Jordan's Game Developers Join Ranks to Tap Sector Potential

From Jordan Times:

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Six local gaming developers have officially joined forces “to turn Jordan into a regional hub for game developers”, receiving support from a key development fund.

The Jordan Gaming Task Force (JGTF) will work under the umbrella of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j) to develop the gaming sector in Jordan and support startups in the field.

On Thursday, the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) signed an agreement with int@j to support the JGTF.

KAFD Director Tarik Awad stated that “the fund has been contributing to the ICT sector through supporting infrastructure and human capital development, and providing the right environment for it to excel, as part of KAFD’s mandate to drive economic progress and investment in Jordan”.

"There is great potential for the gaming sector in Jordan. Our goal is to organise ourselves and provide support for other game developers to get this field recognised in the local ICT industry," Nour Khrais, chairperson of the task force, said on Saturday.

He told The Jordan Times over the phone that there are around 11 active local game developers currently, but no exact figures are yet available on the actual contribution of the developers in the ICT sector in the Kingdom.

However, Khrais said some local ICT companies which develop games have not openly referred to themselves as game developers.

"Through this initiative, we are hoping that some of these companies will no longer shy away from the title of game developers," he told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

"We can consider Jordan a regional leader in the field of mobile phone games and online social interactive games," he said.

The task force aims to promote awareness of the game sector inside and outside Jordan to attract investors, promote game development as a career, and provide startups with guidance and mentorship, according to Khrais.

He said the initiative will include establishing the Jordan Interactive Gaming Laboratory, which will provide technical training, resources and equipment for startups in the field.

"Participants will learn the essentials of game design, from story to interface to sound effects," Khrais added.

The gaming lab will be operated by int@j's Oasis 500, under the task force's supervision.  CEO of int@j Abed Shamlawi said the initiative will help increase the number of game developers in the Kingdom and develop the ones already present in the field. “Currently, all the local game developers are startups. Through this initiative, we will shed more light on this new sector so new graduates will join the field. All this will benefit the local IT sector in the long run,” he told The Jordan Times.

“We as local gaming companies have been exchanging expertise and organising ourselves to develop the sector, instead of focusing on competing against each other. This has helped us secure the support to achieve this common goal,” Khrais said.

IV Holdings Invests in Wizards Productions, An Arab Social Gaming Pioneer

Interactive Ventures Holdings Co. (IV Holdings) concluded in December 2010 its investment in Wizards Productions, a Jordan-based games development company.  

Established in 2009 to address the gap in Arab online social gaming providers, Wizards Productions is one of the gaming industries fastest growing new entrants with a track record both successfully developing as well as localizing free-to-play, MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online Games), and social games for the Arab Region. 

Led by three of its founders, and with initial support from the Arab angel investment community, Wizards Productions has grown to quickly lead in the social gaming development space, and has shown an ability to engage hundreds of thousands of gamers from across the MENA region.  In particular, Wizards Productions has differentiated itself in its ability to develop, launch, and support proprietary games within a cost effective fashion, while also building online gaming communities from scratch.  The team has also been successful in developing partnerships within the local, regional, and global gaming industry.  In fact, Wizards' appeal was based on its entrepreneurial approach to delivering relevant gaming experiences through a team that blends gaming, graphics, technology, marketing, and a strong understanding of "online communities" to turn gaming titles into "regionally relevant" gaming experiences. 

The investment proceeds will go towards enhancing the company’s capabilities and fueling its growth, where IV Holdings will be principal in driving Wizards Productions' progress through catalyzing new partnerships and funding new gaming offerings, including mobile and 3D games, and supporting the scaling of its operations regionally.

IV Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Accelerator Technology Holdings, provides capital, expertise and a synergistic network of ventures to help enable and grow special entrepreneurs both within and outside the Arab world. Its focus is on building category defining companies that will shape how a global Arab audience will interact online.  

IV Holdings Invests in Gate2Play

Interactive Ventures Holdings Co. (IV Holdings), in partnership with other Jordanian and Egyptian angel investors, concluded in December 2010 an investment in Gate2Play, a Jordan and Egypt based venture that is deploying an online payment and support platform predominantly geared towards the fast emerging gaming segment in the Arab World.

Led by its founder, Muhannad Ebwini, and with a team of industry veterans, the company is currently enabling payment and support solutions for micro-transaction based businesses. Incorporated in 2009, Gate2Play is currently launching a regional online payment and value-added services platform for online services in MENA.  The company's initial objective is to provide an end-to-end payment and value-added services platform to address the needs of the online gaming industry as it works to cater to Arab audiences.  Gate2Play is linking global and local gaming companies with Arab gamers by providing them with regional and country-specific payment solutions, localization, social media, community building, contact center support and other value-added services.  In so doing, the company is opening new opportunities for Arab gamers, as they will be able to access and enjoy world-class games from global and Arab publishers utilizing local payment and support channels.

IV Holdings' investment proceeds will go towards launching the company's payment gateway, while also expanding its existing support and localization centers in Amman and Cairo.  

IV Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Accelerator Technology Holdings, provides capital, expertise and a synergistic network of ventures to help enable and grow special entrepreneurs both within and outside the Arab world. Its focus is on building category defining companies that will shape how a global Arab audience will interact online.