[Arabic]
Amidst the current situation in Egypt and the unknown destiny veiling over, a new game on Facebook appeared to reflect the events occurring in Tahrir Square. Do Egyptians need such a reminder?
Tahrir Square Defense is the name of the game launched by Alkottab - which means writers in Arabic - a game and cartoon company based in Egypt. During an interview with the co-founder, Omar AlKhafif, he told us their aim is to launch a game that mirrors the struggles of the society in Egypt and what’s happening there.
After competing with six teams, the company won an incubation period at the newly launched AUC Venture Lab.
The idea started in 2010 when the co-founders were still in college. After graduating, they worked part-time then decided to quit their jobs last year and focus on their project. They rented a small office space and launched their first game, Tahrir Square Defense, on 15 May 2013. The game has 15 levels, the first three are free then you have to pay less than one dollar to purchase the other levels. This strategic game is available on Facebook and related to the events happenig in Tahrir Square which has become the symbol of the Egyptian revolution.
Obviously, Egyptians like to be reminded about what’s happening on the ground and play a game that showcases their struggles and make them fight their own battles. According to AlKhafif, the game gained popularity and has more than 8200 users till the date of the interview, and has been purchased by 290 people approximately. The co-founders hope to have a product that goes beyond entertainment to offer a “game with a cause”.
Even though the idea of the game is very niche, the company however has a competitor, Nezal Entertainment, which has a similar game also about the Egyptian revolution. This, in addition to other similar games that are available in the region.
[Editor’s note: Only time will tell how this game is planning to beat its competitors. However, one must ask, will this game achieve sustainability and remain popular when the events are over? Or its success will be strictly limited to the current situation?]
Watch the video above and find out more about this game and let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.
Amidst the current situation in Egypt and the unknown destiny veiling over, a new game on Facebook appeared to reflect the events occurring in Tahrir Square. Do Egyptians need such a reminder?
Tahrir Square Defense is the name of the game launched by Alkottab - which means writers in Arabic - a game and cartoon company based in Egypt. During an interview with the co-founder, Omar AlKhafif, he told us their aim is to launch a game that mirrors the struggles of the society in Egypt and what’s happening there.
After competing with six teams, the company won an incubation period at the newly launched AUC Venture Lab.
The idea started in 2010 when the co-founders were still in college. After graduating, they worked part-time then decided to quit their jobs last year and focus on their project. They rented a small office space and launched their first game, Tahrir Square Defense, on 15 May 2013. The game has 15 levels, the first three are free then you have to pay less than one dollar to purchase the other levels. This strategic game is available on Facebook and related to the events happenig in Tahrir Square which has become the symbol of the Egyptian revolution.
Obviously, Egyptians like to be reminded about what’s happening on the ground and play a game that showcases their struggles and make them fight their own battles. According to AlKhafif, the game gained popularity and has more than 8200 users till the date of the interview, and has been purchased by 290 people approximately. The co-founders hope to have a product that goes beyond entertainment to offer a “game with a cause”.
Even though the idea of the game is very niche, the company however has a competitor, Nezal Entertainment, which has a similar game also about the Egyptian revolution. This, in addition to other similar games that are available in the region.
[Editor’s note: Only time will tell how this game is planning to beat its competitors. However, one must ask, will this game achieve sustainability and remain popular when the events are over? Or its success will be strictly limited to the current situation?]
Watch the video above and find out more about this game and let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.
