GameTako, an up and coming distribution and monetization platform for independent Arab game developers, recently held its first game development weekend “Game Zanga” on December 16-17 in Amman in conjunction with the famous Ludum Dare game jam. The Zanga had a full-house with 27 game developers filling the hall while participants from other countries participated remotely. GameTako received and published 15 game entries and will announce the winning entries in the first week of January 2012.

“The great turn out for Game Zanga demonstrated a thirst among Arab game developers for opportunities where they can gain exposure, blend with their fellow game developers and flex their game development muscles” said Abdullah Hamed, founder and CEO of GameTako.

As is customary with game jams worldwide, GameTako introduced a compulsory theme at the first hour of the Zanga where participants were instructed to create games relating to social and economic issues in their localities ranging from major issues like poverty and unemployment, and including any workings of the society that the participants are displeased with such as littering streets and driving manners.

“With the first Game Zanga, we chose the “social issues” theme to send a message to the Arab region’s mainstream and game enthusiast community that games can be more than just a fun way to pass time; games are a full-fledged medium that can be used to express one’s self and convey ideas and therefore games can be a vehicle for social change” Abdullah said.

Demonstrating the importance of GameTako’s initiative to growing the regional games industry, Game Zanga received support and sponsorship from two major industry stakeholders: twofour54 Gaming Academy and Unity Technologies creators of the popular Unity Game Engine. Unity will offer the team behind the highest rated Unity-based game entry a perpetual Unity Pro license.

"Unity is excited about the growth of game development in the Middle East and very keen to support initiatives such as Game Zanga. These events are crucial in perpetuating talent and enthusiasm for game development and we applaud the efforts of GameTako in organising participation in 14 countries across the region.”, said Nick Jovic, Unity’s Regional Sales Director

The games await verdict from a judging panel representing the Arab gaming specialist media outlets, and GameTako user voting. Winning entries and teams will receive up to $15,000 in cash prizes. The following is a list of the games created during the event including the developers’ name and location:

• Mathhar 7adhari NOT (Shumukh, Saudi Arabia): A game about graffiti in schools created with Unity. Prevent school kids from reaching the school wall and spraying it.
• Zabalooz (Ahmad Khalifa, Egypt): An action game about littering streets sporting an 8-bit retro-style created with Adobe Flash using the FlashPunk game engine.
• Exposure (Ahmad Saker, Egypt): An adventure game about our societies’ tendencies to stick to the familiar and reject the anything different with a unique art-style inspired by Film Noire. Created with Unity. 
• Salatee7 School (New Age Games, Saudi Arabia): A platformer game about school-related issues such as student beating by teachers, bullying, smoking among students and fires in schools, inspired by the recent school fire in Jeddah. Created with Unity.
• Cancer (ModyWorks, Egypt): An action game created with HTML5. Control an anti-body and fight cancer cells.
• Haamoor Al Araadi (Abdullah Konash, Saudi Arabia): A 3D game about the monopolization of land by powerful businessmen and the subsequent rise in costs of land and housing in Saudi Arabia. Created with Unity.
• Anabeeb Delivery (MotionTween, Jordan): A puzzle game about saving water created with Adobe Flash. Connect houses with a water supply before the timer runs out.
• Abdullah Hamed and The Stolen Bag (Faisal Kubaisi, Qatar): A comical platformer game featuring the GameTako founder Abdullah Hamed, created with HTML5 using GameMaker.
• Swake (Ibrahim Khaled, Jordan) A Snake-like game with a miswak and smoking theme that encourages players to stop smoking and use miswak instead, create with HTML5.
• Jame3 Jame3 3D (Team Wizards, Jordan): A 3D cart game telling the story of a little boy who struggles with poverty, from collecting empty cans and selling them all the way to a university degree and marriage.
• 3atel ilal 3amal (Team Monkey, Jordan): A platformer game about job hunting created with Flash using Flixel. Collect recommendations and send them to your prospective employers while avoiding wasta thugs (representing partiality and nepotism).
• The Eastern Route (Mohammad Salem, Palestine): A cargo delivery driving game created with Flash. Drive a pick-up and deliver the cargo to its destination before time runs out.
• Raasein Fil 7alal (Ali Mohammed Ali, Egypt): A plaftormer created with Adobe Flash. Control a groom, collect money, a ring and a house and reach your bride while avoiding your in-laws.
• Moving Recipes with Bakeeza Allazeeza (Kharabeesh Team, Jordan): A cooking game encouraging healthy food based on Kharabeesh’s Ramadan 2011 series “Moving Recipes with Bakeeza Allazeeza”
• Prices Nightmare (Abdurrahman Khallouf, Saudi Arabia): An arcade game about rising prices and consumerism created with Adobe Flash. Avoid contact with groceries to save your money as long as you can.