When other business sectors were sluggish, the gaming industry in Indonesia actually grew positively during the Covid-19 pandemic. Activity restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic encourage people to seek entertainment from home, one of which is games. That's why the growth of gamers has increased sharply in the past year, which has finally accelerated the growth of the gaming industry.
The growth of the gaming business is a positive marker for the digital creative industry amidst the global crisis. The other side of the game business growth also provides positive value from the digital business aspect. Based on data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), the world video game market is estimated to reach USD 159 billion by 2020, or about four times the box office revenue (USD43 billion in 2019) and three times the music industry revenue (USD57 billion in 2019). The largest market share comes from Asia-Pacific. Indonesia, launching the Global Market Games Reports 2020 report, Newzoo, a market research company and business consultant for games and E-Sports (electronic sports), said that Indonesia is one of the largest game users in the Southeast Asian market. Newzoo noted that the gaming industry's revenue in 2019 reached USD 1.1 billion and became the largest business market in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, in 2019, based on data from the Indonesia Esports Premier League (IESPL), there were 62.1 million people actively playing games in the country. This figure brings Indonesia to rank 12 in the game market with the highest number of players.
Luat Sihombing, Coordinator of the Business Matchmaking Directorate of the Digital Economy of the Ministry of Communication and Information, encourages the public, especially the millennial generation and generation Z, to actively participate in the growth of the game industry. These two generations are the dominant circles playing the game. Currently, the population of Generation Z in Indonesia is 67 million people, plus the millennial generation is 62 million people. Luat believes that the game industry in Indonesia will continue to grow with the addition of the digital generation. "The challenge is, if we want to become a (game) industry player, we must know that games are not only for entertainment," said Luat in a digital skills webinar which will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021.
The market share of the game industry continues to show improvement throughout 2017-2019. The scale of business has also increased. However, it cannot be denied that efforts to optimize this industry are still very much needed to encourage domestic economic development. For this reason, the government, in this case the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, has prepared a number of special programs. At the start of the pandemic, the government launched Let's Make Games at Home which was attended by more than 100 participants.
Luat added that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology together with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Indonesian Game Association had conducted research on the conditions of game producers in Indonesia. The research results will be launched this year. Luat believes Indonesia has great potential in the game industry. Apart from the large population, the government also continues to boost internet development. Currently, internet penetration is still concentrated in the Java region. "If the internet is evenly distributed, there are still many that can be targeted. So game developers don't need to worry, ”said Luat. DPR Commission I member Rizki Natakusumah expressed the need for efforts to change the community's paradigm regarding games. Indonesia cannot just be a consumer. "We also have to become creators. One thing that must be changed is adapting to the parents' mindset. Keeping the stigma of playing games is bad, ”said Rizki. Rizki Natakusumah, also tries to foster the interest of young people by holding an e-sport competition, March 25-28. The tournament, entitled RN E-sports Championship Pandeglang Season 1, is rolling in the framework of the 14th Anniversary of Pandeglang Regency. "There will be three game branches that will be competed in the competition tomorrow, namely Mobile Legend and PUBG on mobile phones, as well as PES on the PS4 console," said Rizki.
GGWP.id CEO Ricky Setiawan said that Indonesia has 44.2 million e-sports game players. This number is believed to have grown to 37 percent compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. “The ages (players) are mostly 13-24 years. For those under 13 years old, they are reluctant to play e-sports games because they are too complex and complicated. E-sports not only requires skill in playing games, but also good socialization, working with a team, ”he said.
