The Story⚡
Mobile Developer Maliyo partners with Disney to create the African Video Game ‘Rising Chef’ which will be available on iOS and Android on 28th February.
Tell Me More
Shortly after the trailer of the Iwaju Sci-Fi by Disney and Kugali media went viral, Disney also launched an African Video game in partnership with Maliyo Games.
Disney Iwaju: Rising Chef is a first of its kind, developed by the Nigerian game developer Maliyo Games. It was created to make African-inspired content by designing games based on African characters and African stories, thereby sharing it with a global audience.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to build an Africa-focused gaming IP for one of the biggest brands in the world,” Maliyo Games CEO and founder Hugo Obi.
The Rising Chef video game is a cooking game that celebrates the culture and cuisine of Nigeria. The game will be available to purchase for $1.99 (USD) / N900 on iOS and Android devices on February 28, to coincide with the debut of the original animated Disney+ series Iwájú.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Maliyo Games CEO and founder Hugo Obi says, “It’s a great opportunity for us to build an Africa-focused gaming IP for one of the biggest brands in the world.”
As announced by Disney both the Sci-Fi animation and video game will be accessible to the audience on 28th February.
Tangent
The Africa games industry report published by Maliyo reveals a significant increase in gamers across Sub-Saharan Africa, growing from 77 million in 2015 to 186 million in 2021. Mobile gaming dominates with 95% of the playing population (177 million) favoring mobile games. The top five gaming markets include Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana.
According to the Newzoo Global Games Market Report for 2023, Africans spend an average of $6 per year on games, predominantly through in-app purchases on mobile games. Sub-Saharan Africa alone witnesses total in-app purchase spending of $778.6 million, constituting 90% of all games revenue in the region. South Africa leads with an average revenue per user of $12 per year.
The diversity of the African gaming market is evident, showcasing a wealth of variety with over 3,000 distinct ethnic groups and a linguistic tapestry comprising more than 2,000 languages. English, French, Swahili, Hausa, and Arabic stand out as some of the most widely spoken languages, underscoring the distinctive challenges and opportunities that characterize the continent.
Key Background
Maliyo is a game development studio that creates African-inspired games for mobile users.
With the vision to embed Nigerian culture into video games through our storylines, character development, immersive environments, captivating sounds and strong visuals.
Maliyo Games was founded by Hugo Obi in 2012 after identifying a gap in the gaming industry and stepping in to fill the void by bringing unique storytelling to Africa’s one billion mobile audience.
In summary
It is interesting to see the intentional moves in establishing African animated content (including video games). Both video games and sci-fi animation will be made available on 28th February 2024.
Thanks for Reading.
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