Virtual play
Nader Habib has a go at the new generation of computer games
Ever noticed how quickly computer game aficionados become obsessed with their games? At least one product introduced at Cairo ICT 2006 promises to take that addiction a step further. The product, introduced by Boomtown, turns traditional computer games into the interactive, three dimensional virtual experience of the players' choice. Traditional two dimensional games, hopes Boomtown, will soon become a thing of the past, as it introduces Europe's fastest growing pastime to Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa.
One player moving an entire team is distinctly old hat. Now games can be played by more than one participant, not necessarily in the same room and quite possibly on another continent. Boomtown will provide every participant with an identity card, an international username and password which enables him or her to play from anywhere around the globe.
Participants log in, download the relevant software and then select their game of choice. Once a participant joins a game he or she enters an imaginary world, but one in which every element of the game is represented by a real person somewhere on the Internet. It is a format that could allow for the formation of national teams that then take part in international competitions.
There are plans to establish customised Boomtown chain stores in which customers can play in-house or just pick their software. According to Per Gjode, vice-president for international sales and marketing at Boomtown International, gaming is one of Europe's fastest growing content categories, fuelled by competition among Internet service providers as they attempt to remain one step ahead in a fiercely contested market.
"Of course you can sit down and see a movie or listen to music but they are not interactive in the same way as online gaming," says Gjode.
The Boomtown franchise in Egypt is operated by aa-technologies, a value-added service provider to the telecommunications industry. The company's executive manager, Ashraf Iskander, says his company has invested some $30 million on Boomtown in Egypt.
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C a p t i o n :
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/781/ec3.htm