Conceptual Framework Integration of Cultural Elements in Role-Playing Game Character Design via Analysis of the Malaysian Games Industry

As Malaysia's gaming industry continues to flourish, game developers are taking advantage of the country's diverse cultural background to create unique and original character designs. Incorporating local cultural elements into character designs has helped create more interesting and engaging games and allowed Malaysia to showcase its rich cultural heritage to a global audience. However, creating a sense of national identity in Malaysia, which incorporates the customs, art, and culture of its diverse peoples, has been a challenging task due to the country's multi-ethnic nature and the lack of data that evolved from the early stage because of most of the company are mostly start-ups. The study intends to use qualitative methods, involving interviews with game designers and companies and observation through successful game creators who create cultural character designs. Then the data will be analyzed and synthesized to formulate relevant recommendations for integrating culture into the visual appearance of game characters. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the importance of visual design and culture in the creation of game characters. It emphasizes the need for designers to focus on designing characters and styles that capture the attention of players and reflect the values of the culture in which they are created. This method would serve as the foundation for describing the intrinsic components of the Malaysian gaming landscape, with an emphasis on identifying the underlying strengths and deficiencies.