Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida (four left) shakes hands with Gobind (fifth left) while (from sixth left) Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) CEO Surina Shukri, MITI Deputy Secretary General Hairil Yahri Yaakob, Malaysia Investment Development Authority senior executive director Ahmad Khairuddin Abdul Rahim, and MDEC vice president of Digital Creative Content Hasnul Hadi Samsudin look on.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia announced that it is partnering with Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SIE WWS) to establish the global games powerhouse’s very first Southeast Asia studio in Malaysia in 2020.
This announcement, made by Minister of Communications and Multimedia Gobind Singh Deo, is a strong recognition of Malaysia as the heart of the games industry in this region.
“We are excited and honoured to announce our formal partnership with SIE WWS on the establishment of its studio in Malaysia, which will create more opportunities for the local and regional game industry,” said Gobind in a statement.
He added: “With this establishment, Malaysia will be working closely with SIE WWS to create more opportunities for the local and regional games industry.
“Together, we will work to uplift creative talents in Malaysia and even establish a partnership with our local educational partners. This is to ensure the accelerated growth of this industry in our country will be supported.”
SIE WWS Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SIE WWS Malaysia) will provide art and animation services as part of SIE WWS activities, developing global exclusive titles for PlayStation platforms.
“Impressive talent, a vibrant game ecosystem, and support from the government are key reasons why we have decided to take our partnership with Malaysia to the next level,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment president and chief executive officer Jim Ryan.
Meanwhile Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Darrel Leiking commented, “This establishment by SIE WWS is a key win for Malaysia and a testament to the nation’s efforts to attract strategic high-quality investments from international companies.
“Malaysia has all the right criteria to become the favoured investment location for international game developers. Our thriving games ecosystem and world-class talent have attracted over 60 game development studios from all over the world and we look forward to more in the future.”
Over the past 20 years, Malaysia has successfully built its local Digital Creative Content industry, creating 149 IP titles, generating RM7.6 billion revenue and export sales of 1.3 billion with a global reach to over 120 countries.