Kakuchopurei Special: An Overview Of Southeast Asia’s Gaming Scene

Malaysia - Rapid Growth at A Fraction of Singapore’s Cost

Population: 32m – 4th

Internet penetration: 78% – 3rd

Estimated gamers: 14.3m – 4th

Paying gamers: 6.6m – 4th 

Average spend/ gamer: $24.2 – 2nd

Gross spent on games: $654m – 3rd

GDP: $30.8k – 2nd

Keyword: Best of Both Worlds

• Situated just north of Singapore, Malaysia share similar infrastructure and access to technology at a fraction of the cost (SG$1 : RM2.98)
• Third-highest GDP in SEA region
• English is widely spoken despite not being the official language – High Proficiency (60.7)
• High internet penetration – 78%
• Government-led initiative via Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)
• 43% of mobile gamers  spend money on mobile games

Pros:

• Cost effective with big potential of support from government agencies
• Central locations make the country a good choice for regional hub
• Good balance in the number of paying gamers vs return per paying gamer.

Cons:

• Relatively young independent games development sector

Next: Indonesia – Playing the Numbers Game