{"id":1551,"date":"2022-02-14T18:09:54","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T18:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/machine-learning\/2022\/02\/14\/new-levels-unlocked-africas-game-developers-reach-toward-the-next-generation\/"},"modified":"2022-02-14T18:09:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T18:09:54","slug":"new-levels-unlocked-africas-game-developers-reach-toward-the-next-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarydistribution.com\/machine-learning\/2022\/02\/14\/new-levels-unlocked-africas-game-developers-reach-toward-the-next-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Levels Unlocked: Africa\u2019s Game Developers Reach Toward the Next Generation\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Looking for a challenge? Try maneuvering a Kenyan minibus through traffic or dropping seed balls on deforested landscapes.<\/p>\n

Or download Africa\u2019s Legends<\/i> and battle through fiendishly difficult puzzles with Ghana\u2019s Ananse or Nigeria\u2019s Oya by your side.<\/p>\n

Games like these are connecting with a hyper-connected African youth population that\u2019s growing fast.<\/p>\n

Africa is the youngest region in the world.<\/p>\n

Sixty percent of the continent\u2019s population is under 25<\/a>, and by 2030 the UN predicts the youth population to Africa will increase by 42 percent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Disposable incomes are rising and high-speed internet connections are proliferating, too.<\/p>\n

Africa is projected to have more than 680 million mobile phone users by the end of 2025<\/a>, driving a surge in the number of gamers.<\/p>\n

Across the region 177 million or 95 percent of gamers<\/a> use mobile devices.<\/p>\n

As a result Africa is the fastest-growing region for mobile game downloads, according to mobile insights firm App Annie.<\/p>\n

Kenya\u2019s Usiku Games<\/a> and Ghana\u2019s Leti Arts<\/a> are among the new generation of African game developers who are pioneering games that connect with the experiences, challenges and histories of these gamers.<\/p>\n

Each is developing mobile games aimed at educating youth on a continent where 41 percent of the population is under 15<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And more are coming: in January, South African startup Carry1st raised $20 million from marquee investors such as Andreesen Horowitz and Google for a mobile game publishing platform targeting the African market.<\/p>\n

The timing couldn\u2019t be better. Market research firm Mordor Intelligence expects gaming revenue on the continent to grow at a 12 percent annual rate through 2026 compared to 9.6 percent for the entire world.<\/p>\n

A Path for Africa\u2019s Gaming Developers<\/b><\/h2>\n

As creators of Okoa Simba, the first game developed in Kenya to be published globally, Nairobi-based Usiku Games believes it can serve as a role model for future game developers in Africa.<\/p>\n

Usiku Games is determined to reach younger audiences with educational messages that are embedded within compelling games and animations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur games directly influence the knowledge and behavior of youth on topics such as gender-based violence, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, education, and peaceful resolution of conflicts,\u201d said Usiku Games founder and CEO Jay Shapiro.<\/p>\n

One of its projects includes working in Unreal Engine with NVIDIA technologies to create a 3D game focused on HIV prevention and contraception for teen girls.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cFor game developers such as myself, this is about making something that will capture the imagination and inspire vulnerable youth in Africa, and all parts of the world,\u201d said Shapiro, a Toronto native, who has lived in Singapore, New York, Mexico and Cambodia. \u201cI want to\u00a0 create rich, visually compelling stories that impact and serve the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating Visual Stories With NVIDIA GPUs<\/b><\/h2>\n

As the first gaming studio in Ghana, Leti Arts, founded in 2009, uses NVIDIA GPUs to help build mobile games and digital comics based on African history and folklore.<\/p>\n

\u201cGames with African settings made by Africans are the best way to cultivate a sense of cultural authenticity,\u201d said Leti co-founder and CEO Eyram Tawia.<\/p>\n

A comic and computer game enthusiast since junior high school, Tawia, a Mandela Washington Fellow, the flagship program of the U.S. Government\u2019s Young African Leaders Initiative, wanted to turn the stories he\u2019d heard and drawn as a child into immersive experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt and culture contribute just as much to an economy as jobs,\u201d Tawia said . \u201cThey help increase a community\u2019s social capital, attracting talent, growth and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nine-person company\u2019s most successful games include Africa\u2019s Legends<\/i><\/a> (2014) and The Hottseat<\/i> (2019).<\/p>\n

The long-term vision for Leti Arts is to make games from Africa for the world. Tawia says the high quality of its games enables gamers to better relate with the games and content being produced.<\/p>\n

The continent is home to a growing number of game studios. In addition to Usiku Games and Leti Arts they include Maliyo Games, Kirro Games, Kayfo Games and others.<\/p>\n

More games, and game developers, are coming. Tawia and Leti Arts have worked to mentor talent through internships, boot camps and workshops.<\/p>\n

Last year Leti trained and supported over 30 game developers in partnership with\u00a0 ITTHYK Gaming and sponsored by Microsoft.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a>

Tolo Sagala is the heroine of Leti Arts\u2019 \u201cAfrica\u2019s Legends \u2013 The Game.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Expanding the Omniverse<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Both Usiku and Leti Arts, which are members of NVIDIA Inception<\/a>, a global program designed to nurture cutting-edge startups, are also exploring NVIDIA Omniverse<\/a> for real-time 3D design collaboration, AI-powered animation and game development<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With Africa\u2019s gaming industry worth well over half a billion dollars in 2021, investments are also booming for African gaming startups.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Africa\u2019s demand for local and regional gaming content grows, more startups are entering this space,\u201d said Kate Kallot, head of Emerging Areas at NVIDIA.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica\u2019s gaming landscape is punctuated by a growing base of startups and studios who are challenging the norms of traditional games, and their impact is anticipated to reach well beyond the continent itself to other game developers and audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about Leti Arts and Usiku Games, among others, by catching up on our <\/i>GTC session<\/i><\/a> focused on the African gaming industry.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

And check out\u00a0 entrepreneur and Leti Arts founder Eyram Tawia\u2019s book, \u201cUncompromising Passion: The Humble Beginnings of an African Game Industry\u201d (<\/i>CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016<\/i>).\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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