Video game developers eye investors after pitching camp
Saturday August 10 2024
Father and son sitting on sofa in lounge playing video game. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
A host of video game developers are hoping for investment inflows following project pitches at a camp hosted by giant tech firm Microsoft at the weekend.
Some of the projects presented ‘Tingish’ and ‘Finke Desert Race’ by Arkitech Studios, which won the Fak’ugesi Festival Awards in 2022—an African first award in video gaming, animation, XR (VR and AR), digital art, and music.
Africa’s video games industry is expected to reach $1 billion (Sh129.93 billion) in revenue for the first time this year, up from $800 million (Sh103.93 billion) in 2022.
However, according to the Africa Games Developer Survey, around 63 percent of local game developers have five years of experience or less, and only 19 percent have secured external investments.
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“The growth of Africa’s video game industry is an opportunity not only for local developers but also for the global gaming community. By working together and sharing resources, we can accelerate this growth and create a vibrant ecosystem that benefits everyone,” Esteban Lora, a game technology and music supervision specialist at Xbox Game Studios, said following the camp.
The two-day hybrid event hosted physically in Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Casablanca brought together industry experts from Xbox—a home video game console manufactured by Microsoft—aspiring game developers, and gaming enthusiasts from across the continent to foster innovation and collaboration.
Irene Githinji, education engagements lead at Microsoft Africa Development Centre, emphasised the importance of skills development and training in the industry.
“The Xbox Game Camp is a great opportunity for us to meet with the Xbox team and game developers and see what we can do together in this space,” she said.