Indonesia’s gaming industry continues to improve

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JAKARTA (ANTARA) – August 8 has been designated as National Gaming Day in Indonesia, given the country’s thriving gaming industry and the emergence of several local game developers that provide gaming enthusiasts with engaging gaming experiences. There are quite a lot of gamers in Indonesia. In fact, according to government data, the number of gamers in the country reached 174.1 million in 2022. Meanwhile, the total economic value of the Indonesian gaming market is expected to be around US$1.1 billion in 2023.

Indonesia also accounts for 43% of Southeast Asia’s gamers, according to the country’s Ministry of Communications and Information.

Seeing this huge potential, President Joko Widodo signed Presidential Decree No. 19/2024 on February 12, 2024, aimed at accelerating the development of the national gaming industry.

The regulation is expected to boost the growth of the game developers sub-industry through research and education, financing facilities, infrastructure provision, marketing system development, incentives, protection of intellectual property rights, and preservation of creativity.

At the launch ceremony of National Gaming Day held in Jakarta on August 8, Indonesian Gaming Association (AGI) chairman Siputo Adiguno said that some Indonesian games have achieved international success, especially in Western markets such as the United States and Europe.

In addition, Adiguno also hinted at the potential market for Indonesian games in East Asia, such as China.

“Many countries appreciate our games and are even keen to find new games made in Indonesia,” he said.

Representing Indonesia

According to Adiguno, some of the popular games from Indonesian developers include Coral Island, Potions License, Unfettered spaceand Coffee Talk.

According to its developer website, Coral Island is “a reimagined farming sim set on a tropical island inspired by classic games.” Throughout the game, players will meet many inclusive characters, including characters with Indonesian names such as Joko, Dinda, and Surya.

It also offers players town locations inspired by Indonesian culture that they can explore, like the “Lake Temple,” which looks similar to Balinese temples; the “Alun-Alun” square – “Alun-Alun” means outdoor square in Indonesian; and the underwater “Naga Palace,” where characters like Krakatoa, Milangani, and Nagarita live.

The game’s features are in line with the views of Marsudi Wahyu Kusworo, chairman of the Indonesian Masyarakat Emas Foundation (YMIE), who said that local culture can be promoted to a global audience through games.

“It is very important to create educational games that can foster patriotism and nationalism, and even games that can help introduce national culture to foreign audiences,” Kusvoro said at a seminar on August 7, 2024.

He also suggested incorporating game development into educational curricula.

In order to promote Indonesian culture through games and develop the national game industry, AGI received support from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to establish a game asset store.

The assets will take the form of 2D or 3D characters, environments, objects and audio that are characteristic of Indonesian culture.

challenge

A non-governmental organization working for child protection said some fighting games containing violent content could have a negative impact on children who play them.

The NGO, led by Seto Mulyadi, believes that blocking violent games is part of efforts to realize children’s rights.

“Children have the right to grow and develop (without being subjected to violence),” he said.

He expressed concern over the increasing number of online games containing violent content, especially reports of violence against children influenced by the content of such online games.

In April this year, Indonesia’s Child Protection Commission (KPAI) urged the government to take firm action against online games containing violent and pornographic content as they would have a negative impact on children.

“The Ministry of Communications and Information (Kominfo) must take immediate action to issue regulations to restrict children from playing online games, especially those with violent and sexual (content),” said Kawiyan, a member of the KPAI.

In response, Minister of Communications and Information Budi Ali Setiadi urged parents to monitor the mobile games their children play and pay attention to the categories, ratings and age recommendations of the games.

Countless opportunities

Meanwhile, AGI chairman Adi Gunno expressed optimism that the Indonesian gaming industry will continue to see positive growth in the coming years.

“This is due to the continuous improvement in the quality of Indonesian products, the continuous opening of channels for international cooperation and investment, and the government’s support in the form of funding, education and clearer regulations,” he said.

The increasing number of games developed by small and medium-sized enterprises reflects the progress of the game industry in terms of human resources.

“Furthermore, an increasing number of games are being developed by MSMEs, which points to the growing technical and entrepreneurial skills of human resources,” he observed.

He said opening up wider access to financing resources is crucial to realizing the huge potential of the gaming industry.

He further stated that he believes the government’s support through promotion and publishing can attract investors and partners to work with local game developers.

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