[This is a sponsored article with MDEC.]
I love my cool action video games as much as my blockbuster animated movies.
But because so much of the content I consume comes from outside Malaysia, I once assumed that our country has very little to offer in the digital content space.
Well my guesses were wrong.
We have a lot of success stories in our own backyard – our esports players make a lot of money in international tournaments, we have a great selection of locally made games and award winning Ejen Ali and BoBoiBoy entertainment to get us there. proud.
The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is one of the agencies working to encourage local creators.
To inspire more of the same, they hosted the Malaysia Digital Creativity Festival 2021 (MYDCF 21), or more specifically the MYDCF Gamified Expo, which is part of the larger event that includes live performances, esports tournaments. , etc.
Throughout its month-long exhibit in November, our local digital content players shone with awards, a game launch and more. So let’s come back to some highlights.
1.11 students had the chance to create their own games and animations from scratch
Like any industry, the video game and animation space relies on new generations of talent to bring fresh ideas and skills.
This was reflected in the Creativity @ Schools program and competition that ran alongside MYDCF Gamified Expo. It aimed to inspire children and teens to try their hand at animation and game development.
The program received 111 participants made up of primary and secondary students who were guided in the creation of their own animations and games. The winning participants were rewarded for their creativity.
On the esports scene, the Junior Shoutcasting Challenge attracted over 200 participating students. He not only provided workshops and mentoring sessions to help hone their casting skills, but also a competition for them to flaunt their abilities.
Dictionary time: Shoutcasting is a form of commentary for esports matches where casters entertain and educate the audience with engaging captions and insightful analytical views.
NASEF.org / esportslane
None did better than a 17-year-old who had the opportunity to shoutcast at a professional Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament during the festival.
His performance also won him praise from game developers Moonton.
2. Malaysia’s MOBA launched its first major tournament
As a seasoned gamer I may have spent thousands of hours on Multiplayer Battle Arena (MOBA) titles namely MLBB and DOTA 2. Unfortunately, I have never played a game that I created. by Malaysians; however, this idea always seemed pretty neat.
The good thing is that now I can because local animated series Ejen Ali now has their own MOBA. The aptly named Ejen Ali: Agents’ Arena attended MYDCF21 and hosted his first esports tournament, which even had a prize pool of RM 10,000.
The competition had over 100,000 viewers across multiple streaming platforms, which is a good sign that the game is attracting a sizable audience.
3. We have launched our own publishing platform which focuses on locally made games
MYDCF Gamified Expo also hosted the SEA Game Awards that showcase our country’s outstanding game developers and their work.
This year, independent developers SkyFeather Games received the Rising Star Award for their game Exist.EXE, a turn-based role-playing game with a 16-bit aesthetic.
Another Malaysian name, DreamTree Studio, won the award for best storytelling for its narrative game DeLight: The Journey Home.
Meanwhile, MYDCF Gamified Expo also witnessed the smooth launch of the Malaysian Game Store, a publishing platform that specifically distributes locally made video games. It is a product developed in partnership with MDEC for the business opportunities and reach of Malaysian studios.
On the animation side, our country has also attracted the attention of creative talents from all over the world, including the United States, Hong Kong, Hungary and Brazil, through the Kr8tif of Southeast Asia! Price.
Speaking of talent, there was also a career fair during the festival with over 200 opportunities advertised by over 50 companies in the industry.
Well-known companies such as PlayStation Studios, Bandai Namco, Streamline Studio and Codemaster have even held interviews to help our young people understand what a career in the gaming industry looks like.
4. The creators presented their ideas for games and animations to big companies
Ejen Ali relies on his fellow agents to beat the bad guys, and even seasoned players have to rely on their teammates for victory. It is no different when it comes to digital content.
To move Malaysia forward in this area, collaborations between large and small players in the industry are essential.
MDEC’s alliances with international companies such as Playstation Studios, Double Eleven and Lerian Studios, as well as local brands Kaigan Games, Animonsta and Passion Republic are examples.
To encourage further development in this area, MYDCF Gamified Expo organized conferences where Sony, Warner Media, Microsoft, Monsta and Nintendo were present to give talks.
The creators even had the opportunity to pitch their animation or game ideas with companies such as Astro, WarnerMedia, Media Prima and BBC Studios.
5. Hosted one of the largest conferences of its kind in the region with 80,000 viewers
With all these highlights to delight attendees, it’s no wonder the MYDCF Gamified Expo drew 17,967 registered attendees and had 80,000 viewers on the brand’s sole streaming platform.
These are impressive numbers considering that as separate events last year, Kr8tif! And LEVEL UP KL only welcomed 1,300 participants and 50,000 participants respectively.
According to MDEC, this year’s figures make the festival the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia (SEA).
Things are certainly improving for the Malaysian games and entertainment industry.
In addition to this, the report also states that Malaysia has the third largest gaming market in the region in 2020, grossing $ 786 million.
With this in mind, we will want more talent to further strengthen the industry. The career fair we talked about even featured notable companies Electronic Art and Bandai Namco among the hiring attendees.
As a result, Malaysia now has a strong ecosystem for not only individuals but also businesses to thrive in the games and entertainment industry.
- For more information on MYDCF Gamified Expo, click here.
- You can read more posts on MDEC here.
Comments are closed.