Game on

The Gulf caught up with two independent video and online game developers at the recent iTECH Forum 2014 in Bahrain to find out how almost anyone can, in theory, turn a good idea into a money maker

It would be easy to think that to be a game developer you need the technical knowledge of an expert coder, the backing of a wealthy investor and the marketing clout of a global entertainment house.
To be truly successful, and rich, all three of the above would help, of course. But small-time independent game developers across the world, including in the Middle East, are discovering that what starts as a hobby can - with skill, a good original idea, a passion to push a project to completion and a dose of good fortune - become be viable way to earn a living.

While the video and online game development industry has its creative and commercial roots in Japan, the US and Europe, the seeds of a community in the Middle East have been laid, and are slowly branching out, encouraged by some of the world's highest Internet and smart phone penetration rates, and what is believed to be one of the world's fastest growing online gaming markets.

Though it is unclear exactly how many casual independent game developers are in the Middle East, the concept of game development as a business appeals in a region with new-found interest in entrepreneurship. But, as with any start-up business, development costs can prove prohibitive for all but the most determined, or financially-backed, developer.

Mohammed Babbili is a game developer who now works as a consultant at a Bahrain-based web development and interactive agency. He insists it is, in theory, possible to build a globally successful game with a small team.

"It's all about the idea. In 2014 no one has an excuse not to develop a game if they want to. Look at Angry Birds [a video game franchise created by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Entertainment], which proved that a couple of guys can do it. The online tools, technologies and tutorials are all out there."

Time is money, however, and development costs can quickly spiral.

"If you're focused on mobile games or short-form games development costs in the first six months can run between $100,000 or $200,000," says Borut Pfeifer, a Los Angeles-based founder of Plush Apocalypse Productions, a small, independent game developer whose published credits include Scarface: The World is Yours, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom and, most recently, Skulls of the Shogun, an arcade strategy game for Xbox Live Arcade, Windows Phone and Windows 8.

Babbili says finding even that sort of money to support a start-up in the Middle East is difficult.

"An investor here will ask you straight up: 'what is the guaranteed profit next year?' I have been in that situation myself," he explains.

"Games are a hit-driven business," Pfeifer adds. "You can't necessarily guarantee what you're going to get. With Skulls of the Shogun we made it a cross-platform game - we came out on Xbox360, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Steam and iPhone and iPad and that helped mitigate risks. You have to know what your breakeven point is."

Attitudes towards game development in a Gulf region where even registering an online company has traditionally been difficult appears to be changing, however. Ubisoft, a producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products with a multi-billion dollar turnover, opened an office in Abu Dhabi in early 2013. The company employs a team of professional developers, and has a fully fledged studio. There are also said to be companies developing games in Dubai.

Babbili hopes Ubisoft's decision to invest in the UAE will help raise the profile of Gulf's game developer community and inspire raw talent to become commercial talent, much like his own career path. He has a vested interest in this - as a college student, Babbili signed up for the Imagine Cup, a competition sponsored Microsoft to uncover the hidden talents of future IT experts and showcase their work. He eventually became a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional).

"I know a lot of independent game developers here [in Bahrain]. There is one guy who worked with a team from the US to make a game for the iPad. Unfortunately he is the only professional in Bahrain.

"There are others who have a lot of potential but nobody is here to appreciate the role, showcase their work, and use them," he explains.

"But they're [Ubisoft] training Emiratis," notes Babbili. "These guys are doing well. Pfeifer says the lack of a coherent, formally organised developer community echoes the situation in some smaller US cities.

"There are cities in the US which have a similar population of folks who are passionate and want to make games, but there are no games studios there and no infrastructure. But in the past few years with all the various online tools there are a lot of ways to get over these barriers.

"It is about building momentum and it seems like in the Middle East there is just as much potential as anywhere else."

With limited infrastructure, few traditional funding sources and a community which often exists as independent islands, game developers in the Middle East could be forgiven for thinking they don't get the recognition their talents deserve. And even months or years developing a game is no guarantee that it will appear on a lucrative digital storefront, with a global audience.

Nevertheless both Babbili and Pfeifer advise any developer, no matter how ambitious, to build their expertise and skills steadily, and not be afraid to make mistakes.

"Don't start big. Don't waste time trying to make huge games," says Babbili. At the iTECH Gulf 2014 Forum in Manama he hosts a hand-on workshop where he demonstrates just how easy it is to build a game in minutes.

"When a young developer embarks on a huge project he will be involved in design, in 3D, all the details, which will take a lot of time. Start small, focus on the output and spread the knowledge you gain," he says.

Both Babbili and Pfeifer stress the importance of collaboration, which has been the bedrock principle on which successful developers in places like Japan, the US and Europe have based their models.

"As an independent small game maker you try to keep your scope very focused, so you don't need too many disparate abilities. Or if you do, you bring someone in to help out, collaborate for a little bit on a project," says Pfeifer.

Figures suggest there's plenty of opportunity out there should a developer hit the game jackpot. A report by research company DFC Intelligence estimates global revenue from online games will reach $35 billion by 2017, from $19 billion in 2011.

How much of that pie Middle East developers can and will access depends on many factors.

But ambition, passion, funding, collaboration and luck are the names of this particular game.