• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Saudi Arabia is Making a $38 Billion ‘Gaming Hub’

Status
Not open for further replies.

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member


Bo_Hazem Bo_Hazem

Denzel Washington GIF


Bloomberg has published an article detailing the Saudi Arabian government’s intention to spend a whopping $38 billion building a ‘gaming hub’ in the heart of the country. It’s an effort to become an industry leader and to diversify the country’s economy, which up until now has been almost entirely centred around oil.

This venture will reportedly be led by Savvy Gaming Group, and one of the first actions on the docket is to acquire or create a firm that could enable ‘new IP’ to be created in-country. Not only that but through heavy investment, Savvy seeks to increase stakes in companies like Nintendo and flesh out a thriving esports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.

Will Saudi Arabia Become a Gaming Nation?​

Savvy has been making massive waves in recent years, acquiring iconic esports firm, ESL, in 2022, securing one of the most steadfast footholds in the competitive gaming community. It’s tough for the esports industry at the moment, and almost every organisation in the space operates at a loss – the road to profitability is a tough one, but Savvy is poised to face that road with a smile on its face.

In a statement to Bloomberg, CEO of Savvy, Brian Ward, explained what’s on the cards for the months ahead:

We are now more of an esports company than a games company. What we’re doing this year is focusing more on game publishing and development. We would like to use those investments to begin to work with these companies and ask how we can work together on publishing in (the Middle East and North Africa), run their esports businesses or develop new IP together,
Ward himself is a veteran of the industry, and his lengthy career has taken him through the doors of Activision and Electronic Arts, among other firms. Reportedly, Savvy boasts a $13 billion fund that it can use to invest in – or acquire – a game publisher, but on the subject of Electronic Arts, Ward claimed that the California-headquartered firm would be ‘too big’ for them to pick up.

In Bloomberg’s article, it was suggested that Riyadh-based Savvy is turning to game development because of a lack of traction in the esports space. No big esports backers are looking to sign up with Savvy – including Riot Games and Activision Blizzard, and that’s likely a geographical and political issue.


It’s no big secret that Saudi Arabia’s base nature has caused countless controversies over the years, and some developers, publishers, and tournament organisers have made active, targeted efforts to avoid operations there. However, speaking to Bloomberg, Ward stood firmly and claimed that he’d ‘hire an LGBTQ or Jewish person to lead a game studio in Saudi Arabia.’
 
Last edited:

TrebleShot

Member
Saudi just shot themselves in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about American culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in the Europe where you can become successful by being an asshole.

If you screw someone over in America, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the american public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase games for either system, nor will they purchase any of Saudis games.

This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Saudi has alienated an entire market with this move.

Saudi, publicly apologize and cancel all games or you can kiss your business goodbye.
 
Saudi just shot themselves in the foot.
I don't know how much the rest of you know about American culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in the Europe where you can become successful by being an asshole.

If you screw someone over in America, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the american public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase games for either system, nor will they purchase any of Saudis games.

This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Saudi has alienated an entire market with this move.

Saudi, publicly apologize and cancel all games or you can kiss your business goodbye.
Understand Captain America GIF
 

Kurotri

Member
Savvy has been making massive waves in recent years, acquiring iconic esports firm, ESL, in 2022, securing one of the most steadfast footholds in the competitive gaming community. It’s tough for the esports industry at the moment, and almost every organisation in the space operates at a loss – the road to profitability is a tough one, but Savvy is poised to face that road with a smile on its face.
This is some anime bullshit
 

RCU005

Member
Microsoft for the low price of “buying everything from the competition so they can’t win”, they could’ve made so many studios for new games and experiences, as well as a huge investment into research and development.

Or two gaming hubs!
 

Haint

Member
This means they will be making multi-million dollar poaching offers to industry veterans to get them to come work for their studio's a few years, like their LIV PGA Golf competitor.
 

IFireflyl

Gold Member
What an awful first post.

Yes please. Not interested in esports but it is a start.

If you think that the post, "No thanks," is awful, I don't think you belong on the internet. You know that censorship is a real thing in Saudi Arabia, right? This is a heavily Islamic nation, and its government has strict control over all content. That is not a place for the video game industry to thrive.
 
Last edited:

spawn

Member
I'm not sure what a gaming hub is supposed to be. Is it digital like a Metaverse? Is it physical like an E3 event?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom