RI's Game Industry Shows Healthy Growth in 2013

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The games industry in Indonesia saw a surge in revenue of up to US$190 million during 2013 - a growth rate of 35 per cent compared to the previous year.

"The online game business in Indonesia is still wide open, thanks to an economy which is growing at above six per cent, year on year," said Managing Director of PT Megaxus Infotech, Eva Muliawati, in a press release on Wednesday.

There are more than 25 million online game players in the country, she said, which is why gaming is increasingly being seen as a good business opportunity.

"Around 70 to 80 per cent of gamers are still using PCs, while 20 per cent play on their mobile phones," she said. In the mobile phone market, around four million customers have played online games, contributing a revenue of five per cent of total value added service income," she said.

Online games first took off in Indonesia in 2001, following the appearance of Nexia Online. Genres varied from action games to sports and role-playing games, she said.

At that time, over 20 titles spread rapidly across the country, a sign of the great enthusiasm Indonesians have for games, as well as the potential market gaming offers to businesses.

"The number of online gamers in Indonesia increases five to 10 per cent each year, a factor that is largely due to improving Internet infrastructure," she said.

The games industry in Indonesia has been rampant and extremely competitive, she noted, with huge market potential driven by the spread of the internet, along with the enthusiasm of the gamers themselves.

"Right now, gaming has already become a lifestyle for many in Indonesia," Eva said.

In the next few years, she predicted, both PC- and mobile-based online gaming would continue to grow in line with the ease of internet access and the country's expanding population.

The industry should receive a positive response from the government, she added, because of its potential to contribute to the country's economy.

In South Korea, the gaming industry has become a new pillar of the economy and is opening markets abroad with an annual growth of 50 per cent of total export volume, Eva points out.

"I am convinced Indonesia is also able to optimize the potential of the industry to become one of the country's economic pillars," she added. (*/DWA)