Jakarta. The government will require both local and foreign game publishers, such as Moonton Technology Co Ltd., Valve Corp., Nintendo, etc, to operate as legal entities in the form of limited liability companies (PT) in Indonesia.

"If they are not registered here, if the publishers do not have a legal entity here, the games on that platform will be blocked. We want to build the digital economy; we don't want to be just spectators. Let's build it together," Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the director-general for informatics apps at the Communication and Information Technology Ministry, said in a discussion recently. 

The ministry is currently preparing a new regulation that will replace the previous regulation on the classification of electronic interactive games. 

"The revision is being prepared, and the existing regulation (Permenkominfo 11/2016) will be revoked. So, there will be new rules, including classifications," Semuel said.

Semuel said that the new regulation will also introduce a new rating agency for video games. "This should be completed soon; my target is before the end of this month," said Semuel.

This regulation aims to enhance Indonesia's digital economy, given the substantial potential of the gaming industry in the country. In 2022, Indonesian gamers spent Rp 25 trillion ($1.58 billion) on gaming, with a vast majority (99.5 percent) going to foreign gaming app providers, while only a minimal portion (0.5 percent) supported domestic game industry players, as reported by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry.