A museum that focuses on the evolution of video games, spanning from the legendary Pac-Man to the state-of-the-art PlayStation 5, has a central mission to kindle the creative spirit and motivate young Saudis to delve into and create their own highly successful video game projects.
This extensive exhibit showcases a remarkable collection of gaming consoles and arcade machines, spanning over the past five decades. It is a central component of Gamers8, an eight-week extravaganza of eSports competitions hosted in Riyadh. This festival boasts a staggering total prize pool of $45 million.
Remarkably, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman allocated a massive $38 billion investment for the Savvy Games Group, an entity under the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund, reaffirming the nation's dedication to fostering the gaming sector.
The emerging national gaming and eSports strategy prioritizes local game development, aspiring to turn Saudi Arabia into a vibrant center for game creators, fostering innovative titles that celebrate Saudi and Arabic culture. The museum and adjoining "game labs" play a pivotal role in this endeavor, attracting around 3,000 participants, predominantly Saudis, who are eager to acquire skills in coding and animation during the Gamers8 festival.
Developer Mohammed Al-Fakih underscored the transformative shift, stating that Arabs were previously consumers of games but now have the opportunity to design and manifest their own gaming concepts while respecting local customs and traditions.
Saudi Arabia's youthful, tech-savvy majority, representing almost two-thirds of the non- immigrant populace, offers a lucrative market for the video game industry. Yet, a considerable obstacle persists: fashioning a gaming sensation that genuinely embodies Saudi culture. According to Faisal bin Homran, Chief eSports Officer of the Saudi Esports Federation, 25,000 Saudi and foreign developers are attempting to address this conundrum.
Homran is optimistic, believing that foreign expertise and knowledge sharing will lead to internationally acclaimed games emerging from Saudi studios. He draws inspiration from Saudi characters already integrated into global gaming franchises, such as Shaheen in Tekken and Rashid in Street Fighter.
Nevertheless, Saudi officials, including Homran, harbor ambitious goals. The national strategy aims for domestic companies to generate 30 internationally competitive games by 2030. Certain Saudi-made games have already resonated with local fans, such as "Khashem," where a character utilizes his sense of smell to overcome challenges and regain lost memories.
