Pakistan plans entry into $90bn gaming industry

[Syed1]

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday disclosed that his ministry would soon launch an animation and video games certification programme in a bid to enter the $90 billion gaming industry.

“This programme will not only serve the purpose of gaming for the youth but prove as a game-changer for the young people”, the federal minister said in a tweet.

“If you are not interested in reading and are interested in video games on the phone, be prepared the Ministry of Science and Technology is bringing a special program of video games programming so that we can become a part of this $90 billion industry,” he wrote.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1331108530808565761
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">اگر آپ کو پڑھنے سےدلچسپی نہیں اور فون پر ویڈیو گیمز سےرغبت ہے تو تیاری رکھیں <a href="https://twitter.com/MinistryofST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MinistryofST</a> ویڈیو گیمز پروگرامنگ کا خصوصی پروگرام لارہی ہے تا کہ ہم 90 ارب ڈالر کی اس انڈسٹری کاحصہ بن سکیں، Animation اور ویڈیو گیمز سرٹیفیکیشن پروگرام نوجوانوں کیلئے Game ہی نہیں Game Changer ہوں گے</p>— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1331108530808565761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The minister categorically stated that the objective of launching the programme was to become to penetrate into the $90 billion gaming industry.

It may be mentioned here that the minister, earlier last month, had announced to launch the country’s first over-the-top (OTT) TV Pakistan version of Netflix.

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk...to-90bn-gaming-industry/#.X7z9ioDGF9w.twitter

 

[Syed1]

Hakumat alag hi level pe khel rahi hai aur opposition teenday tamatar mein phansi howi hai.


On a scale of one to patwari how angry are you

 

[Varun]

These are the usual fluff pieces you have to ignore in the daily newspapers.

No babu or neta knows a joystick from his own appendage. Have big mouths though - let's give them that.

 

[Syed1]

These are the usual fluff pieces you have to ignore in the daily newspapers.

No babu or neta knows a joystick from his own appendage. Have big mouths though - let's give them that.

Ok thanks for your input. Much appreciated.

 

[the Great Khan]

These are the usual fluff pieces you have to ignore in the daily newspapers.

No babu or neta knows a joystick from his own appendage. Have big mouths though - let's give them that.

creating mobile games isnt a big deal..many small countries are doing it. Pakistan should encourage their youngsters to do so. it only takes one or two to make a hit. By the way your feeling a little salty latley..kya ho gaya hay?

 

[Syed1]

creating mobile games isnt a big deal..many small countries are doing it. Pakistan should encourage their youngsters to do so. it only takes one or two to make a hit. By the way your feeling a little salty latley..kya ho gaya hay?

Pak already has a mark on mobile gaming. Fruit Ninja comes to mind. The developer was some Australian company but they outsourced most of the work to some startup in Pakistan. That's one such example. There are literally hundreds of game apps developed by Pakistanis.


What Choi Saab is talking about is PC, Xbox, PS games like Fifa, Call of Duty etc.

 

[IndoorCricket]

Anyone following Tekken scene knows how good Pakistanis are. Any incentive to play would be a boost to the international scene. Becoming a esports athlete is an lucrative career choice now a days. India should also incentivize our players.

 

[Nadeemp]

Good move

 

[Technics 1210]

Pakistanis have been world Tekken champions in the past and generally excel in esports and gaming.

Great initative!

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Frankly, these ministers are way out of touch with reality and just tweet such statements to "mark attendance" and nothing else.

Barring Nishtar, and a few others, PTI ministers are nothing but disasters, and the only reason this guy isn't leading the "incompetence leaderboard" is that there are even bigger failures than him sitting in the cabinet.

 

[Tubs]

Video game programming is very difficult, but it's a good initiative. Can't wait for the inevitable influx of Urdu C++ tutorials on YouTube!

 

[Mamoon]

Hakumat alag hi level pe khel rahi hai aur opposition teenday tamatar mein phansi howi hai.


On a scale of one to patwari how angry are you

Hakumat youth brigade ko aik baar phir sabz baagh dekha rahi hai aur unho ne phir bhangra shoru kar liya hai.

