Gaming at Bukalapak: How the Company Taps Into the Global Promising Industry
Throughout the time, gaming has gone beyond being a mere hobby. It has become a lifestyle that unites those with the same interests and eventually forms a global community across countries.
Gaming competitions nowadays have escalated into a worldwide event where players from around the world compete with each other. Indonesia is among the countries where the gaming industry continues to flourish. According to Tourism & Creative Economy Outlook, Indonesia is the third largest mobile game market based on downloads on Google Play, with user transactions estimated to reach around IDR5.6 trillion and an increase of around 15.6% from 2022. Today, there are countless gaming apps with a strong fanbase and various communities, as well as competitions. Pursuing a career as a gamer has also become something that a lot of people desire as it is extremely promising. This also means that the industry has contributed to opening more job opportunities locally. Think about 5 or 10 years ago, when people had never imagined getting a professional job in the gaming industry. Isn’t that interesting?
We are also very proud to see how a high number of local Indonesian game developers are able to produce many great quality games, gaining global recognition and winning prestigious international awards. Furthermore, the surge of the gaming industry does not only benefit game developers but also digital distribution platforms and payment getaways as they can generate revenues through sales of gaming and virtual items. That is why I see the gaming industry as this vibrant ecosystem full of potential and possibilities. It attracted me to play my part and be part of the industry’s growth, eventually creating a big impact for a lot of people, especially here in Indonesia.
When the opportunity to work in the gaming arm of Bukalapak, which has broadened its reach to gaming marketplaces — Itemku, and Lapakgaming, came to me, I surely wouldn’t miss it. Gaming is often perceived as a ‘segmented’ hobby since most gamers come from a certain demographic. However, today, everyone from pre-teens to senior citizens are picking up this hobby. This is what drives Bukalapak to provide the most affordable and easy access to all gaming-related things through our platforms to all kinds of gamers and digital enthusiasts. Through our platforms, we are aiming to build a bigger community of all gaming enthusiasts, developers, and E-sport players within the same place.
Providing Full Support for The Promising Industry
I can say that the gaming industry in Indonesia is actually still in its early stage, but with the recent support from the government and Bukalapak’s innovative approaches, it is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact. Indonesia is actually one of the 3 biggest gaming markets in terms of revenue and the growth of video games is the most leading in Southeast Asia. That’s why I’m beyond positive that the industry has promising potential in the future and my job is to seize those opportunities by expanding our offerings, fostering partnerships, and creating unforgettable gaming experiences for everyone.
As a thriving business, we are currently growing our value as seen in the recent data from Similarweb which shows that in Indonesia, both Itemku and Lapakgaming are the market leaders based on web traffic. Even so, we are still hoping to expand more to speed up our growth and create bigger significant impacts.
Throughout my career in the gaming growth team, I can proudly say that Bukalapak has always seen gaming as a big shot for the industry. Not only for the financial prospect, we are also here to fully support all gaming enthusiasts in Indonesia to expand networks, and express their passion and skills in the gaming and digital world. In the past two years, Bukalapak has hosted several major gaming events; Itemku Gamecon (2022), Lapakgaming Battle Arena (2023), and also supported one of the largest community events, ‘Motion Ime Festival’ in 2023, by collaborating with several gaming influencers in Indonesia, such as Windah Basudara, Jonathan Liadi, and other top names in the field. The event has successfully attracted 30,000 audiences from various gaming communities.
In the near future, I’d like to see the gaming industry continue to thrive, with Bukalapak at the forefront of that growth. We, as a company, believe that with the right mindset, team, and passion, we can make that vision a reality. Here’s to an exciting future for gaming, for Bukalapak, and for all of us who love this incredible and promising industry!
