Video games in Iran

Video games are among the most popular hobbies of Iranian youth.[1] There were about 23 million video game players in the country as of 2015.[2] By 2021 this had increased to 32 million.[3]

Economic sanctions against Iran have hampered Iranian video game developers and their participation in international trade. The sanctions prevent their licensing of major game engines. Among consumers, sanctions block use of major digital stores and limit access to credit cards.[4]

History

The first Iranian game console which was named as "Video Master" was released into market in 1976.[5] Its production factory was situated in Isfahan.[5] The next Iranian company in this field was called as "General Electronic kit", situated in Tehran, which in 1978 was producing a game console named as "TV Game".[5]

Hanfa, was the first Iranian game studio, which was established in mid-90s.[5] "Tank Hunter" was the name of its first game produced, and "Ali Baba" was the second one.[5] The first 3D video game of Iran was named as "Payan-e Masumiat" and was produced by the Iranian game studio "Puya Arts".[5][6]

During the mid-2000s, Iran's domestic gaming industry thrived, with companies such as Darinoos localizing pirated international PC games, and domestic studios like "Puya Arts" and "Dead Mage" drawing inspiration from Iranian history to create content, capitalizing on their unique approach to attract a local following.[7]

According to WIRED, Iran has used digital games like "Safire Eshgh" and "Commander of the Resistance: Amerli Battle" as part of their propaganda machine to promote state ideology.[8] This was rejected by Tasnim News Agency, a news organization affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[9]

Magazines

The first Iranian magazine specialised in gaming, titled as "Bazi-e Rayaneh" was established in 2001, and was covering the news surrounding video games.[5]

Donya ye Bazi
Cover of Donya ye Bazi 70, February 2010

Donya ye Bazi (دنیای بازی), also known as DBazi or Donya e Baz, was an Iranian Persian-language computer games magazine.[10][11][12] Founded by editor-in-chief Babak Namazian in September 2005,[13] the magazine was devoted to supporting Iranian game developers, reviewing PC and console games and covering game industry news.

Initially, the 32-page issues were published monthly on size A4 paper. After the first 13 issues, the monthly edition was reduced to a 16-page spread printed on 31 x 43 cm paper. The magazine became a biweekly publication after the first 30 issues.

The magazine's website, dbazi.com, was established in 2009, making it the first Iranian gaming news website.[14]

Donya ye Bazi: Game Developing Edition was first published in March 2010. The 64-page publication covered game development and the game industry and was released every two months.

Donya ye Bazi ceased publication after September 2014.[15]

See also

References
  1. Bertoli (December 28, 2018). "Iran's Growing Nintendo Scene Pins Hopes On Smash Ultimate". Kotaku. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  2. Hamblin, Haley (August 20, 2017). "Nintendo Iran Club: The community fighting for recognition in Iran". Mashable. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  3. "'We just want to play': Iran gamers battle reality of US sanctions". February 17, 2021.
  4. Elmjouie, Yara (January 14, 2016). "The game industry of Iran". Polygon. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  5. "تاریخچه بازی‌سازی در ایران". گیمین (in Persian). Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  6. "بازی‌های رایانه‌ای در ایران از آغاز تاکنون". ircg.ir (in Persian). Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  7. Ghorbanpour, Kamiab. "Video Games Are a New Propaganda Machine for Iran". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  8. Ghorbanpour, Kamiab. "Video Games Are a New Propaganda Machine for Iran". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  9. "علت نگرانی نشریه آمریکایی از فعالیت "دانش‌بنیان‌های بازی‌ساز" ایرانی - تسنیم". خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim (in Persian). Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  10. Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Middle East Explorer
  12. National Library & Archives of Iran
  13. Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Press Department Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  14. khabaronline.ir Archived June 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Iran video games timeline: From 1970 to 2019". March 2, 2020.

Further reading


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