A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of interviewing MDEC’s Vice President of Digital Creative Content, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin at Level Up Inc’s office. We discussed about all things gaming from what Malaysian game developers have to offer, to older generations’ reaction to E-sports.
In this article, check out the highlights of the interview including his thoughts on the upcoming Level Up KL 2019 event happening this 9 & 10 November at KLCC!
If you want to check out the full interview, watch our exclusive video:
The following interview may be edited for reading clarity.
Q: This will be the first time in 5 years that Level Up KL will be open to the general public. What are your expectations for it?
It’s going to be huge. Just based on stats alone, Malaysia has a population of 32 million and within that number, there are about 14.4 million gamers in Malaysia. Now, even if you had 10% of that 14.4 million, the event is going to be filled with a ton of people. So, we’re definitely expecting huge crowds coming in.
It’s also something we don’t see often, a full fledged gaming festival that is concentrated around games and where people can experience and play games that our local game companies have been making. I think it’s something that we can bring to the table, and we hope that everyone can come and experience all these games.
Q: In your opinion, do you think Malaysian game developers are on par with international game developers or do we still need to catch up?
Did you know the Elder Dragon AR that was done during the League of Legends Grand Final Opening at Shanghai was done by Passion Republic, which is a Malaysian studio? Passion Republic has also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Graphic Design because of said Dragon. When it comes to gaps, yeah, we do have gaps in certain areas but we are also leaders in certain areas as well.
During the Tokyo Game Show 2019, Shuhei Yoshida (the president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios) was asked in an interview what are the games to look out for in Southeast Asia. Shuhei said there were two games you should look out for in Malaysia, Passion Republic’s Gigabash and Streamline Studios’ Bake ‘N Switch.
https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/2017/12/dev-summoning-the-worlds-dragon/
Q: There is a social stigma that the older generation is less receptive to E-sports as a sustainable industry. How do you think we should overcome this stigma and bring more acceptance into the industry?
Your answer is right here: Level Up Play is not only meant for the existing enthusiasts but also others to join in as well. I’m a 45 year-old gamer who is a father of two sons who are hardcore gamers as well. I sometimes sit at game stores and watch as parents come into stores to buy games for their kids, like “Do you guys have FIFA 20?”
Parents these days adept as well. They used to ask the staff what’s the best selling game but now it’s different, parents know. We see that shift now because most parents were gamers or are still gamers. As games become more mainstream, the gaming industry only grows larger. I will bet you, in 5 years, that the social stigma will be all gone.
We had such a fun time interviewing Hasnul and getting ourselves educated on the Malaysian gaming scene. We definitely cannot wait to experience, try out new games, and talk with the very Malaysians that are leading the gaming scene here during Level Up KL Biz and Play 2019.
Be sure to come for Level Up KL 2019 happening on 9 – 10 November at KLCC. For more information about the event, check out our article here, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for live updates from both Biz and Play!
Want to know which games to check our at Level Up KL Play 2019? Check out our best picks here.
