. 24/7 Space News .
INTERNET SPACE
Jordanian company dives into Arabic mobile games market
By Kamal Taha
Amman (AFP) Oct 24, 2021

Apple updates App Store payment rules in concession to developers
San Francisco (AFP) Oct 23, 2021 - Apple has updated its App Store rules to allow developers to contact users directly about payments, a concession in a legal settlement with companies challenging its tightly controlled marketplace.

According to App Store rules updated Friday, developers can now contact consumers directly about alternative payment methods, bypassing Apple's commission of 15 or 30 percent.

They will be able to ask users for basic information, such as names and e-mail addresses, "as long as this request remains optional", said the iPhone maker.

Apple proposed the changes in August in a legal settlement with small app developers.

But the concession is unlikely to satisfy firms like "Fortnite" developer Epic Games, with which the tech giant has been grappling in a drawn-out dispute over its payments policy.

Epic launched a case aiming to break Apple's grip on the App Store, accusing the iPhone maker of operating a monopoly in its shop for digital goods or services.

In September, a judge ordered Apple to loosen control of its App Store payment options, but said Epic had failed to prove that antitrust violations had taken place.

For Epic and others, the ability to redirect users to an out-of-app payment method is not enough: it wants players to be able to pay directly without leaving the game.

Both sides have appealed.

Apple is also facing investigations from US and European authorities that accuse it of abusing its dominant position.

Its logo is a tomato, not an apple, but in just eight years Jordanian company Tamatem has already bitten a chunk out of the lucrative market for Arabic mobile games.

"Less than one percent of internet content is in Arabic, even though there are 400 million Arab users," said the company's founder and CEO Hussam Hammo.

"There is a very big gap in this market that we are trying to fill," added the 38-year-old entrepreneur, sitting in his elegant Amman offices.

Hamo founded Tamatem -- which means tomato -- in 2013 and it was the first Arab company to win investment from the "500 Startups" programme based in Silicon Valley, California.

Eight years on the company has grown to about 80 staff who convert mobile phone games into Arabic, also adapting content to fit Arab culture.

"Language was a barrier to mobile games growth" in the region, said Nour Khrais, founder and chief executive of games developer Maysalward.

"The Arabic language connects (the player) emotionally."

With offices now in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Tamatem has published more than 50 mobile games, which have been downloaded more than 100 million times on Apple and Google Play stores.

"Seventy percent of smartphone users in the Arab world have set their phones in Arabic, which means they like to use content in their mother language," said Hammo.

"Sadly when you search in English for a game in app stores you will find millions of games, but when you search in Arabic there are only a few thousand," he added.

- 'Billion-dollar industry' -

But competition is fierce, and Khrais said the Middle East and North Africa region was "the largest growth region in the world in the field of electronic games".

Market analysts Mordor Intelligence said the global gaming market in 2020 was valued at $174 billion, and was expected to reach $314 billion in 2026.

Tamatem, which has partnerships with companies in the US, China, France, South Korea, Bulgaria and Croatia, converts games by replacing characters' voices and names, adapting music and clothing, adding Muslim holidays like Ramadan and even changing car licence plates.

"We don't only do translation, we do the most important thing which is educating by making the content relevant to the Arab culture," said chief operating officer Eyad Al Basheer.

"Hollywood Story" from Nanobit.com, in which players can become movie stars, strut the red carpet, hang out with fans and even shoot blockbusters, was renamed "Malekat al Moda" -- or "Queen of Fashion".

Instead of locations in New York and Los Angeles, the avatars travel between Dubai, Beirut and Cairo, in an Arabic game which has now been downloaded more than 15 million times.

Strategy multiplayer and civilisation-building game "Clash of Empire" from developer Leme Games launched its Arabic version "Tahadi Al-Molouk" or "Challenge of Kings" this year.

- 'Next industrial revolution' -

To fit Arab audiences, the figure of the notorious crusader Richard the Lionheart has been replaced by legendary dynastic Muslim leader, Salah al-Din al-Ayubi.

One of the company's biggest hits is "Shake the Metal" which taps into the popular sport of drifting. Featuring car models beloved in the Arab world, it has now been downloaded five million times.

The most popular of Tamatem's Arabic mobile games however, is "VIP Belote", which is based on the French card game and has been downloaded more than 20 million times.

In a 2019 report by the World Economic Forum, Tamatem was chosen as one of the best 100 Arabic companies "shaping the fourth industrial revolution".

And the Covid-19 pandemic has proved a boon, with the number of mobile gamers soaring by 150 percent, Hammo said.

"Tamatem made games easier, and we understand things that we didn't understand before, because it was in English," said player Khader Hamid, a 28-year-old civil engineer.

Mona Rummaneh, a 30-year-old working in e-marketing, said Arabic games left her "confident that all the content is appropriate for our culture and morals".

She recalled how after the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, she and other gamers voiced their solidarity with Lebanese players.

"So it is more than just a game," she said.

Kt/msh/jkb/dwo

GOOGLE


Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


INTERNET SPACE
US to withdraw punitive tariffs after agreement on EU digital taxes
Washington (AFP) Oct 21, 2021
The United States will remove punitive tariffs on products from Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Britain after reaching a deal to end digital services taxes, the US Treasury announced Thursday. Under the joint agreement, those countries will end controversial taxes on Big Tech companies once a global minimum corporate tax deal takes effect, which is expected in 2023. The countries agreed to credit any levies paid for the DSTs in the interim to future tax bills. "This compromise represents a ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

INTERNET SPACE
Humidity caused corrosion of Starliner capsule valves, Boeing, NASA say

US firm sees 'exciting' moment as space tourism booms

Russian film crew says shooting in space a 'huge challenge'

Boeing aims for unmanned Starliner test flight in first half of 2022

INTERNET SPACE
South Korea launches own space rocket for the first time

Rocket Lab to recover Electron Rocket, introduce helicopter support operations

China describes hypersonic test as a space vehicle trial

Successful static firing test with DLR involvement

INTERNET SPACE
Hear sounds from Mars captured by Perseverance Rover

Life on Mars: simulating Red Planet base in Israeli desert

NASA plans careful restart for Mars helicopter after quiet period

NASA selects crew for simulated trip to a Mars Moon

INTERNET SPACE
Chinese astronauts arrive at space station for longest mission

China's longest-yet crewed space mission impressive, expert says

Chinese astronaut bridges gender gap

Test conducted to verify spacecraft technology, FM says

INTERNET SPACE
Conclusions from Satellite Constellations 2 Released

Russian Soyuz rocket launches 36 new UK satellites

Over half OneWeb constellation now deployed

Eutelsat raises its shareholding in OneWeb

INTERNET SPACE
In-Orbit cloud computing and storage platform successfully demonstrated

Concrete: the world's 3rd largest CO2 emitter

Simulating space on Earth: NASA receives hardware for testing satellite servicing tech

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration gears up for launch

INTERNET SPACE
Researchers call for armchair astronomers to help find unknown hidden worlds

Scientists find evidence the early solar system harbored a gap between its inner and outer regions

NASA scientist looks to AI, lensing to find masses of free-floating planets

First planet to orbit 3 Stars discovered

INTERNET SPACE
The unusual magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune

Hubble Finds Evidence of Persistent Water Vapor in One Hemisphere of Europa

SwRI scientists confirm decrease in Pluto's atmospheric density

Hubble shows winds in Jupiter's Great Red Spot are speeding up









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.