Global Gaming Market: Overview and Key Indicators

  • The digital video game market in Indonesia reached USD 813 million (approx. KRW 1.16 trillion) in 2023, according to Statista
  • Breaking down its market distribution, online games accounted for the largest share, at USD 343.78 million (approx. KRW 487.03 billion), followed by mobile games at USD 291.11 million (approx. KRW 412.44 billion), and downloadable games at USD 165.16 million (approx. KRW 233.99 billion,) respectively
  • The digital video game market is expected to continue expanding at an average annual growth rate of 5.2% until the year 2027
  • Mobile games are projected to grow from USD 316.85 million (approx. KRW 448.85 billion) in 2024 to USD 386.39 million (approx. KRW 547.36 billion) in 2027, thus cementing the notion that this sector is a key driver of the gaming market in Indonesia
  • When it comes to revenue from game networking games that have been downloaded, the Indonesian gaming market is seeing gradual increases, and the expansion of gaming experiences across various platforms has become a key characteristic of this gaming market
  • By 2027, the ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) for gaming networks is expected to reach its highest levels, with online games at USD 10.43 (approx. KRW 14,775) mobile games at USD 4.92 (approx. KRW 6,969) and downloadable games at USD 2.79 (approx. KRW 3,952) These are expected to be major factors in driving market growth
  • The steady growth in the ARPU of game networking indicates that Indonesian gamers’ networking-based game consumption will continue to expand, suggesting sustained popularity of online and multiplayer games in that region

The Current State of Indonesia’s Gaming Market

1. Indonesia’s Mobile Gaming Market

  • According to Statista, among the prominent Southeast Asian countries, the number of mobile gamers in Indonesia is expected to go from 40.19 million in 2018 to 76.92 million in 2027, or approximately a 91% increase
  • With regard to the Southeast Asian mobile gaming market, Indonesia is considered the country with the greatest potential
  • As of January 2024, according to Google Play, “8 Ball Pool” and “Free Fire: The Chaos” were the mobile games with the highest downloads in Indonesia, each achieving 1 billion downloads
  • In Indonesia, casual games and multiplayer games with large user bases continue to exhibit robust performance

2. Consumer Spending – RPG and Strategy Genres Shine

  • RPG games recorded the highest amount of consumer spending in the Indonesian mobile gaming market for the year 2023, at roughly USD 88.5 million (approx. KRW 125.37)
  • After RPG, games in strategy, action, simulation, shooting, sports, match puzzle, and casino were the most popular genres.
  • Based on this information, interest in a variety of genres can be extrapolated regarding Indonesian gamers

3. Online Gaming Platform Preferences

  • In 2022, among Indonesian gamers who played online games, mobile was the most preferred platform at 94%, followed by PC at 27% and gaming laptops at 17%
  • Among console platforms, PlayStation recorded the highest usage rate at 13%, which was followed by Nintendo Switch, at 2%, Xbox and Wii, at 1% each
  • These numbers reflect a gaming market in Indonesia which, while mobile friendly, has low market penetration rates for consoles and VR devices, suggesting a preference for easy accessibility by Indonesian consumers

Major Game Publishers in Indonesia and Its Implications

  • As of January 2024, when it comes to the number of downloaded games in the mobile game market in Indonesia, Maleo has recorded the highest number of downloads at roughly 130 million, followed by Tazkan Games with 110 million, LOCOS with 105 million, and Riot Games and IDBS Studio, with about 100 million each
  • With the mobile game, “Bus Simulator Indonesia,” developed by Maleo, an Indonesian game company, by creating a game which vividly recreates the Indonesian transportation culture, this game has gained international attention and is as a prime example showcasing the possibility of local content achieving global success
  • In Indonesia, public holidays have been shown to affect game revenue and user retention. During Ramadan, for example, gaming companies typically seeing increased revenue during this time, the country’s longest and most significant holiday period
  • Looking broadly at larger societal factors, with Muslims making up about 87% of Indonesia’s total population, it is crucial for game developers to keep local, cultural, and religious aspects of a specific country in the front of their minds when designing game scenes and characters as part of their localization strategy.