Mad Hook is an independent game studio founded in Amman, Jordan in 2018
We find out how to make localised games with global appeal and how the mobile experience is gearing towards complex mechanics
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Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan returns on November 9th and 10th, 2024, offering you a chance to gain insights into the world’s fastest-growing games market, MENA.
As part of our MENA coverage and run-up to the event, we caught up with Mad Hook Games CEO and co-founder Hazim Al-Hanbali, who spoke to us about creating localised games with global appeal and how the mobile gaming experience is gearing towards complex mechanics.
PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a bit about Mad Hook and what you’re up to right now
Hazim Al-Hanbali: Mad Hook is an independent game studio founded in Amman, Jordan in 2018 that focuses on creating casual and midcore games for multiple platforms including mobile, PlayStation and PC
We’ve developed and published more than 20 games on mobile with a portfolio of over 80 million downloads. On PlayStation, Mad Hook has also developed and published two games: ‘The Chase: Cop Pursuit’ and ‘Highway Drifter: Hajwala Simulator’.
Currently we’re working on a new PlayStation title and two new mobile games as well.
The Mad Hook Games teamHow many staff do you currently employ and where are they based?
Our team is made up of 28 employees and we are based in Amman, Jordan.
What are you doing to foster collaboration and recruit local talents?
As one of the strongest development studios in the MENA region and the first Arabic game development studio to publish a game on PlayStation 5, we invest in local talents and initiate training programs for university students in the hope of employing them at a later stage.
“The biggest challenge is to create a localised experience that can capture the culture and yet keep the game design intact.”Hazim Al-Hanbali
How do you decide which platform to target for a new game and what platforms are you mostly focusing on now?
We always look for gaps in the various markets and since we understand the MENA region, we know what is missing from stores on different platforms, so each gap is an opportunity.
Mad Hook CEO Hazim Al-Hanbali with co-founder and CTO Ibrahim Al-HasanWhat are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the localisation process, and how have you ensured a culturally relevant experience for players?
The biggest challenge is to create a localised experience that can capture the culture and yet keep the game design intact. Another challenge is that the game can go beyond the region, that’s why you need not only to focus on creating a localised experience but also to make your game globally appealing.
What changes have you observed in the local games industry and consumer behavior towards games?
The mobile game experience is moving towards more complex mechanics, and cross platform games are the future of gaming. Also since the mobile hardware is becoming stronger, there’s more room to create console quality games on mobile.
Players nowadays accept more complex games and complex controllers on mobile in games such as PUBG.
Mad Hook Games’ Rooftop RunWhat do you see as the current opportunities and challenges facing the games industry in Jordan and the wider MENA region?
There is still a gap in the market for localised games, which opens opportunities for developers to create content for these platforms. But finding the right talent and experience in the region is challenging since the industry is still relatively new.
“We already use AI to create some generative concept Art and we use it where we see it fit, but we don’t prioritise it.”Hazim Al-Hanbali
What are your thoughts on emerging technologies such as AI and VR in games? And do you have plans to incorporate AI into your game development process?
AI is a tool that can be used to get faster results and to power other tools that are used in game development such as art creation tools. It can also be used to create generative experiences and more interactive characters in games that will give the player more possibilities.
We already use AI to create some generative concept art and we use it where we see it fit, but we don’t prioritise it. AR and VR are simply new platforms with their own users, but they do open areas for new game experiences that are not available on traditional platforms yet, with some limitations and challenges.
In terms of funding and support for gaming studios in MENA, what has been your experience navigating the funding landscape?
We are a self-funded studio and haven’t decided to go into fundraising. However, many investors have shown interest in investing in Mad Hook. Many countries in the MENA region are supporting the game industry and providing accelerator programs, but it’s still a new industry nevertherless, and needs more focus and support.
What are your plans for 2024 and the coming year? And are there any specific initiatives or projects on the horizon that we should look forward to?
For now we are focused on expanding our portfolio, creating more games and accessing new platforms.
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