playing on their smartphones," said Álvaro Gonçalves, manager of Sidia (Samsung Institute for the Development of Information Technology in the Amazon), which encompasses the studio.

According to data from consultancy GFK, overall game sales in Brazil grew by 25% between 2012 and 2013, and the national market now earns more than those of England, Germany, and Spain.

STUDIO IN MANAUS

The Manaus lab has a team of 23 professionals, including computer scientists, programmers, and designers. The studio plans to double its team in four years. 

The studio, nicknamed "Black River" in reference to the river that runs through Manaus, also seeks partnerships with universities and local companies. 

"We want to help those who want to produce games on our platform. Like technical support, the company comes with the idea and uses our expertise to achieve a better user experience," said Gonçalves.

Paulista Antônio Teoli, 28, is one of the studio’s employees. A composer for games for 13 years, he has worked on 450 games and, since January, has been producing the soundtracks for the company's games in Manaus. 

"I received the invitation with surprise, as I didn’t know Manaus. But the experience has been interesting, and the team is fantastic," said Teoli.

Samsung also introduced a new developer training station this week, located at the State University of Amazonas. The so-called Ocean station, which already has a unit in São Paulo, will offer free courses.

The South Korean company did not disclose the investment amount for Ocean and the game studio but announced that it plans to open up to 200 more positions for Sidia in Manaus by the end of the year, which currently employs 420 research and development professionals.