There’s no doubting that Malaysians love playing online games. Records show there were over 250 million online gamers in Southeast Asia in 2022, and Malaysia was among the top contributing countries. The projected revenue generated through the online games market in Malaysia will reach US$23.89m in 2023. The 7.61% market growth experienced in 2022 serves as the foundation for this projection.
To back this up, some further statistics available include:
- 80% of Malaysia’s online gamers are between 18 and 34 years of age.
- 64% of online gamers in Malaysia have full-time jobs.
- 97% of gamers use smartphones, while 26% use laptops or PCs to play online.
That all sounds promising, but which online gaming genres do Malaysian players love most, though?
Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
RPGs afford players the opportunity to forget about real life for a while. You can immerse yourself into the game character you adopt within the fantasy realms that an RPG provides.
You get to be the hero of your own story and define your destiny in exhilarating virtual worlds surrounded by fantastic creatures.
RPG in Malaysia
There are almost 500 Malaysian game publishers on Google Play in 2023, providing over 1,450 games to the platform. It’s no surprise then that many of the top free role-playing games are well-loved in the country. Some of these are Avatar World: City Life, Famous Fashion, and Battle Through the Heavens. RPGs offer various game choices, from taking part in sports to dressing up. You could also become an adventurer exploring mythical lands.
As RPGs in Malaysia evolve, so does the popularity of MMORPGs. This RPG subgenre allows you to play online with friends in multiplayer scenarios. MMORPGs have taken the RPG genre a stride forward in competitiveness and enjoyment.
Online Gambling
With more and more online gambling apps becoming available in Malaysia, enjoying a quick flutter on a smartphone or tablet has become much easier. This is one reason that online gambling there is growing, and the ever-increasing number of games for gamblers to enjoy also helps.
What else makes online gambling so popular in Malaysia? The increasing number of smartphone users surely plays a part. In 2022, it’s thought that there were more than 200 million mobile phone owners in Malaysia. (Source: https://www.basketballinsidersmalaysia1.com/online-casinos/real-money-casino-apps/). And, as seen here, there is also the chance to play for real money, which is appealing in a country where gambling activities have traditionally been quite restricted.
Further incentives include welcome bonuses, cash rebates, and free spins. These all encourage new players to sign up and enjoy the easy access that online casinos provide.
Online Casinos in Malaysia
With so many gambling apps available, the real trick is to know which casinos to sign up with and which to avoid. So, in Malaysia, when choosing your online casino apps, you should consider a few things. Look at each app’s availability on different devices, its in-app features, and its usability in moving between pages. The number of games available online and the level of accessibility to the casino’s customer service are worth checking out, too. Slots are as popular in Malaysia as in many other parts of the world, although online roulette is, perhaps surprisingly, another hugely popular game in Malaysia.
FPS and TPS Games
Shooter games have existed for decades. FPS (first-person shooter) games go back to the early 1990s, when games like DOOM, Wolfenstein 3D, and Quake took the gaming world to new heights. These games allow you to navigate your gaming environment with an unobstructed view, seeing through the eyes of your avatar.
TPS (third-person shooter) games rose to prominence later in the 90s. Titles including Tomb Raider, MDK, and Duke Nukem: Time to Kill allowed players to watch from above. You could see your whole avatars, looking down on them to observe and control their movements.
The internet’s popularity grew in the late 1990s and into the new millennium, with access more affordable. Shooter game developers took advantage of this, releasing their games online in single-player form. When multiplayer games arrived on the scene, shooter games grew even more popular.
Shooter Games in Malaysia
Malaysia was no different from the rest of the world, with FPS games like Half-Life and Call of Duty becoming very popular. The most played TPS games include Gears of War, and Tom Clancy’s The Division two-game series.
Real-Time Strategy Games (RTS)
Experts recognize 1989’s Herzog Zwei as the first RTS game released, although some elements existed in earlier games. When playing real-time strategy, you watch the characters and game’s world or playing field environment from above. Players move between the characters to assign them tasks to build worlds or, in sports RTS, to improve their team’s performance.
Real-time strategy games generally take a while to complete. Playing a multiplayer RTS game online needs a lot of time and brainpower to win. This genre is often played by older players who enjoy the tactical elements they include. Some of the more popular games in the RTS genre include Age of Empires, Warcraft, Starcraft, and Command & Conquer.
For those who enjoy sports, the Football Manager series provides a serious challenge. Players involve themselves in tactics, training, transfers and many other managerial tasks. Online leagues allow them to test themselves against other human managers.
RTS Games in Malaysia
Malaysians have taken to the RTS gaming genre in a large way. In 2021, the Malaysian game development studio, Ammobox, released an RTS and FPS hybrid game called Eximius: Seize The Frontline. This RTS game is very popular in the country and has also gained traction online worldwide through the Steam platform.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve already said, Malaysians love playing online games. They’re either role-playing, putting their strategic minds to the test or placing the occasional bet at a virtual casino table.
The health of Malaysia’s online gaming market is already sound, and will likely grow in the future. If you haven’t tried an online gaming genre of some sort, why not give one a try and join the millions of players already making the most of these games?
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