Iran trying to break into Western games market

I found this article on BBC -- it's about Iranian studios trying to make it in the West. One of the showcased titles is even a role-playing game, called Age of Pahlevans. There's also a shooter set in the Iran-Iraq war, and a platformer set in Persia.

[ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8213272.stm ]

It'd be interesting to find out whether these are any good. I have a Syrian FPS set in the Palestinian intifada, and it's complete rubbish.

I came across a very short teaser trailer for Age of Pahlevans, and it actually looks pretty damn cool, for the 30 seconds or so that it lasts. Anybody know more?

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLBTDbKG6d0 ]

Also a poster:

i caught this news article on the BBC too. the participants sounded optimistic but it's hard for them to get any publisher to distribute the games in Europe or USA due to the economic sanctions.

Yeah, I'm sure it hurts the mullahs no end that they're not able to distribute their games in Europe.

Very cool poster. It would be very interesting to see what kind of game it is and how it plays--kind of like knowing a home by it's kitchen, it could tell you a lot about the society it's coming from.

My home is ramen and coffee?

Rithrandil said:

My home is ramen and coffee?

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Says a lot about you, my friend. I'd say you were a starving student.

I haven't heard of any game developers coming from around the region. The graphics in the trailer and the art in the poster looks pretty decent for an upcoming studio though.

Pj, were you wondering if their games might contain critique of their ballot box butchering regime?

It certainly occurred to me. It's hard not to politicize something like this.

Prime Junta said:

Yeah, I'm sure it hurts the mullahs no end that they're not able to distribute their games in Europe.

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i was just commenting on the news article. this is what it said.

BBC said:

They were there to showcase the latest games developed in Iran, establish contacts, and to see if Western retailers would stock their games.

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sounds like they were keen to get distributors in Europe for their games.

So was I, I didn't intend it to come across like I was commenting on you. Sorry.

Just happened to see a report on the Iranian games demonstration at GamesCom in german television (3SAT). Here is the corresponding Web-Page (in german).

Edit: On that page the last picture is about the Iranian theme, click on the text next to it to see a descrition of some of the games.

Some impressions from the report:
They have action adventures, classical adventures, fighting games.
Main Weapon: sword.

Settings: Historic/Legends (1001-Nights-like), First Gulf War (Irak against Iran).

Sara´s New Life seems to be something special. A kind of life simulation of an Iranian female student and her life (e. g. living in here own appartment instead of a student's dormitory, which is normally expected from her).

The guests also talked a little bit about problems of game development (e. g. each game has to be officially registered, when development begins and also be officially allowed afterdevelopment ends). thereare problems because some international game engines fall under the embargo and can therefore not be used.

So far my impressions from the report.

Another edit: Home page of "Age of Pahlevans".

bkrueger said:

thereare problems because some international game engines fall under the embargo and can therefore not be used.

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Does anyone else find that odd? Why embargo a game engine? Why embargo a game period? Seems a bit overkill if you ask me. I can understand maybe oil and of course weapons, but games?

This reminds me of something I heard when the whole Iranian election marches were going on. "People get along just fine. It's the governments who screw everything up."

skavenhorde said:

Does anyone else find that odd? Why embargo a game engine? Why embargo a game period? Seems a bit overkill if you ask me. I can understand maybe oil and of course weapons, but games?

This reminds me of something I heard when the whole Iranian election marches were going on. "People get along just fine. It's the governments who screw everything up."

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Point of the embargo is to make it economically costly for the Iranians to continue to flout international law, make nukes, support terrorism, blah blah blah. Unfortunately, since the Russians and Chinese have yet to play ball, it's more of an annoyance than anything else.

Yea, I get that. Here's the thing, by having an embargo on everything and the kitchen sink then your bascially telling the people who live within that country that you want nothing to do with them, ever. No chance to find common ground or common goals. So you basically tell them to either have a revolution or forget about joining us. Seems a bit odd to me.

In any event, I would imagine the taxes generated by some of these embargoed items wouldn't pay for a screw on a nuke. Why not have some goods that can still be traded? Oh wait, I forgot America sets this up, right? Then forget it. It's either their way or no way. No negotiation with the "axis of evil."

Puts everything in perspective a bit. Like the devs over here think they have it rough. Try making a game where you can't even get a game engine because of your government or if you actually do make one then try selling it.

Ok, I had my say. There are probably really good reasons for embargoing a silly game engine. I just find it sad.

