Experts at a conference on the economic potential of the gaming industry in Pakistan said on Tuesday that the industry could generate annual revenue of up to $400 million if ease of business was ensured.

The conference was organised in Islamabad by Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) and Tencent Games. Government officials, gaming studios, game developers, entrepreneurs, freelancers and telecom operators attended the event.

According to a press release issued afterwards, panelists discussed the current status of Pakistan’s gaming industry and the challenges it needed to overcome to grow sustainably in the coming years.

Tencent’s Senior Director for Public Affairs Lih Shiun noted that the IT sector was actively involved in the gaming industry and is “well-poised to capture the immense opportunities the global video games industry brings”.

Shiun further pointed out that the gaming sector did not only have a direct impact through job creation and economic output, but it also provided secondary value via e-sports and other digital competitions.

“With video game-related technologies increasingly being used in other sectors and areas such as industrial design and cultural heritage promotion and protection, you can see how much potential there is for Pakistan’s video gaming sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, PASHA Chairman Badar Khushnood said that the gaming industry could spur economic growth in Pakistan if it was supported with the right policies, adding that the country “potentially has access to a $90 billion mobile gaming industry alone”.

He said unofficial estimates showed Pakistanis had spent $260m so far on video games.

“Game-makers in Pakistan typically produce mobile games for a global audience. If supported with the right policies, the gaming sector can spur economic growth in Pakistan,” he said