Aiming For Economic Potential, Deputy Minister Of Trade Jerry Wants Indonesia To Compete With South Korea And The United States In The Online Game Industry

Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Current technological developments make online games or games also become varied and more sophisticated. Currently, people's interest in playing games is increasing, because during the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are at home.

The game industry, which is a sub-sector of the creative economy, is now also being highlighted by the government because it has great economic potential. Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga assessed that the online game industry also has great export potential, so it has the opportunity to compete with South Korea (South Korea) to the United States (US).

"Indeed, we are not as big as South Korea and the United States, which export games to all corners of the country. But there are opportunities and opportunities. This is what we must capitalize on and utilize," he said at the 2021 National Creative Economy Meeting with the theme 'Recovery and Growth of the Tourism and Creative Economy Sector ' online, Monday, September 27.

Jerry said exports of digital products, especially South Korean online games, reached 6.6 million US dollars in 2020. He said, to encourage the country's game industry to compete with South Korea, it must start with support for local game creators.

Furthermore, he said that what can be seen from the opportunity from online games is the opportunity there.

"Because I had the opportunity to come to one of the 100 percent online game creators made in Indonesia, which is one part of our creative product and it was developed by the nation's children," he explained.

According to Jerry, online game creators already have their own way of doing business. Even so, he said it could be further developed through government support.

"We have to make sure that online games get the support of many stakeholders and the government. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy can synergize in coaching, we are commercialized and promoted. So this can be an innovative product that has not been fully explored. How can we expand a market that has not been touched through products so far? unconventional," he said.

The potential of the online game industry in Indonesia is huge

On the same occasion, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said that the potential for the game industry in the country is huge.

"The potential of the gaming industry in Indonesia is very large and reaches 2 billion US dollars (Rp 28.6 trillion, assuming an exchange rate of Rp 14,300 per US dollar)," he said.

Therefore, Luhut asked the game industry in Indonesia to be encouraged to make a bigger contribution. Especially, so that local game products can grow in the country.

"I hope Indonesian children can work to give birth to new innovations in this game," he said.

For your information, currently, Asia Pacific (APAC) is known as the largest gaming market in the world which has generated US$ 84.3 billion, representing almost 50 percent of worldwide gaming revenue. APAC has 1.45 billion players representing 54 percent of global gamers.