While the gaming global market is caving in with the cut-throat competition among different companies vouching to be the one, Middle East has different scenes happening. Private sector companies bashing up each other and a calculative Govt. watching the scene comfortably, taking a dig or two when conditions seem favorable: the usual. The Arabs have a different story to tell: A skeptic Govt condemning every possible development and handful of companies helping each other up to grow and flourish in the gaming industry with some international brands feeding them hay! This is the scenario of a country where cross country ties are almost negligible.

The once aspiring junta…

Years of suppressed passions and faded dreams, how to explain it better? Imagine a hypothetical situation: a super-smart kid, learning his passion early in life. While his fellows started to look tough, all thanks to the raucous sports, he spent his time instead in developing games. With reluctantly happy parents ‘well, nobody in the 3 mile radius has ever done it before!’

And awestruck friends:
‘You mofo! How do you do it mayn!!’ the kid was doing well. One fine evening, he returns to find a ransacked house. His consoles, newly designed games and templates all gone, a crashed computer and a threatening note. Exhausted parents returns from work,

What happened?

Angered beyond words, sarcasm speaks, “well for starters the Govt. happened!”

And we thought a smooth talking SOB and a misplaced kid is required to make a lunatic group of gun-totters.

“I used to love making first-person shooter games, oh well, now I can just do it for real!” *blasts off a fugitive’s head*

Well, maybe not that bad.

On a serious note

Things are much better now, the Digital games sales in the Middle East in 2011 accounted for an approximate $900 million out of the $24 billion global market. The widespread use of smartphones along with other phones is benefiting the developers even. With oil in one hand and bundles of money in other, young people can often afford to indulge in passions such as these. Twofour54, an upcoming figure in the gaming industry of the Middle East, is hitching up with full-proof plans to make things happen regionally. Call it a desperate attempt or a step towards development, but a couple of academies/ production studios are taking shaping among the sky-scrapers of Abu Dhabi, and yes without any governmental support. Things look promising as the fever is catching up the younger ones.

And as Mahmoud Khasawneh (who?) says, “It is not magic; it is a money guzzling business.”

Alas, only if everyone could realize.

This piece won’t be complete without a word or two dedicated to THE FOXY 22 YEAR OLD (or maybe older now), INDIAN GAME DEVELOPER WITH A PRIVATE JET. MODERATE HEIGHT (or maybe taller), DUSKY COMPLEXION (maybe fairer too), ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION, do ask him if I can do an interview, please!

May the Persian Prince watch over you.