Gaming industry earns US$1.5 bn in revenue in 2022: ministry

Garut, W Java (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has said that the gaming industry, which is currently growing in Indonesia, chalked up Rp25 trillion (around US$1.59 billion) in revenue in 2022.

“The national game market (reached) Rp25 trillion in 2022,” director of game application, television, and radio at the ministry, Iman Santosa, said at the “Netas Game Sub-Sector Human Resource Quality Improvement” event here on Saturday.

However, 99.5 percent of the revenue went to foreign companies, which are serving as providers of gaming applications, while the share of domestic gaming industry players was recorded at just 0.5 percent, he informed.

Santosa said that considering the potential reflected by the high number of online game users in the country, his ministry is encouraging creative game industry players to make more games to tap into the potential income.

He informed that currently, the government is drafting a presidential regulation on accelerating the national gaming industry’s development, which is expected to be implemented in 2024.

He said that the regulation is being devised on account of the economic value of the gaming industry, which could contribute to foreign exchange earnings, as well as with the aim of promoting the values of local culture.

“We want to promote that there are positive sides of games; not only negative, but there are also positive (sides). There are educational games, health-related games,” he explained.

He further said that the regulation would encourage the emergence of gaming industry players who can seize the potential for bigger revenue and raise it higher than Rp25 trillion.

He added that his ministry is targeting to increase the revenue share of the domestic gaming industry to 70 percent in 2024 from 0.5 percent.

Santosa highlighted the need for cooperation to support the gaming industry, including between the tourism and investment ministries.

The gaming industry, he said, currently earns more than the music and film industries, even when the values from both industries are combined.

“This is potential that must be developed,” he added. 

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