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Game developers say they need govt help to level up
While the gaming industry was an overachiever in Indonesia’s economy last year with a growth of 4.47 percent, business representatives want the government to support the industry to unlock its full potential.
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Full focus: During the COVID-19 pandemic, more people turned to video games as a recreational activity while governments across the globe restrict social events and travel. (Shutterstock/sezer66)
G
aming is one of the few industries that grew last year despite the pandemic-induced economic slowdown, yet business representatives say they need government support to unlock the industry’s full potential.
Indonesia Gaming Association (AGI) chairman Cipto Adiguno noted that while the overall gaming industry had withstood the impact of the pandemic, business-to-business (B2B) segments, such as publishing, had suffered.
“The B2B model saw negative [growth] at the beginning of the pandemic. Gaming services saw almost no impact, while some product-based [companies] saw sales rise,” he said during a press conference on Aug. 16.
Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry data show that the apps and gaming industry contributed Rp 24.88 trillion (US$1.7 billion) to the country’s economy last year, accounting for 2.19 percent of the total GDP.
The gaming industry grew 4.47 percent in 2020, second only to television and radio, as more people turned to home entertainment amid social restrictions enforced to curb COVID-19.
A survey conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Communications and Information Ministry and AGI showed that 36 percent of industry players saw their revenue rise last year, while 31 percent experienced lower revenue and 33 percent said they were not impacted by COVID-19.
Read also: Homegrown gaming companies thriving amid pandemic
