The Indonesian Express
The growth of the local gaming industry in 2024 has seen a significant increase compared to previous years. What can we expect for 2025? Shafiq Husein, the Chairman of the Indonesian Game Association (AGI), predicts that the distribution of games developed by Indonesian developers will rise even further next year. In this context, PC remains the preferred platform for game studios in the country. "Generally, the focus is on PC and consoles. The trend for premium games is quite straightforward. It differs from free-to-play or freemium models that are prevalent in mobile gaming," Shafiq stated during a press conference for the Indonesia Game Festival 2024 at Flix Cinema, Jakarta, on Thursday, November 28, 2024. He elaborated that the business process and development of premium games are more straightforward. Once developers complete their decks and demos, they can proceed to the next stage, which involves seeking a publisher. Once a publisher expresses interest in funding, the developers can continue their development process. "There is someone who assists in selling, but this seller provides us with the capital to complete the game. For some developers, this method has proven effective," Shafiq explained. However, he acknowledged that in terms of revenue, mobile multiplayer online games generate more income than PC and console games. He noted that the mobile platform continues to dominate the gaming industry market at present. Not targeting the mobile gaming market does not imply that these developers are incapable of creating mobile games. One reason for this is their reluctance to provide content updates within the games, as is common with many mobile multiplayer online games. "Indeed, there is a certain reluctance to provide content updates, which could be one reason, as premium games are typically sold outright. In contrast, mobile games require content updates and monetization, which are more complex. However, the potential earnings are generally higher. It ultimately comes down to how one wishes to generate revenue," Shafiq concluded.