Today Google launches Chrome Web Store in Indonesia. Of course, it won’t be a local launching if not accompanied by local products. If you take a peek on the frontpage right now, there are big headline banners showing the apps like Kompas Editor’s Choice, Prambors, and Kapanlagi. There’s also one game that really draw my attention, TouchJam: Agnes is my Game. It’s developed by TouchTen (which is specialized in iOS games) and bring Agnes Monica as the main icon. Like playing Tap Tap Revenge in your computer.
Chrome Web Store itself is an open marketplace, where people can easily browse, discover, and purchase the apps on the web and giving developers a dedicate place to showcase their web applications. So far, I haven’t found any paid app available in this Chrome Web Store. By the default, it’s not using Indonesian as primary language although spotted to be coming from Indonesia. Still, we can opt to choose Indonesian in the Setting menu.
According to the fact sheet, there have been 11 local apps available already. Most of them are related with media and contents, like Kompas Editor’s Choice, Kapanlagi, Lintas.me, Nova, Muslim Life and Hai. The rests are Prambors (online radio), Mindtalk (social network), Blibli Gift Finder (marketplace) and TouchJam and Play Capsa (games). Other than that, we can still enjoy international apps that have been downloaded by millions of people, like Angry Birds or Plants vs Zombies. It’s very easy to download/add these apps to our Chrome browser. Just click “Add to Chrome” blue button and it will be automatically stored.
For Indonesian developers, this launching means there’s opportunity to build and distribute their apps to more than 200 million people around world who have using Chrome. But if local developers would like to see the option of submitting paid apps, seems that they should have to wait. Of course from our perspective, Indonesia is becoming more and more important for Google. Within next few months, they are going to officially establish their presence here and already selected their Country Head.
Shall any question raised about Chrome Web Store, check out their FAQ page. Meanwhile, take a look at full press release in our Wire.
