Malaysia Leads Regional Gaming Industry Development

By Mohd Khairi Idham Amran KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is leading the way for gaming industry development in the Southeast Asian region, a video game developer said. Streamline Studios chief executive officer Alexander L Fernandes said Malaysia's gaming industry had been growing tremendously in the past three years, boosted by quality talents available in the country, as well as support from the government. "In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is No 1. It has the best studios, the most amazing talents and the most hospitable environment for business to actually happen," he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Southeast Asia annual gaming conference, Level Up KL, here Tuesday. He said from video games content contributor, Malaysia's gaming industry had evolved to become exporter and full product developer. Fernandes said as Malaysia's gaming industry continued to grow at a tremendous rate, it would not be long before the nation reached the level of Canada, the world's top gaming developer. "It took 20 years for them (Canada) to become who they are. I think Malaysia, at the rate it is going, if fortunate, can do it in half the time," he said. Another factor that would help Malaysia's gaming industry development was its cost of production, which is two-thirds of the other countries, he said. "The average cost for a Triple A game is US$40 million (US$1=RM4.21), that is the starting point. But what makes Malaysia unique is that its price is two-thirds...it's a big advantage," he added. According to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia's export of gaming contents grew 75 per cent to US$19.04 million (RM80 million) last year from 2014. Based on PriceWaterHouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2013-2017, Malaysia's gaming market was worth RM727 million in 2013 and it is expected to grow 20 per cent to RM868.70 million by 2017. Organised by MDEC, the five-day conference, beginning Nov 5, attracted over 500 participants ranging from game developers, investors, video game publishers and technology providers, from both the local and international gaming industry. -- BERNAMA