True. IMO blanket sanctions only very very rarely do any good -- North Korea is perhaps the only realistic candidate for them these days. IMO the best we can do for Iran is to connect up with the regular people there as much as we can, in any way we can -- economic, cultural, travel, what have you. Naturally this doesn't mean that we should be selling the regime enriched uranium or rocket engines (or, indeed, that we shouldn't be keeping a lid on "dual-use" technologies and what have you, as well as we possibly can).

But isolating the Iranian people will only drive them into an already relatively unpopular regime's arms. If we're playing the same games, they'll be just a little bit less willing to support nuking us -- and vice versa.

I think the embargo is a waste of time too, to be honest, but that's just me. I'm very Machiavellian in nature so I find it hard to care about principle - although I do think it's sad in this case.

Prime Junta said:

But isolating the Iranian people will only drive them into an already relatively unpopular regime's arms. If we're playing the same games, they'll be just a little bit less willing to support nuking us -- and vice versa.

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Precisely what I was thinking, but you said it much better.

Rithrandil said:

Point of the embargo is to make it economically costly for the Iranians to continue to flout international law,

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I read an article, which discussed, that none of the activities in the field of the alleged development of nukes in fact breaks international law. According to that discussion, doing things which can be used for both civil and military use of nuclear power is not prohibited by international law or any anti-proliferation treaties signed by Iran.

Rithrandil said:

make nukes,

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*Allegedly* make nukes.
An analysis Prime Junta referred to in another thread predicts that Iran will stop short before making actual nukes. *Being able* to make nukes doesn't violate the anti-proliferation treaties.
But even if they did make nukes: Where are the embargos against India, Pakistan, Israel or the USA for making nukes?

Rithrandil said:

support terrorism,

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Which terroism did Iran support in the last few years? Do you have a list?

Rithrandil said:

blah blah blah.

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Yes it is blah blah blah indeed. It is obvious that the embargoes are done for political reasons. There are other countries, where embargos were much more neccessary if international law were the concern.

Anyway, regardless of that, I am with Skavenhorde here in any case.

bkrueger said:

Just happened to see a report on the Iranian games demonstration at GamesCom in german television (3SAT). Here is the corresponding Web-Page (in german).

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I don't remember any booth with having such a big sign saying "Iran". So I assume it must have been in the business area.
Which cannot be visited by the mass public / public mass.

bkrueger said:

I read an article, which discussed, that none of the activities in the field of the alleged development of nukes in fact breaks international law. According to that discussion, doing things which can be used for both civil and military use of nuclear power is not prohibited by international law or any anti-proliferation treaties signed by Iran.

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Other things they do violate international law.

bkrueger said:

*Allegedly* make nukes.
An analysis Prime Junta referred to in another thread predicts that Iran will stop short before making actual nukes. *Being able* to make nukes doesn't violate the anti-proliferation treaties.

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You're right, everything they are doing is technically legal, and it is "allegedly", but that "allegedly" is believed by every major power and intelligence service across the world - and not just those aligned with us. But we (and others) are not willing to wait for them to present us with a fait accompli.

bkrueger said:

But even if they did make nukes: Where are the embargos against India, Pakistan, Israel or the USA for making nukes?

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India's too big to have an embargo against it, Pakistan is serving the U.S. interests, and we have too many ideological ties with Israel.; more importantly none of those countries have signed the NPT. The US has not produced a new nuclear weapon in some time.

I never said the embargo was fair, did I? I'm a realist, not an idealist. If Canada made a billion nukes, I wouldn't care, because they're our allies. If Tehran builds a nuke, that frightens me, and I would want us to stop it if possible.

bkrueger said:

Which terroism did Iran support in the last few years? Do you have a list?

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Tehran supports and funs Hamas and Hezbollah. The IRGC is also a terrorist organization (in fact if not in name), and they've also supported, funded, equipped, and trained insurgents in Iraq. If you wish I could dig out a list of every terrorist attack by those groups listed since 2000, but that would fill several pages.

bkrueger said:

Yes it is blah blah blah indeed. It is obvious that the embargoes are done for political reasons. There are other countries, where embargos were much more neccessary if international law were the concern.

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Uh, everything is done for political reasons. I'm a realist - as is Obama, actually. We had international idealists running this country (Bush and Cheney) for the past eight years. I don't want to go back to that time.

And sure, yeah, China deserves to be embargoed for its human rights violations. But guess what? This is the real world, and China has a lot of power and influence to wield. Iran, on the other hand, does not have power or influence that matches or outweighs the threat it could pose to us, our allies, or the world order.

bkrueger said:

Anyway, regardless of that, I am with Skavenhorde here in any case.

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I'm guessing you didn't read my following post.