A great opportunity for the Vietnamese gaming industry.

In late April 2024, many gamers were surprised when Gameloop – a free Android emulator and international game library with hundreds of game genres – was blocked in Vietnam. This software allows users to play mobile versions of games on their personal computers.

Change preconceived notions, initiate protection.

Recently, gamers on social media have been buzzing again about being unable to access Steam, the world's most popular online gaming platform, owned by Valve Corporation (USA).

Meanwhile, Netflix users in Vietnam have also reported that the games section for mobile subscriptions has disappeared. If accessing Netflix via computer, the game links display the message: "Netflix game not yet available in Vietnam." This move comes after the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information - Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) sent a document requesting Netflix to stop advertising and distributing video games on the App Store, Google Play Store, and the platform's app store due to the lack of operating licenses.

Thus, in just one month, three popular international game marketplaces are no longer operating in Vietnam. Many believe this creates fairness for domestic game businesses and prevents tax revenue losses related to cross-border platforms.

Recently, at the Vietnam GameVerse 2024 event, organized by the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information, VnExpress newspaper, and several other units, Mr. Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information, expressed his expectation that by 2030, the Vietnamese game industry will reach a scale of 1 billion USD. To achieve this result, in 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications, together with the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, began training in game industry at the university level, and with VTC Corporation, provided vocational training. In addition, they are building a foundation of tax policies for this industry.

"Previously, the government 's view was that the gaming industry needed to be restricted, so it was included in the list of sectors subject to excise tax. At this time, we need to change this preconceived notion because this industry can generate income and bring in foreign currency," Mr. Le Quang Tu Do emphasized, adding that the regulatory agency also has solutions to mitigate the negative aspects of gaming.

At the seminar "Solutions to promote the development of Vietnam's cultural industry until 2030" organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper on the morning of May 23, Mr. Dinh Ba Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DatViet VAC Group Holdings, acknowledged that the Ministry of Information and Communications' request to remove and block the transmission and applications of leading global game distribution companies is a "turning point" that creates favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Quang, CEO of DOS Labs - a game development company, believes that the regulatory authorities' blocking of unlicensed international game stores can be seen as a form of protection for the domestic game industry.

Adding further comments, Mr. Quang suggested that policies should be developed to reform administrative procedures more effectively to facilitate businesses. Currently, it takes businesses about 1.5 months to obtain a license to release a game, not to mention having to comply with numerous reporting and inspection regulations. Meanwhile, most international games do not apply for licenses or comply with Vietnamese regulations; only a few large game projects like Clash of Clans collaborate with domestic game publishers to operate and comply with regulations. "Post-auditing of games already on the Vietnamese market, if problems are detected, is fair to both domestic and foreign games," Mr. Quang observed.

Gaming events often attract large crowds. (Photo: BINH AN)

Focus on game quality.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Quang, users still have ways to bypass firewalls to access software and applications to play games. In addition, the number of unlicensed video games released on Google Play or the App Store is not large, so blocking pirated games may not have a significant impact.

Sharing the same view, Ms. Vu Thi Trang, CEO of Gamota - a mobile game publisher in Vietnam, also does not expect that blocking international game stores will have a major impact on the domestic game industry. According to Ms. Trang, the Vietnamese game industry has not developed rapidly due to a lack of formally trained human resources; most are self-taught. Therefore, Vietnam produces many hyper-casual games (games built with minimalist content), which are not very competitive with international games.

Citing Vietnam's creation of the famous game Hiker – one of the pioneers of the domestic game development industry – Ms. Trang argued that businesses need to create high-quality game products for the industry to go far and sustainably.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Huy, CEO of Hiker Games, believes that for the gaming industry to develop, it must attract investment from various sources, have support from users, and receive policies from regulatory agencies. However, game businesses are currently still hesitant due to high investment costs and numerous policy barriers. Nevertheless, the CEO of this game company acknowledges that regulations for the gaming industry have gradually become much more open than before.

According to Ms. Vu Minh Hanh, Chief of the Office of the Vietnam Game Development Association, Vietnam is one of the top-performing game payment markets in Southeast Asia. The fact that authorities are now focusing on building a legal framework for the game industry will be an opportunity for Vietnamese games. On the part of businesses, most have recognized the importance of product quality, support game industry training programs, and have strategies for global game distribution.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/co-hoi-lon-cho-nganh-game-viet-196240525200952489.htm