Indonesia will re-set the rules for game publishers, including industry giants such as Nintendo, Moonton Technology and Valve Corp. A new government directive mandates local and foreign game publishers to establish themselves as legal entities in the form of limited liability companies within Indonesia. Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, chief director for IT applications at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, emphasized that games on platforms without registered legal entities will face blocking. The move is part of Indonesia’s initiative to actively participate and shape the digital economy, rather than being a mere bystander.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is currently working on a new regulation that will replace the existing one that regulates the classification of electronic interactive games. Semuel pointed out that the revision will introduce new rules and classifications, with the aim of completing the process before the end of the month. In addition, the upcoming regulation will bring a new rating agency dedicated to video games. The initiative is aligned with Indonesia’s broader strategy to strengthen its digital economy, recognizing the huge potential within the gaming industry. In 2022, Indonesian gamers spent 25 trillion rupiah ($1.58 billion) on games, with a significant portion (99.5 percent) going to foreign game application providers. In contrast, only a minimal portion (0.5 percent) supported domestic players in the gaming industry, according to a report by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
