Joseph Azzam on the Center East market | Pocket Gamer.biz

Welcome to the second in a sequence of profile options and interviews uncovering the alternatives and challenges of the Center East and North African video games market. This week we’ve spoken with Joseph Azzam, co-founder of Arabic Video games and Evangelist at Epic Video games in Lebanon.

In November, the Pocket Gamer Connects convention will return to Jordan, and this offers us a superb alternative to dive into the area’s potential. Western markets appeared to thrive through the pandemic however gradual within the months following. However the MENA market stays the quickest rising scene in video games and the area anticipates a lift in its participant base of over 8.2% this 12 months.

Azzam is presently making ready for the Arabic Video games Convention which additionally takes place in November.v“Gamescom was my first occasion after the pandemic. I used to be a bit sceptical about whether or not occasions would nonetheless be standard after the pandemic,” he tells us. “However very shortly after arriving, I spotted how a lot I missed going to bodily occasions, catching up with some outdated acquaintances, making new ones, and exchanging information.”

PocketGamer.biz: What’s your background within the video games trade?Joseph Azzam: I am from Lebanon, and I come from a tech artist background that I gained working alone VR sport.

I used to show Unreal at Saint Joseph College, and I was a neighborhood organizer at LebGameDev.

Ultimately, I joined Epic Video games as an Evangelist, and I’ve been doing that for the final 4 years. I am additionally the co-founder of Arabic Video games, an initiative that goals to develop the sport dev ecosystem within the SWANA [South West Asian and North African] area.

What’s the factor you’re most happy with doing in your time with Epic Video games?Working in a group of extremely sensible multitalented those who I belief and continue to learn from. I’m grateful to have gotten the chance to work on technical tasks that stored pushing my abilities ahead, just like the VFX military scene I did some time again. I’m additionally grateful to have been in a position to journey across the SWANA area and go to studios and work on initiatives that may assist them.

What’s the subsequent factor in your to-do record?Proper now, I’m engaged on the Arabic Video games Convention which seeks to assist the SWANA sport dev neighborhood prosper, by facilitating entry to academic sources, skilled recommendation, publishing alternatives, jobs, and extra, all whereas highlighting one of the best work this neighborhood has to supply.

Such initiatives are wanted, nevertheless it’s not sufficient. There’s a lot we will do to push the scene ahead and assist communities. That is why we registered the initiative as an NGO, and we’re presently planning an internet college in Arabic devoted to the sport growth discipline. The group has been working onerous on that, and we’re excited to launch it subsequent 12 months.

One other challenge I’ve began is my very own consultancy firm that provides to assist firms associated to gaming and real-time expertise navigate and increase within the SWANA area.

What makes the area distinctive in the case of gaming?The SWANA area has one of many highest youth populations. It additionally has an enormous participant base, but a small market share in comparison with the remainder of the world. There’s huge room for the sport trade to develop in a much less saturated market.

It appears the area is rising quick in video games. When and the way did video games turn into such a spotlight for companies there?I can’t inform for positive, however in my view, the success of PUBG and Fortnite modified the attitude of the area in direction of video games. Earlier than that, it was very onerous to elucidate video games to non-gamers. However now, even my mother, who is aware of nothing about expertise, had heard of Fortnite. Associates that swore they’d by no means play a sport had PUBG on their telephones, and instantly everybody needed to spend money on video games. After all, that was not the one issue, nevertheless it did speed up issues.

Then got here the pandemic, and the sport trade was the least affected by that, which bolstered the case for video games.

With the rise of esports, and the area having an enormous gamer inhabitants, there has additionally been a give attention to balancing the ratio between client/maker, which is why we’re seeing governments exhibiting curiosity on this discipline.

What recommendation do you may have for builders from Lebanon, Jordan and the Center East seeking to develop their affect in the remainder of the world?I began making video games in a sport jam with many first-timer college students that hardly knew something about sport growth. There was barely an lively sport growth scene in Lebanon, and we had no thought if we might ever make it into the trade, however we stored going.

In the present day after a few years, many people at the moment are working in established firms, with a ton of expertise to again us up, and we’re unfold everywhere in the world.

My recommendation is that issues are onerous, however there’s a good likelihood you may make it in case you maintain enhancing your abilities, and you’re employed in your presence whether or not it’s on-line or by attending occasions. Additionally, you’re prone to really feel like an impostor, however simply maintain going.

There’s been quite a lot of discuss concerning the metaverse, NFTs, web3… Are you investigating these phenomena?There is a broad hole between players who’re actually into it and those that hate it. I don’t assume I’m one of the best individual to touch upon this; all I can say till these turn into extensively adopted and controlled, they need to be handled as very excessive danger.

What excites you most concerning the return of Pocket Gamer Connects in November?Pocket Gamer is likely one of the few occasions within the area associated to sport growth, and I’m at all times excited to attend occasions specializing in the SWANA area. My expertise has been fairly optimistic prior to now, and I’m principally wanting ahead to connecting with the native builders and studios.

Tickets are on sale for Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan proper now, so to fulfill consultants from the area and past, register now: tickets can be found at Early Fowl charges.

The convention will happen close to Amman, subsequent to the Lifeless Sea. It would characteristic a spread of themed tracks, plus alternatives to community with some 750 video games trade insiders, and lots of the attendees will take the possibility to go to places like Petra. You’ll be able to learn our earlier MENA area interview right here, with Nour Khrais.