Vice Trade Minister Jerry Sambuaga has said his ministry continues to encourage and facilitate the development of local games on account of their huge potential and since they are technically easier to export.
“This is driven by two things. Firstly, games are digital products and secondly, there are plenty of digital facilities that could develop local games trade into the international world,” he noted.
In a written statement received here on Wednesday, he added that these facilities operate within sectors such as payment and marketing.
According to Sambuaga, since they are quite simple and cheap, the trade of local games is also cheaper and more efficient in terms of distribution.
All of the involved cost comes purely from distribution, which is different from other goods’ distribution that often incurs unexpected costs, he explained.
When it comes to potential, the vice minister lauded Indonesian youngsters’ creativity and determination in developing this relatively new sector.
He drew attention to the game Lokapala, which has a unique appeal as it showcases Indonesia’s culture through the background of the game’s story and characters.
In the future, Sambuaga said that he hopes games such as Lokapala create their own niche amongst various foreign games such as Mobile Legend and PUBG.
Currently, there has been a serious collaborative effort between ministries to support the development of local games, he added. For instance, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry and National Education Ministry are working in the game production, he said.
The vice minister revealed that his own ministry is focusing on facilitating the trade of local games.
He also admitted that he had coordinated with the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) so that more people would play local games.
“Indonesian youth is brimming with talent, which could make them create quality games. When this happens, the end result would be very beneficial for Indonesia’s economy,” Sambuaga affirmed.
“There will be tax revenue, job creation, banking and non-banking industry movement, and there will be many derivative industries that will be affected. Its multiplier effect is clear,” he elaborated.
Source: Antara News