Deal: Gaming trends to take center-stage

Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business

The UAE’s electronic gaming industry is witnessing a rise. Over the years, the video games have become an integral segment of the youth’s lifestyle in the country. Therefore, as the region’s biggest entertainment and amusement show Deal 2016 kicks off on April 19, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, known as the founding father of the video games industry would discuss the growth of electronic gaming in the region at the event.
The companies in the Emirates have been collaborating with the global gaming firms to build better technology and provide improved local games and deals.
According to the Euromonitor report, approximately $355 million of the $686 million in retail value in 2014 was for traditional toys and games, with video game hardware and software accounting for $331 million.
“As it has always been witnessed that DEAL Show brings groundbreaking innovations and we hope to continue the tradition this year as well. The virtual reality technology boomed in mid-2015 and continues to flourish and has become more accessible in 2016, fusing the elements of 3D mechanisation with imagery.” Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, Chairman of IEC, the organisers of DEAL Show.
He further added, “We are honoured to welcome Nolan Bushnell at the DEAL Show, a man who has made his mark in the gaming industry.”
Nolan Bushnell, who also created Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, is known as one of the founding fathers of the video game industry and has been inducted into the video game Hall of Fame and named by NewsWeek as one of the ‘50 Men Who Changed America’.
During the 22nd edition of the show, Nolan will be at the Mantech stand during the show and will meet the gaming enthusiasts during the largest amusement industry trade show in the Middle East and Africa.
Falaknaz elaborated on the growth of the gaming industry, “The video gaming industry in the UAE is growing at a fast pace. New technology is playing a huge role in its growth, as consumers gain more interest on these games. The diversity of UAE consumers also adds to the growth of the sector. pricewaterhousecoopers revealed that the global video game market will peak to $93bn by 2019, and in MENA it will reach $1.76bn.”
“DEAL will be a platform in introducing the latest equipment and modernisations in the video gaming industry. As stakeholders and exhibitors are aiming to launch their gaming equipment in the UAE’s booming video gaming sector so we can see more of these technology after the DEAL show. After the DEAL show, we will witness more of the latest video gaming equipment in the Middle East,” he added.