As part of the tabling of Budget 2024, Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that the government is setting aside RM30 million to promote Malaysia as a development hub for esports. He says that this is to encourage international video games companies or studios to invest in the country.
While the idea on the surface sounds like good news for those who are invested in both the video games and esports industries, the mashing of the two into one is a tad odd. It was also mentioned in passing, taking just about 12 seconds out of the whole process.
When it comes to video game companies, there are quite a few that have local offices in the country. Prominent members in the list include the likes of PlayStation and Bandai Namco, as well as Double Eleven, to name a few. Others have regional headquarters in our neighbour down south, which includes the likes of THQ Nordic, Capcom, Blizzard and Rockstar Games.
Of course, some among them are publishers for competitive esports titles. This includes Bandai Namco with the Tekken series, Capcom with Street Fighter, and Blizzard with Overwatch, among others. But these are companies that publish a wide range of games, not just esports titles. So the specificity in language during the tabling of the budget is a tad strange.
Naturally, with the segment only taking slightly over 10 seconds, there’s not much in terms of elaboration. Which makes the allocation even more vague compared to when last year’s budget was tabled. Either way, we’ll have to wait for a more detailed breakdown.
(Source: Astro Awani / YouTube, Bandai Namco, THQ Nordic, Capcom, Rockstar Games, Blizzard)
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