Another step forward for the local gaming industry

Media Prima Digital (MPD) has partnered with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to give the local video games industry a much-needed boost on all fronts.

Signed between Rafiq Razali, CEO of Media Prima Digital and Dato’ Ng Wan Peng, COO of MDEC ― with Datuk Kamal Khalid, Group Managing Director, Media Prima Berhad and Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood, CEO, MDEC as witnesses ― the MoU also marks the re-affirmed partnership between these two digital giants. Some of the upcoming partnerships between the companies include LEVEL UP KL 2017 game development conference, game jam, and awards event that will take place in November 2017.

The collaboration is expected to attract local and international players and developers, expanding the ecosystem, and accelerating the sector’s productivity, with MPD taking on the responsibility of evaluating and publishing digital games that MDEC selected and developed with local publishers.

“We are always on the lookout for close partnerships that will expand the creative industry.

In the case of this MoU, it is for digital games development. Publishers that our creators engage with are internationally based with little to no local presence in this space. Bringing MPD onboard will kick-start the push for other media houses to consider publishing video games that are being made here. This is a huge step up for Malaysia on the road to becoming a regional gaming hub,” shared Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood.

Essentially, MDEC is looking to widen the video game developer community – comprising local and foreign entities – and bring MPD in as a key co-development partner. Providing MPD with immediate access to the main games development hub that will be launched soon is critical to this arrangement as it will do more than just open the way for further collaboration for the new platform which MPD and MDEC will be managing together. This includes promoting Malaysia and its games hub as the best place for game development while also gaining support for content generation efforts.

“This is definitely an exciting collaboration between MPD and MDEC. With the upcoming LEVEL UP KL 2017, we look forward to seeing what the digital games industry has to offer. Certainly, we hope that through this MoU with MDEC, we will be able to inspire more young and talented developers and guide them properly as they expand their expertise and interests in the local game development industry. As reported on multiple news-sites, video games is said to be one of the fastest growing digital fields in this era and MPD is proud to be involved in this exciting endeavour,” added Rafiq Razali.

Also present at the signing, which took place at Komune, a co-working space at UOA Bangsar South, are Nicholas Sagau, the Group General Manager of Media Prima Labs & Operation as well as Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, Vice President of Creative Content and Technologies Division, MDEC.