Besides, the common man on the streets is worried about the prices of essentials and they do not give two hoots about Pakistan’s plans to make flop attempts to get into the gaming industry.

The fact that you are joking about the prices of vegetables and fruits show how out of touch with reality you really are. However, it is quite typical of expat Pakistanis. No point in singling you out.

Anyway, Pakistan cannot do anything properly, let alone under this government. Even hardcore PTI supporters are not going to buy some low quality, Pakistani video games.

 

[Slim]

Pakistanis have been one of the best mobile gaming developers already. Hope this isnt just another fluff piece.

 

[Slim]

Hakumat youth brigade ko aik baar phir sabz baagh dekha rahi hai aur unho ne phir bhangra shoru kar liya hai.

Besides, the common man on the streets is worried about the prices of essentials and they do not give two hoots about Pakistan’s plans to make flop attempts to get into the gaming industry.

The fact that you are joking about the prices of vegetables and fruits show how out of touch with reality you really are. However, it is quite typical of expat Pakistanis. No point in singling you out.

Anyway, Pakistan cannot do anything properly, let alone under this government. Even hardcore PTI supporters are not going to buy some low quality, Pakistani video games.

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] Pakistani developer Mindstorm Studios used to be one of the best mobile gaming developers to exist. We are pretty good in mobile app development scene.

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] Pakistani developer Mindstorm Studios used to be one of the best mobile gaming developers to exist. We are pretty good in mobile app development scene.

Yeah but developing console games that are fit for PS5, Xbox, Switch etc. is a different world to develop mobile gaming/app.

Don’t see Pakistan making inroads on that front. The likes of Japan and U.S. have reached that stage after years and years of R&D.

This is just another example of a PTI producing hot air. Nothing is going of come out of this.

 

[Slim]

Yeah but developing console games that are fit for PS5, Xbox, Switch etc. is a different world to develop mobile gaming/app.

Don’t see Pakistan making inroads on that front. The likes of Japan and U.S. have reached that stage after years and years of R&D.

This is just another example of a PTI producing hot air. Nothing is going of come out of this.

Agreed, PC/Console development is a whole different ball game altogether. I dont see Indians/Pakistanis reaching that level.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

There is no shortage of talent in both India and Pakistan when it comes to gaming industry but most of them prefer to work for foreign companies. Indian production houses pay peanuts to it's animators as compared to Canadian/US production houses.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Yeah but developing console games that are fit for PS5, Xbox, Switch etc. is a different world to develop mobile gaming/app.

Don’t see Pakistan making inroads on that front. The likes of Japan and U.S. have reached that stage after years and years of R&D.

This is just another example of a PTI producing hot air. Nothing is going of come out of this.

Japan was so ahead of everyone in 90s in the gaming industry. We haven't reached their level of 90's let alone reaching their current level. We are only good at playing their games and mastering gadgets invented by them. India and Pakistan can't match Japan, Korea, China and US in this sector.

 

[Tubs]

Japan was so ahead of everyone in 90s in the gaming industry. We haven't reached their level of 90's let alone reaching their current level. We are only good at playing their games and mastering gadgets invented by them. India and Pakistan can't match Japan, Korea, China and US in this sector.

India is somewhat decent in the general software engineering sector, but not great, I agree. Game dev is a completely different level, too. I am currently learning C++ in my PhD and it's a real pain, and I have a CompSci degree (though I am not a remarkable programmer at all), so this training will only be really applicable to middle/upper class kids who have a decent educational background already.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Agreed, PC/Console development is a whole different ball game altogether. I dont see Indians/Pakistanis reaching that level.

Pakistan has a very good video gaming scene with a lot of developers and creators. What we don't have is a label that entirely produces or develops the game like 2K, EA, Bethesda etc.

 

[Varun]

India is somewhat decent in the general software engineering sector, but not great, I agree. Game dev is a completely different level, too. I am currently learning C++ in my PhD and it's a real pain, and I have a CompSci degree (though I am not a remarkable programmer at all), so this training will only be really applicable to middle/upper class kids who have a decent educational background already.

