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Indonesian video game developers step onto world stage
The Indonesian video gaming industry may not have the clout of its American or Japanese peers, but as the last few years have shown, the country’s video game developers are starting to show their teeth.
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Warung Chain: Go Food Express by Touchten Games (Touchten Games/File)
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ideo games such as the horror-themed DreadOut, the retro shoot ‘em up Infectonator: Survivors and the cute-looking sports game Badminton Stars are just some of the increasing number of local titles that have garnered praise from both local and international gaming fans and critics.
As such, it only makes sense that major eyes are starting to take notice.
Google Play Indonesia announced the winners of its Indonesia Games Contest. Warung Chain: Go Food Express was the first-place winner of the contest, followed by Tahu Bulat and Vimala: Defense Warlords in second and third place, respectively.
The three games — available for download on Android devices — showcase the diversity of local games. While they derive their gameplay from other, popular titles, they showcase layers of very Indonesian ideas, using warung (food stall) settings or focusing on tahu bulat (round tofu), a popular Indonesian snack.
According to Google Play Indonesia head of business development David Yin, the goal is to nourish the Indonesian gaming “ecosystem.”
He said he believes there are still many undiscovered game developers in the country whose ambitions and talents make them ready to compete at a global level.
“I see the gaming industry in Indonesia as continuing to grow rapidly. And based on over 200 strong game submissions for the Indonesia Games Contest, we see a very bright and prosperous future for Indonesian game developers,” David said, adding that Google wants to be involved in encouraging this growth process.
“For the three winners, what we saw was a very strong focus on innovation, localization, fun, design excellence and technical [and] product excellence.”
For the developers themselves, the win also felt like an affirmation of their passion, providing them a feeling of being appreciated for toiling in a field that is seldom celebrated locally.
“I didn’t expect the game to be awarded as a runner-up as I felt all the finalists were awesome,” said Andika Pradana, co-founder and creative director of MassHive Media, which created Vimala: Defense Warlords.
“I feel very honored and happy at the same time as it will boost our team’s spirit.”
Vimala is described by its developers as a “classic skirmish tower defense game with a turn-based RPG combat” system in which players build a kingdom and armies and fight enemies online in order to conquer their fortresses.
“The concept behind the game was taken from the final project I did for my bachelor’s degree,” said Andika.
He drew inspiration from his country to create the game in which the player has to find a way to unify the different factions fighting against each other.
Skirmish wargames are usually aimed at hardcore gamers as opposed to casual gamers that may be more accustomed to games like Warung Chain: Go Food Express.
Andika is confident their win is just the beginning of a bright future for not only his own company but all his Indonesian peers.
“The growth of Indonesian game developer studios is tremendous. I see a lot of new young talents who put forth great effort and are passionate about their games. We hope that we can encourage everyone to compete in the global market and most importantly entertain everyone around the world.”
