In association with: BETA | REGION FOCUS: UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Aside from some differences in clothing, the show floor at the Dunai World Game Expo will look utterly familiar to Western developers, proving that Middle Eastern games development isn’t as alien as some might feel
advantage of being connected with the knowledge and skills of the rest of the world. “We’d love to encourage the spread of this
content globally,” he continues. “For us the ultimate signature of success would be that content conceptualised and created here would be exported to the rest of the world. I don’t think there’s any reason that this region can’t participate in a process that exists across much of the rest of the global games industry.” Of course, where there is so much
opportunity there is also a great deal of challenge, and the companies across the region are happy to admit they have a long way to go. “It is not easy to find the right staff, as the
region lacks the educational programs in fields such as sound engineering, animation and game level design,” says Mohamed Sanad, marketing executive at Egyptian studio Nezal. “We have to find some passionate people who are self-learned by reading some books, watching videos and so on.” TwoFour54’s new Gaming Academy in Abu Dhabi City serves as part of the solution to the lack of suitably experienced local talent (See ‘Develop Like an Egyptian’ panel, right), and sets the United Arab Emirates metropolis apart as a leading destination in the region. However, many more similar games development savvy educational
establishments will be needed to satisfy the wider area.
And then there’s the no less important
matter of generating revenue from the games, publishing and distribution models most suited to the Middle East’s unique make-up.
From a global standpoint, start-
ups can see some of the world’s leading games companies
investment here. Wayne Borg, TwoFour54
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was monetisation,” explains Jawaker’s Abdel- Yaman. “Credit cards have low penetration rates and most people in the region don’t trust using them online yet. Other solutions suffer from low regional availability, impracticality, or large fees, forcing developers to implement and maintain a large combination of solutions.” Furthermore, some say investment and understanding in the commercial worth of the games sector locally has a way to go. According to Robert Fisser, Sony
Computer Entertainment Europe’s vice
president of sales and commercial development for the European, Middle Eastern, African, and Australasian territories, the status of some elements of the industry – in investors’ minds at least – need reprioritising in the Middle East. “The region does not see the level of
investment that could be justified,” he says, going on to offer examples of areas that need to be recognised as warranting a greater emphasis when cash is divided. “Marketing budgets, events, and company headcounts come to mind.”
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Others, however, are upbeat about the changing attitudes of investors, and are confident that not only cash-rich UAE businessmen are stepping up to support games with funding. “There’s a lot of gaming start-ups here locally and we’re even investing in some of those start-ups,” insists Borg. “We’ve just invested in a couple such as Jawaker. “For young start-ups here there is a lot of
activity in the gaming space, and I think, certainly from a global investment standpoint, they can see some of the world’s leading games companies making an investment and establishing a presence here, and that’s a testament to the viability of the games industry in the region. I believe there’s a lot of investment interest in the
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