[Asiaplay]

I bought a couple... and also have a few which have gone to auction - deadline for me to act is end of week (and I am not sure I will even bid on those at the moment).

Previously I thought they would be a good answer - but as time goes by, I have changed my positive outlook and now think there is a number of issues with .ASIA (be it IDNs or ascii).

Really at present I just see it as a way to get a good KW domain in English (ascii) where one can not afford another top level domain extension (or can not get it as it is decades gone and will never come up for sale).
However the downside (or upside depending on subject content) is that unlike .biz, .com, .net, there is a connotation associated with an "asia" extension (as there is with .eu) - but .eu is perhaps more positive as it does not have the cheap price, made in Asia connotation (which can perhaps be applied at the moment to .asia, due to it covering so many countries).
i.e. it is nicer to have a more neutral top level domain extension most of the time (where possible).

In regards to IDNs... I still think that either ccTLD (for Asian languages) or a generic TLD are a safer bet and stronger IDNs - as the former will never have issues turning up in SE results for countries they are targeted at (and the later are region neutral).
Remembering also that every language has regional differences in script and word choices, in the same way that USA English, UK English, Aust English and NZ English do.. and often even more so than the English examples (Chinese being a good example).

So as the EU is a lesser choice to UK, DE, FR etc., I feel .ASIA will remain a lesser choice compared to the ccTLD or even other more neutral TLD for each language.
Remember Asia also has the same problem as Europe - namely, people see themselves as Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Singaporian etc. etc. first and Asian second (i.e. are more likely to click on the .cn, .tw, etc. first and maybe even the .com, .net etc. over the .asia).

As a generic option, if .ASIA is the first to go IDN.IDN (also going to same person who registered the IDN.asia & perhaps ascii.asia)... then until other domain extensions follow suit, it will have some interest for me. Otherwise once again, IDN.asia will just be another way to get a KW domain, which one missed out getting, in the more appropriate ccTLD or a more neutral TLD option.

Just some comments from my perspective - cheers, Asiaplay