Culturally speaking, I argue that we as a people are not aesthetically driven. Look at our boulevards from VI to wuse; sprawling stripes of bricks and monotony. No taste. (Well personally speaking; no taste)
Marketing and promotions are the prime forte of the Americans, look at Hollywood. But on Aesthetics and experience I score the Europeans ontop. From France to Sweden. The Germans bring some level of elegance to play taunting perfection.
As rendering visuals become more and more the domain of workspaces. Our competing graphic, quality of visuals will continue to get better.
But where the distinct separation will remain is in the experience. This touches on the gameplay realism and the emotional connection. Some of the strategy games about growing your ‘domain’ from scratch share similar gameplays. But some are about war time domination, others about growing your farm business. Some are set in Medieval Europe, others futuristic. The different concepts appealing to different crowds - hence the emotional connection (not sure if the phrase correctly describes it)
Futuristic strategy games for Starwars lovers, Grow-your-farm strategy games for Texan loving Americans, Aussies etc…the targeting goes on.
Our local advantage lies in the cultural difference.
Our local devs don’t try hard enough in making cultural connections with their audience. Clothing a computer character in Agbada does not make him Nigerian. The local voice-over is a pretty catch but not enough. I think, they need to actually dig deeper here, that where their advantage lies.
Let me digress a bit, take our Entertainment industry, specifically, the comedy industry (jokes and laughs industry, the Alibaba industry - whichever you want to call it)
Our jokes are of an entirely different make up to stuffs you get glued to on Comedy Central. But our people home and abroad still crave for a Basket mouth, an Alibaba in all their local glory and warts.
I believe if our game devs can truly connect with their audience with their games, not just visually, but deeply culturally, they’d have more patronage.
When I say deeply culturally here’s what I mean.
Imagine a street soccer game designed with dark skinned players, appropriately beat down locations for each game, maybe throw in enough wazobia slang during plays, but everyone’s got skills like Zidane or CR7. I mean it would be a nice attempt. You’d get people to play it but would soon lose interest as against…
A street soccer game set in beatdown locations, from stony streets stretches to under the bridge locations. Where players could actually get injured by the massive stones on the road or the balls deflected by it. Instead of ronaldo skilled players, you’d have very practical skill levels (not so important).
With water fights breaking out inbetween matches.
And occasional rushing of satchet waters in between plays or a player lodging one from his lips while he plays, or waiting for car to pass before match continues. Instead of boots, you’d have characters in slippers and barefoot.
Teams may even forfeit a match if a missed shot breaks someone’s window or car windshield. Funny tirades whenever someone is dribbled badly. Infact the gameplay could be the more you’re driblled the more your wear tears in between your legs perhaps at some point your peckers could lay hanging in-between your legs as the game continues.
Truth to tell, a foreigner may very well get addicted to a socxer game like this. Even when he/she can’t identify with half the gameplay. Just for curiosity.
