It is brilliant that a Registry come up with the whole idea of .ASIA. As we all know that how large the Asia market is. “ Experts predict that 95 percent of all South Korean households will be wired for broadband Internet by the year 2010. Ninety-four percent of Japanese homes will have broadband access, with Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia expected to be nearly 80 percent wired. By 2010, China will have replaced the US as the largest Internet market in the world.†With .asia, you can make the business presence in Asian community and beyond. If you have hold you own trademark, and don’t want someone else to register. .asia. .Asia Sunrise Process may help you. Anyway, if you really like to register one, here are some prices I found on net, Todaynic US$ 182.54/2 yrs+ VDNS Global Version; AsiaRegistry US$ 90/1yr;Asiadns €18.00/yr; Godaddy no idea; Marcaria US$300/ 2yrs If I get the information wrong, please let me know.
With new extensions coming up .. it is really becoming a very competitive market, however i don't see any reason why .asia wouldn't become more popular. I had similar thoughts about .in and recently tuned.in got sold for close to USD 2000 .. So go and get what you can right now, and you would reap rewards.. Cheers GS
Personally, I think with pretty much the same restriction and price as the .tv domain names, the .asia would inevitably follow the same path for better or for worst. Although Asia is raising up, I would believe the countries' related TLD would make more sense in forging an identity.
.Asia has a better future however I don't think the valuable domain will be left out after sunrise & landrush period is over and the Public registration start.