Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About

[Dreamestorical]

Are there a lot of startups in Nigeria?

One of my dreams in life is to start a game developing company, one that makes games for an African market (like how Namco and Capcom make games for the Japanese market). Would this be a lucrative venture or would I have to kowtow to Americans / Europeans to break even?

I should visit Nigeria one of these days.

You dont need to know americans or europeans. All you need to do is understand how Nigerians think and make games centered around that.

Plus My advice would be to go into the online pc market. there is a lot of money to be made there. a lot of Africans prefer to play online at the moment.

Here is one of Nigeria's biggest game companies its called Kuluya

http://www.kuluya.com/

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/nigeria-african-video-games-market/

It’s a common enough scenario in Nigeria and across Africa: how to get rid of pesky mosquitoes whose buzzing disturbs sleep and whose bites can carry malaria and other diseases.

Two Nigerian start-ups have tapped this — and other aspects and quirks of daily life in Africa — to create online and mobile phone video games that are winning fans around the world.

It’s easy to see why “Mosquito Smasher” — which has earned comparisons to “Angry Birds”, the worldwide mobile app success of recent years — might be a hit.

The graphics are simple, the aim clear and the reward immediate: squash as many of the blood-sucking parasites as possible under your thumb with a satisfying “Splat!”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/nigeria-african-video-games-market/#sthash.phv1xjZE.dpuf

Another, the highly popular “Okada Ride”, has players guide a motorcycle-taxi driver around roadside street vendors, road-blocks and police in the notorious traffic of Lagos, a sprawling metropolis of nearly 20 million people.

“What I like about Nigerian video games, it’s one: the local content, because it tends to give you that everyday feel,” said Chucks Olloh, 32, a big fan.

“For example the ‘Okada’ hussle, it tells you how you ride on your bike, trying to avoid so many obstacles on your way home or on your way to work,” said the computer programmer from Lagos.

“Two: it’s very simple. All you have to do is to gain as much points as possible and avoid the obstacles.”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/nigeria-african-video-games-market/#sthash.phv1xjZE.dpuf

The worldwide video games industry, worth more than $63 billion (46 billion euros) in 2012, is expected to reach nearly $87 billion in 2017, PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a recent study.

And while the African market has not figured prominently on the radar of game developers, the founders of Maliyo — the makers of “Mosquito Smasher” and “Okada Ride” — and Kuluya are hoping to change that.

Both firms were launched about 18 months ago and draw inspiration from life in Lagos. Kuluya — “action” in the Igbo language of southern Nigeria — has already created some 70 games.

It hopes to reach one million mobile telephone users by the end of June and has fans well beyond Nigeria’s borders.

“In Africa, we have a lot of downloads from Ghana, Kenya and South Africa,” said Lakunle Ogungbamila, who runs Kuluya.

“There was a particular game that a lot of people downloaded in Ethiopia, I’m not sure why. It’s called ‘Ma Hauchi’: it’s a hunter who is shooting vultures. A very simple game…

“Also, we get a lot of downloads from China, India, Thailand, Taiwan.”

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/nigeria-african-video-games-market/#sthash.phv1xjZE.dpuf

Kuluya, meanwhile, started with an investment of $250,000 but is now worth an estimated $2 million and employs about a dozen people in its Lagos office.

Here is another game company in Nigeria called Maliyo



http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/1/5134628/how-nigerian-games-companies-are-celebrating-africa

Technically, Maliyo's games are extremely simple, but they do portray Africans dealing with African problems. One of its competitors in Lagos, Kuluya takes a similar approach, also weaving its games around local myths and stories.

Our focus is on African narratives," said CEO 'Lakunle Ogungbamila. "Africa is a very rich culture. If you imagine all the different stories embedded in all the different African cultures, it's more than you'll get anywhere else in the world. In my locality, as a Yoruba person, I can pick out five very beautiful mythical or historical stories that we could draw from and build a game around. That's just in my local culture. If the world is interested in playing games about Greek gods, I can't see why they wouldn't be interested in stories from Africa."

He said that portrayals of Africa in games, and indeed most entertainment media that originates outside Africa is "negative" focusing on prejudiced colonial-era viewpoints about people who are forever in need of help.

"It is usually something about a white man coming to Africa as a mercenary to take out rebels or some other bad guy," he said. "If you look at Resident Evil 5, it was presented as the home of evil. Africa is usually in a bad light or it's about a famine. Africa is not all about starvation."

Obi said that the portrayal of Africa by Europeans, Asians and Americans, is inherently flawed.. "Maybe I could make a game about China. I think I know about China," he said. "But, really, I don't. I am not from there."

So as you can see there is a alot of opportunity. You just have to make games from an african perspective it will sell. This is where the opportunity is. There is a growing african middle class that desire to relate with the global world from an African viewpoint, whether it is with games, fashion, movies e.t.c The goal is to tap into it.

 

[OCCAMS_RAZOR]

Woah, all y'all are really making a lot of headway in the gaming sector. I had no knowledge of this. Thank you for the links, my man.

 

[Dreamestorical]

Woah, all y'all are really making a lot of headway in the gaming sector. I had no knowledge of this. Thank you for the links, my man.

yep a lot is happening in Nigeria and on the continent. i am going to post more exiting developments.

