KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo says it is important for the government to understand the concerns of the local gaming industry on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), as Malaysia works towards having the digital economy contribute 30% to the GDP by 2030.
"When we look at the 13th Malaysia Plan, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had in mind the need to understand how new technology particularly AI impacts everyone," he said during the Level Up KL 2025 opening ceremony in KL today (Oct 7).
Gobind added that one of the sectors that may experience the biggest change is the local gaming industry "because what you do is almost entirely digital".
The minister said he has seen how AI is changing the way games can be developed: "I was shown a product from Japan where AI can speed up the creation of game at just a fraction of the cost."
As technology continues to evolve rapidly, he said Malaysia needs to reassess its direction to ensure the local gaming industry has the right ecosystem to continue thriving amid emerging challenges.
"Malaysia is no longer just a participant in the global game and creative content industry. We are a regional hub," Gobind said, adding that the ecosystem is thriving with world-class studios, developers and a creative economy that commands international attention.
He highlighted the success of Les' Copaque Production, the company behind Upin & Ipin, which he said has won over 60 awards locally and internationally.
"We also celebrated No Straight Roads by Metronomik, described by Forbes as 'one of the greatest games for 2020'," he said, adding that a sequel is in development with Japan's Shueisha Games.
Gobind added that Level Up KL 2025, which is a game developers conference happening from now till Oct 9, is expected to attract more than 2,500 participants with projected outcomes including RM150mil in export opportunities.
Apart from new tech challenges, Gobind said the local gaming industry players have also asked questions on how the government can continue to assist with more incentive programmes to support game development.
The government through the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has launched incentive programmes worth RM15mil to boost local digital content, he added.
"Among these is the Digital Games Testbed Programme with an allocation of RM3.5mil to boost local digital content such as games, animation, and creative tech," he said.
Ultimately, Gobind said the future of digital games is not just on technology but also about people.
"So we have to have a conversation about what we think the new challenges are, how government can assist. Then we can start looking at building structures to enable our industry to leverage on new technology and succeed as we move along," he said.
