Savvy Games Group sees untold Middle East stories as a major opportunity for global games

Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward has revealed that centuries of Middle East history remain largely untapped in games, presenting a major opportunity to create culturally rooted titles for global audiences.

In an interview with PocketGamer.biz, Ward said the region’s increasing engagement with countries such as China is driven not only by technical expertise, but by the ability of developers there to translate history and folklore into globally successful entertainment.

“A lot of us understand more about Chinese ancient war, battles, generals and so forth than we ever thought we would - through games,” said Ward. “And the Koreans, too, have done this.

“There are thousands of years of human history in the Middle East that’s not been told through our medium. There are stories about Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, but nobody has taken advantage of that opportunity to tell more culturally relevant stories for a big market in MENA, that also might be of interest to people outside of MENA.”

Untapped narratives

According to Ward, Chinese and Korean studios have demonstrated how games can serve as powerful cultural exports, introducing global audiences to historical events and mythologies that were previously unfamiliar outside their home markets.

The comments come as investment flows, acquisitions, and partnerships continue to strengthen ties between Middle Eastern and Asian game companies, especially as the Steer Studios parent finalises plans to acquire Moontoon for $6 billion. 

Last year, I wrote about how a similar opportunity exists in Africa, but many studios remain constrained by funding gaps, infrastructure limitations, and distribution challenges, leaving rich folklore and historical narratives from the region largely unexplored in games.