 

[TMNT4000]

You dont need to know americans or europeans. All you need to do is understand how Nigerians think and make games centered around that.

Plus My advice would be to go into the online pc market. there is a lot of money to be made there. a lot of Africans prefer to play online at the moment.

Here is one of Nigeria's biggest game companies its called Kuluya

http://www.kuluya.com/

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/03/nigeria-african-video-games-market/













Here is another game company in Nigeria called Maliyo



http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/1/5134628/how-nigerian-games-companies-are-celebrating-africa

So as you can see there is a alot of opportunity. You just have to make games from an african perspective it will sell. This is where the opportunity is. There is a growing african middle class that desire to relate with the global world from an African viewpoint, whether it is with games, fashion, movies e.t.c The goal is to tap into it.

Damn!!! the Nigerians doing everything imaginable, what are the other Africa markets are doing?

 

[jadillac]

more great pics if interested

Pictures: Life In Lagos City - Politics - Nairaland

no ratchetness anywhere in this picture

 

[Dreamestorical]

Woah, all y'all are really making a lot of headway in the gaming sector. I had no knowledge of this. Thank you for the links, my man.

One company I am really excited for is Tingo mobile
Its a Nigerian company that manufactures phones and apps and they just got into managing broadband networks. They use the android system for thier phones. They are planning to launch their own system to compete with andorid, black berry and apple in Nigeria and the African continent.

http://www.tingo.com.ng/

 

[Dreamestorical]

Damn!!! the Nigerians doing everything imaginable, what are the other Africa markets are doing?

Other african countries are doing things as well. For example Kenya's tech scene is ahead of Nigeria's. Then we have Ethiopia that is on the cusp of an industrial revolution. When they complete the dam, things are going to get real good. Then Ghana is also getting there. They are beginning to manufacture a lot of light goods. Then of course Rwanda is blazing ahead with great economic reforms.

 

[TMNT4000]

Other african countries are doing things as well. For example Kenya's tech scene is ahead of Nigeria's. Then we have Ethiopia that is on the cusp of an industrial revolution. When they complete the dam, things are going to get real good. Then Ghana is also getting there. They are beginning to manufacture a lot of light goods. Then of course Rwanda is blazing ahead with great economic reforms.

Good stuff but you gotta post the other countries development a lot more often.

You make it seem like Nigeria is a one man show lol.

 

[Dreamestorical]

Nigerian made computer.
http://veda.com.ng/

there is a new generation of Nigerians known as repats. They say they are 16,000 Nigerians returning from the western world every month! They are taking their skills and returning to Nigeria. many of the business your seeing in this thread is set up by repats. This is why I laugh when i hear people say there is no hope for blacks.

This is to aspire coli brethren to take the leap. start the video from 1:35 to 5:35

 

[Dreamestorical]

Good stuff but you gotta post the other countries development a lot more often.

You make it seem like Nigeria is a one man show lol.

lol yeah it appears that way. Though what one has to understand is that Nigeria is by far the largest economy on the continent and it is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world and we have the largest population as well. There is a reason Nigeria is known as the Giant of Africa. So there is a lot of things taking place in Nigeria.
Plus Im Nigerian and I spend a lot of my time in Nigeria so I have a lot more knowledge on whats taking place on the ground compared to other African counties.

I encourage Africans from other countries on the coli to showcase what is happening in their countries.

 

[OCCAMS_RAZOR]

Good stuff but you gotta post the other countries development a lot more often.

You make it seem like Nigeria is a one man show lol.

He is Nigerian, so that's all he knows. I am Kenyan but unfortunately I'm not really up on what's happening in my homeland. I am sure there are other Kenyans posting here who can pick up the slack. Also, I am sure there's a lot going on in Southern Africa that we don't know about (Botswana, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, etc).

 

[CASHAPP]

@Dreamestorical a couple of questions 1. Is Lerato Mbele still on Africa Business Report? Got most of my channels in the 100s cut off months ago and it included BBC..just asking cause I enjoyed her interviews 2.what is the best way to teach young children about Africa? I have a very ignorant mother who for as long as I could remember was the type to say dumbass comments about africa and at times pase it on for my 10 year old sister to hear...im obviously not gonna be here forever and I fear what will happen if my sis doesnt learn on her own.... one thing she said in all the Lupita Nyongo buzz last year to my sis how girls cutting off their hair is a big thing there all because of that story of that school who was doing it to be noticed like the boys

 

[CASHAPP]

One company I am really excited for is Tingo mobile
Its a Nigerian company that manufactures phones and apps and they just got into managing broadband networks. They use the android system for thier phones. They are planning to launch their own system to compete with andorid, black berry and apple in Nigeria and the African continent.

http://www.tingo.com.ng/

@2Quik4UHoes isnt this the kind of talk you said interested you? This type of technological advancement...its funny because I remember we had convos wbout theorizing names of Laptops and it turns out there was one out there already... "Veda"

 

[Bawon Samedi]

no ratchetness anywhere in this picture

None...

 

[Ezigbo Nwanyi]

I just came back from Nigeria, and will say this.

If they fix the roads and provide constant light ( without a generator) it will make a great difference. Most of these pictures are from Abuja the capital so the glam and glitter is expected but I just left Lagos and stay East (Abia and Imo state) and I never ran across this.