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The most popular genre today is the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) genre such as Ragnarok Online. Revenue from this segment is generated through subscription fees. Games of this genre are usually large and complex, bigger than most local game studios can dare to make.

One promising MMOG game is Inspirit Arena from AlterMyth game studio. The developers completed a closed beta testing stage, but failed to launch because no publisher would take it on. This incidentally is another reason Indonesia has few big games – the lack of publishers willing to finance them.

Another popular segment is casual web-based games. These games are usually small and played over the internet. They earn revenue from the advertisements on the same web page. Games in Facebook and Popcap are well-known examples.

From studios in this country, Balloon Express by Menara Games and Motorama by IPlayAllDay studio have been popular. Cubis Gold 2 by Matahari Studio was a top-ranked casual game when it peaked in popularity. 

The mobile games segment is quite popular. These minigames played on mobile phones are downloaded from the content provider. Studios in this segment earn revenue each time a game is downloaded. Notable examples are Ekspedisi Madewa by Max Studio and Zombie Buster by Condetsoft.

The arcade games segment has been around quite a while and is surprisingly profitable. For each coin inserted in the game, or for each swipe of the card like the ones in Timezone, the game studio earns a percentage. Matahari Studio has done well in this segment. They have created some notable games, like Dino Duel Masters and Super Strike bowling game, and have sold other games outside the country.

The next segment is the niche market segment. These games are not as common as console and web-based games, and they vary depending on the specific market need. Samuel Interactive specially created games to train employees in a virtual company! Other genres include edugames and advergames.

Most edugames do not have high development costs and interest is strong.  These games educate as well as entertain the consumer. Pesona Edukasi is a prominent company in this segment and has exported many examples.

Advergames are quite common once you notice them. These games advertise while entertaining the users. Rather than appearing on the same page with ads, like internet games, advergames promote products within the games. They are usually found in night markets (like the past Pekan Raya Jakarta fair), exhibitions and promotional events. Logika Interaktif is a newer studio that has been quite successful in this segment.

The last segment in Indonesia’s game development industry is outsourcing. Studios often accept outsource tasks from large foreign game companies. These studios usually gain from the contract agreement and licenses. Outsourced materials range from concept design, 3D modelling and partial coding to principal game developer.

Bullit Sesariza, cofounder of Logika Interaktif, said the industry still offers opportunities for newcomers. “Just start with an idea and choose the segment you want to work in,” he said. No need for big budgets, big teams or high quality games to be successful or profitable, he added. Making them fun to play is the ticket.