- Starvania is an indie sport studio primarily based in Saudi Arabia their present challenge is Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree
- The studio has seen better alternatives within the MENA area with rising help from buyers and funding packages
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Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan returns on November ninth and tenth, 2024, providing you an opportunity to realize insights into the world’s fastest-growing video games market, MENA.
As a part of our MENA protection and run-up to the occasion, we caught up with Starvania Studio CEO and founder Meaad Aflah, who spoke to us about their partnership with Naphora and making a group to help younger builders in Saudi Arabia.
PocketGamer.biz: Inform us a bit about Starvania Studios and what you’re as much as proper now?
Meaad Aflah: Starvania is an indie sport studio primarily based in Saudi Arabia. We’re obsessed with creating leisure experiences that transcend the horizon, crafting fantasy universes from distinctive and undiscovered views stuffed with considerate and provoking ideas.
Proper now, I am excited to share that we’re engaged on a sport referred to as Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree, impressed by Arabian mythologies from the One Thousand and One Nights guide. It will likely be popping out very quickly on PC, Nintendo Swap and consoles, and I can not wait for everybody to expertise it.
What number of workers do you at the moment make use of and the place are they primarily based?
We’re a workforce of 12, working remotely as a multi-national workforce. Whereas most of us are primarily based in Saudi Arabia, we even have gifted members from across the globe, together with France, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, and the UK.
Why select a profession in video games? And if not video games, what would you’ve gotten been doing?
I have been obsessed with video games from a really younger age, and it was all the time a dream of mine to construct a sport studio to create the experiences I want have been in existence.I wished to indicate the world that we are able to make video games that compete globally.
Suppose I hadn’t joined the video games trade. In that case, I feel I might nonetheless be concerned in some type of artistic storytelling or gamification applied sciences, discovering different methods to convey our imaginative worlds to life.
What are you doing to foster collaboration and recruit native skills?
We’ve teamed up with the Ministry of Media and different native organisations to supply internships at our studio, giving aspiring sport builders an opportunity to realize hands-on expertise.
On prime of that, now we have been actively concerned with Digipen Institute of Know-how, serving to to show and coach teenagers in sport growth. It’s extremely rewarding to see younger expertise develop and develop their abilities from an early age.
Are you solely centered on PC/console video games? If not, what different platforms are you contemplating? Does cross-platform gaming attraction to you?
We’re primarily specializing in creating video games for PC and consoles as a result of we’re focusing on mid to hardcore players who dive into their gaming experiences. Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree will probably be launched on PC and Nintendo Swap, and we’re additionally planning to convey it to PlayStation.
Whereas our present focus is on these platforms, we’re open to exploring different choices. Cross-platform gaming does attraction to us, because it may broaden our attain and produce extra gamers collectively.
“Whereas mythologies in video games are trending worldwide, Arabian myths are much less acquainted to many players.”
Meaad Aflah
What are a few of the largest challenges you’ve got confronted within the localisation course of, and the way have your video games been obtained internationally exterior the MENA area?
One among our largest challenges is making Arabian mythologies accessible and interesting to a world viewers. Whereas mythologies in video games are trending worldwide, many players are much less accustomed to Arabian myths regardless of their fascinating tales.
Our mission is to convey this new perspective to the worldwide market, guaranteeing our sport meets worldwide requirements.
Initially, we have been uncertain how the worldwide viewers can be, however we have seen nice potential after showcasing the sport at varied occasions. Gamers are very curious to study new mythologies, and the optimistic reception has been extremely encouraging.
What are the present alternatives and challenges going through the video games trade in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA area?
I am excited concerning the alternatives within the video games trade in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA area. Rising help from buyers and funding packages, together with accelerators and incubators, is de facto serving to to drive the scene ahead.
On the similar time, we’re going through some challenges, together with a scarcity of publishers within the area. There are additionally lingering stereotypes about Saudi studios being related to lower-quality video games.
Regardless of this, we’re obsessed with proving these misconceptions incorrect and exhibiting that we are able to ship top-notch, globally aggressive video games. The scene is unquestionably rising, and we’re decided to be part of that optimistic change.
What are your ideas on rising applied sciences corresponding to AI, AR, and VR in video games? Do you intend to include AI into your sport growth course of?
We’re actually excited concerning the potential of AI, AR, and VR in gaming. AI is already serving to improve gameplay and growth, and I see its worth in supporting our work.
Nevertheless, I’m cautious to make sure it enhances fairly than overshadows our artistic course of. I purpose to make use of these applied sciences to counterpoint our video games whereas maintaining the artistic imaginative and prescient on the coronary heart of the whole lot we do.
“There’s rising help from buyers and funding packages together with accelerators and incubators, that are actually serving to to drive the scene ahead.”
Meaad Aflah
By way of funding and help for gaming studios in MENA, what has been your expertise navigating the funding panorama
Navigating the MENA area’s funding panorama, particularly in Saudi Arabia, has been fairly promising. The trade is quickly rising, and quite a few initiatives, accelerators, and incubators are devoted to video games.
I’ve additionally observed a rising curiosity from VC and angel buyers within the video games sector. This help helps to construct a robust ecosystem for the area’s video games trade, and I’m excited to be part of it.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2024? Are there any particular initiatives or initiatives on the horizon that we should always look ahead to?
For the remainder of 2024, we’re excited to launch Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree in This autumn on PC and Nintendo Swap, and we’re contemplating different platforms as effectively. We’re additionally diving into prototyping our subsequent sport, however I’ll hold the main points beneath wraps for now.
