Iyad Alsabouni on developing deeper experiences and more meaningful connections with players

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After a profitable occasion in 2024, which welcomed over 1,300 attendees, the Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by Pocket Gamer Connects passed off on Might seventh to eighth 2025.

As soon as once more, the PGC workforce partnered with the Dubai Financial system & Tourism division (DET) to convey the worldwide video games business an unmissable two-day convention expertise within the superb metropolis of Dubai, a part of the fastest-growing area of your complete worldwide video games business

The summit featured greater than 70 famend international video games business audio system, delivering insightful talks, panels and seminars throughout plenty of themed tracks.

One of many highlights of the programme was Iyad Alsabouni, the Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Science in Recreation Design and Growth, and Assistant Professor of Visible Communication (Foundations/Recreation Design) of the American College in Dubai.

Alsabouni oversees the Recreation Design and Growth program, managing curriculum and operations. As an Assistant Professor, he teaches foundational programs in visible communication and sport design, whereas additionally supporting scholar studying and artistic improvement.

The Pocketgamer workforce spoke to Alsabouni to seek out out extra about his session on the GameExpo Summit and his expertise within the rapidly-evolving video games sector.

What are you talking about on the Dubai Recreation Expo Summit?

I spoke about:

1. how rising applied sciences and the way they’re remodeling sport improvement. My focus was on how these instruments improve creativity and effectivity in sport artwork.

2. Aligning tutorial coaching with business wants to arrange college students for the longer term.

3. The function of robust visible storytelling and design foundations in constructing immersive and interesting sport experiences.

What’s the commonest mistake you see being made within the video games sector?

In all probability overemphasising visible spectacle or advanced mechanics with out grounding them in coherent gameplay or significant participant expertise. Builders generally neglect consumer expertise and emotional engagement, that are important to creating video games that resonate with gamers.

If you happen to may give different cell video games corporations one piece of recommendation, what wouldn’t it be?

Deal with depth. Too usually, cell video games are constructed round monetisation loops and engagement metrics, however they overlook the worth of significant participant experiences. My recommendation could be to put money into user-centred design. Video games that join with gamers on an emotional and aesthetic degree construct lasting communities.

The place are the following massive alternatives within the cell video games market?

There’s immense potential in utilizing AI to tailor sport narratives, issue ranges, and aesthetics to particular person gamers in actual time. One other key space is the rise of cross-platform ecosystems, designing video games that transfer fluidly between cell, PC, and console, creating extra seamless and interesting participant journeys.

What’s crucial key efficiency indicator (KPI) for you – and why?

Crucial KPI is participant engagement high quality, not simply amount. Metrics like session size or retention charges matter, however they don’t inform the complete story. If a sport encourages curiosity, emotional connection, and sustained creativity, it indicators that the developer is doing one thing essentially proper.

What’s your largest aspiration/aim in cell gaming? 

To raise video games usually as a medium for significant creative and cultural expression, not simply as leisure merchandise, however as immersive experiences that replicate various narratives.

What firm do you most admire within the cell video games world?

I like Ustwo the corporate behind Monument Valley for its courageous and masterful integration of visible design, narrative subtlety, and storytelling. The sport is an instance of how minimalist aesthetics can evoke emotional depth and participant curiosity.

What do you assume the following massive disruptor in cell video games shall be?

In all probability the real-time integration of generative AI to create adaptive, player-driven content material. This implies video games that may evolve dynamically based mostly on consumer behaviour, emotional response.

What’s the single largest problem dealing with the cell video games business immediately?

Balancing industrial stress with inventive integrity. The cell video games business is closely pushed by monetisation fashions, advertisements, in-app purchases, and engagement metrics that always result in formulaic design and shallow gameplay loops.

What’s your favorite ever cell sport?

My favorite ones occur to be ports from consoles.

What sport from one other firm do you want you had labored on?

Sifu

What sport do you assume affords one thing new and thrilling that hasn’t but hit the mainstream?

There was a sport referred to as Brutes.io that had a really brief life for some unknown motive, and I feel it had loads of potential.

What sport has been in your cellphone the longest?

Conflict Royale, however not anymore due to the fixed tinkering from the builders and the aggressive microtransaction mechanics.

The cell area evolves at a a lot quicker tempo than console and PC gaming, however is there a console or PC development that you just assume has potential inside the cell area?

Cross-play