The not so fun part of the gaming industry

Mon, 06/15/2009 1:50 PM  |  Sci-Tech

The growth of the online gaming industry has created quite a buzz.

But, the question remains as to whether Indonesia will continue to be used by outsourcers for its cheap labor or whether it will gain a higher bargaining position.

"The problem with the online games industry is that Indonesia cannot market itself as a country," coordinator of the Jakarta Chapter of the International Game Developers Association Marlin Sugama said.

Until recently, the industry has not received the attention it deserves.

It was not until a couple of years ago that the Information and Communication Ministry began to support this kind of industry through the Indonesia Information and Communication Technology Award (INAICTA), which scouts for and supports talented developers.

"It will serve as a space to show off quality and competitive works in ICT," the ministry's director general for telecommunications and information application Cahyana Ahmadjayadi said.

Then in 2008, the Indonesia Game Catalogue was launched, providing a database of the country's game and animation developers.

It seems however, that the industry requires more to strengthen its position in the international market and move beyond its position a simply a source of cheap labor.

Freelancers like Wandah Wibawanto and Abraham Wongso feel their talents are not appreciated as they are abroad - dollar-wise that is.

Meanwhile, domestic game publishers are also keen to buy games from South Korea, as they are cheaper. And thus, the middlemen (the developing studios), which are supposedly the foundation of Indonesia's game industry, are stuck.

"The South Korean government can afford to subsidize its game industry, thus lowering the amount of start-up capital needed by game developers there. And their own domestic market is already huge," Marlin said.

At least Indonesia has a significant sized market. Internet penetration has increased to 10 percent and will grow as connections become more affordable. Currently, 7.5 of the nation's 30 million internet users are online gamers.

Unfortunately, most are still playing imported games and the country has very few local websites accommodating locally made online games.

Another problem, Marlin says, is that the players in the country are still working on their own.

Perhaps we are reminded that, like with the games of our childhood, the more the merrier.

- JP/ Anissa S. Febrina

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