We're champions at making tech-coolies. The backend, bottom of the pyramid jobs land here.

 

[topspin]

Good move.

One thing about Pakistanis that has always impressed me is the standard of their gamers having playing with a few of them in various Warzone tournaments.

I would like to see more of them take up e-sports and become pros or at least do content creation as streamers.

 

[jusarrived]

if you are not competitive in product development, unlikely you will have any success cracking the gaming industry. Govt should facilitate growth of IT industry in general.
May be incentivize companies to spend on developing products out with tax benefits etc and hope years down the line, few of those companies will venture into gaming and roll out great products.

 

[Technics 1210]

The console gaming industry is very different to mobile gaming industry.

Japan might lead in technology, but they don't lead in console games. Japanese game are very much orientated towards Japanese market with JPRGs etc. Long gone are the days of arcade gaming with Capcom, Taito, etc. Yes you have Nintendo flagship titles but the revenue is nothing compared to say Rockstar's earning on GTAV alone. More sales and bigger share sit with Western gaming production houses.

Mobile gaming market on the other hand is bigger than the console market. For 1, you only have to produce a game for Android or Apple. 2, there are over 3 Billion smartphones in the world - and counting.

This is why you read more about bedroom developers becoming millionaires by creating a mobile game.

Great move by PTI. Must encourage technology and its development in Pakistan. We have the brains.

 

[Tubs]

We're champions at making tech-coolies. The backend, bottom of the pyramid jobs land here.

Yeah, a lot of the 'lesser' stuff gets outsourced to you guys, but it's probably a net-positive? At least to the ones working, the 10-20k USD they probably get paid would go a long way for a poor Indian family I'd imagine?

 

[Syed1]

India is somewhat decent in the general software engineering sector, but not great, I agree. Game dev is a completely different level, too. I am currently learning C++ in my PhD and it's a real pain, and I have a CompSci degree (though I am not a remarkable programmer at all), so this training will only be really applicable to middle/upper class kids who have a decent educational background already.

As an embedded engineer I absolutely despise C++.

C is an amazing language, so powerful and functional and also easy to use once you get the hang of it. Then someone took it and added their own useless mirch masala and made C++ with a lot of fluff and nothing else. I'm glad most embedded development takes place in C.

Now that computing is getting more powerful won't be long before full Python support is available on embedded systems, as it is some boards are now coming with microPython support.

 

[Technics 1210]

Machine code is where it's at. C++ is a powerful but takes years to master.

Side fact : Pakistanis were the first to ever create a computer virus; after which the cyber security industry was born.

 

[Syed1]

All that the minister announced was a certification programme for game development and looking at the hurt of Indians and a certain 'Pakistani' it seems even trying is gunnah-e-qabira.


For all we know this may not lead to any holistic development of game industry in Pakistan but even if 1000 people learn from it and get certification they can perhaps secure jobs abroad and lift their families out of poverty/middle class.


Seems like any good measure taken by government gets sneering response from certain Pakistanis and obviously from small people next door.

 

[Technics 1210]

As an embedded engineer I absolutely despise C++.

C is an amazing language, so powerful and functional and also easy to use once you get the hang of it. Then someone took it and added their own useless mirch masala and made C++ with a lot of fluff and nothing else. I'm glad most embedded development takes place in C.

Now that computing is getting more powerful won't be long before full Python support is available on embedded systems, as it is some boards are now coming with microPython support.

You don't even need that. Grab yourself a free Unity engine and away you go producing a game. It's now more drag and drop, than lines of code.

 

[Technics 1210]

If the West didn't invest in such programs I doubt we'd have the internet today.

The money in tech investment is better spent and will pay dividends in the long run compared to spending Billions greasing brown envelopes or training up doctors in the health sector only for them to bail for more money.

 

[Varun]

Yeah, a lot of the 'lesser' stuff gets outsourced to you guys, but it's probably a net-positive? At least to the ones working, the 10-20k USD they probably get paid would go a long way for a poor Indian family I'd imagine?

Indeed, and one can only hope that the Infosyses and Wipros of this world graduate to becoming Microsoft or Google one day, however unlikely that seems at present.