Malaysia continues to push the envelope in the gaming industry with LEVEL UP KL BIZ 2019 – the nation’s premier regional games development conference. Hosting both international and local game developers and industry leaders, under one roof, this event – in its fifth edition – is also the launch platform for various games industry announcements for the region.
This includes globally renowned game developers, Larian Studios and Streamline Media Group; long-time industry stalwart, Kurechii; and multi-channel content producer, Media Prima Digital. All of them took the stage to share their latest industry-rocking updates and achievements.
During the event’s opening ceremony, Surina Shukri, CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), shared, “Our next milestone is to position Malaysia as Southeast Asia’s games development powerhouse, validating our nation as the preferred destination for this empowering industry. As Malaysia has an enormous pool of local talents capable of developing games enjoyed by the world, right from our own backyard, I am absolutely confident that we will hit that milestone very soon. Recognising this latent potential, our government recently allocated RM20 million in funding, from the 2020 National Budget, to MDEC for the development of the digital content creation industry. This is a clear statement of intent that Malaysia has the drive, and the means, to become a powerhouse in the game development industry.”
Similar in thought, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, Vice President of Digital Creative Content at MDEC added: “Malaysia has set its eyes on becoming the Southeast Asia’s hub for the games industry since 2015 – that was when LEVEL UP KL was first initiated. Four years on, today, our platform is the chosen stage for renowned international and local companies to demonstrate their innovations and tap on our expertise to help them grow. This very act is a testament of Malaysia’s thriving games ecosystem and how it is ready to level up and achieve greatness.”
Industry-Rocking Reveals
Belgian-based video games development company, Larian Studios, reinforces the notion that Malaysia is the most-sought after location for the games industry as it announced its expansion plans for Southeast Asia. It will start this endeavor with Malaysia with plans to engage local talents and include them in various game project developments.
The equally as renowned Streamline Media Group provided the latest updates [for its upcoming game – Bake ‘n Switch. This includes early access to Steam for all players and its latest achievements – winning three awards: Game of the Year, Outstanding Gameplay, and Visual Excellence at the international game development showcase, Reboot Red. Streamline Media Group also announced an all-new brand, Day Zero – a quality assurance and localization division. This new team will be working closely with other Streamline divisions to build multiple game products simultaneously while offering services to the global games industry.
Malaysian companies also made their mark on the LEVEL UP KL BIZ 2019 platform. Game development company Kurechii announced its latest progress as a game developer – publishing its all-new Kings League II on Apple Arcade. It is a Malaysian first and continues the first-mover narrative for the country. Media Prima also re-launched popular game news portal, IGN Southeast Asia with renewed content strategy, focused narratives, more focus on esports, and richer multimedia production outputs.
The fifth edition of the LEVEL UP KL, LEVEL UP KL BIZ 2019 was organized by MDEC and has been known to play a critical part in Malaysia’s efforts to drive the digital content industry forward. This is both in line with and enhanced by the Digital Content Ecosystem (DICE) strategy as announced in early-August 2019.
LEVEL UP KL BIZ 2019, taking place from 2 – 8 November, also saw a variety of industry-focused activities, such as Masterclass Workshops, discussion panels, business connections, game creations, and so much more. All these to drive forward and transform the games ecosystem of Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
As a follow up to LEVEL UP KL BIZ 2019, the inaugural LEVEL UP KL PLAY 2019 will be held on 9 and 10 November 2019. The goal is to create a major public engagement platform that will act as Malaysia’s ultimate games conference.
The two-day games festival will feature multiple activities, such as game-demos of soon-to-launch AAA and indie titles for both PCs and consoles, grand finals for multiple esports leagues, a video games concert, panels and workshops by the Who’s Who of video games, and meet-and-greet activities.
Tickets can be purchased online or onsite during both days.
