The 8th edition of Iran Video Game Festival is on track and 146 locally-developed games have been registered for the competitions that are held annually on the sidelines of the event.
According to the event website, irangamefestival.ir, the games can win prizes in various categories, including ‘the latest achievements, ‘best game of each genre’, ‘best update’, ‘most waited, and ‘most popular’. The event is organized by Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation.
Participants include 124 mobile games for Android handsets, three for iOS devices and 19 games run on personal computers. No console game has been registered.
Entries are being reviewed based on technical, aesthetical, design, musical, and production criteria by a jury panel comprising 13 experts. The jury started its work on Jan 21 and will continue studying the games until Feb. 19.
On March 7 an exhibition will be held in Tehran showcasing the developers work. The best games in each category will be introduced and awarded during a ceremony slated for the same day in Tehran.
The top prize of the event is ‘best game of the year’ worth 1 billion rials ($8,700). Winner of the ‘the most popular game award will be selected by public vote.
Competition Update
Iran Game Festival, which was earlier known as Tehran Game Convention, has undergone fundamental change to boost the event’s role and importance on a national scale, head of Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation. Hassan Karimi, told ISNA.
Karimi said in the previous round total prizes were worth 450 million rials ($3,900). “This year, the number of prizes has increased. Furthermore, prize money has increased almost ten-fold to 3.6 billion rials ($31,300).”
“We also have increased the number of genres, in which producers can compete, from 8 to 13, covering a wider range of games and giving more space to promote their products.”
Karimi adds the award ceremony will be broadcast live online through the event's website.
There are over 150 game development companies in Iran. The average company has 8 to 12 people while bigger enterprises have 30 employees.
More than 28 million gamers live in the country, annually generating 9.2 trillion rials ($80 million) for the expanding game market.
