Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation
 | |
| Non-profit, self-regulatory | |
| Industry | Organization and Licensing |
| Predecessor | Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance |
| Founded | January 1, 2007 |
| Headquarters | Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
Area served | Iran |
Key people |
Hassan Karimi (President, CEO) |
| Website |
www |
Iran computer and video games foundation (AKA Iran National Foundation of Computer Games or shortly IRCG) is a non-profit, Semi-governmental organization established in 2007 to control and support video game industry in Iran.
Iran computer and video games foundation is responsible for publishing and releasing any kind of video games (including PC games and mobile games), supporting local game manufacturers, instructing students in video game development and organize, control and monitor the activities of LAN gaming centers in Iran.[1]
The IRCG is also responsible for banning foreign video games that are not compatible with Iran’s governmental political views and filtering video game’s websites that they might not meet the governmental rules of Iran.[2] [3] [4]
Since the Iran computer and video games foundation is a non-profit organization its annual budget is supplied by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and other parallel organizations. [5]
The main objective of the Iran Computer and Video games Foundation is to plan for and support the cultural, artistic, technical and business activities in the Iranian game industry. also by creating competition opportunities in scientific, technical, cultural and artistic aspects of game development it will help improving the quality of the industry.[6][7][8][9]
The main ِDuties of Iran computer and video games foundation
The main objectives of Iran computer and video games foundation are:
- Supporting game development in Iran[10][11][12][13]
- Enhancing computer/video games knowledge in Iran[14][15][16][17]
- Establishing and supporting the first Games Education Institute[18] and designing scientific and academic framework to educate a new generation of game designers, developers and artists in Iran.[19][20][21]
- Holding festivals and exhibitions in order to increase the enthusiasm in gaming and form communities with active members.[22][23][24]
- Attending regional and international exhibitions and presenting the achievements of Iranian video games.[25][26][27][28][29]
- Content Rating for computer/Video games.[30][31][32][33]
- Governing and helping video game sales in the Iran market.[34][35][36][37][38]
Video Game Content Rating, ESRA
In 2007 Iran computer and video games foundation established Entertainment Software Rating Association which now is responsible for video game content rating in Iran.[39] The Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA)[40][41] is an organization that assigns age and content ratings for computer/video games. It was established by Iran National Foundation of Computer Games in 2007.One of the most important reasons of the observed necessity for ESRA principle is the lack of a proper pattern of use for computer games and the negative physical and mental effects of computer games caused by misuse and the concern of parents regarding such issues due to their lack of information about the improper and inappropriate content of such games.[42][43]
Iran National Game Development Institute
Iran Game Development Institute which is game development school was found by Iran computer and video games foundation in 2010, for the purpose of training specialized video game designers and developers in various fields of expertise related to the video game development industry.[44]
The National Game development Institute[45] is founded by Iran Computer & Video Games Foundation for the purpose of training specialized human resources in various fields of expertise related to the game development industry. The National Game Development Institute mission is to train game developers.[19][20][21][46][47]
Each year, the institute accepts new students after an entrance exam. Student are currently studying in 3 majors. These Majors are: Game Programming, Game Design, and Game Art. Each of these majors takes 4 semesters in 2 years long.
| Name | Award |
|---|---|
| Blue Waters | Best Strategic game of the year- 4th Tehran Game Festival |
| Bloody Streets | Released on Steam, Best indie game of the year- 3rd Tehran Game Festival |
| Hate the sin, Love the sinners | Best Selected Project at Game Connection Asia 2013[48][49] |
| Granny and Grim | Best indie game of the year- 1st Tehran Indie Game Festival |
| Rolling Lazies |
Market Research, DIREC
Digital games Research Center (DIREC),[50] was founded in 2014 by Iran Computer and Video game Foundation and its mission is to promote and advance its research and analytical goals, mostly in marketing, communications, psychology, and sociology through definition and execution of multiple research projects with their main focus on behavior studies and market research.[51]
In addition to the reports generated, DIREC provides other supplementary services:
- Information Consultancy for domestic and foreign companies towards expansion of activity in the industry
- Implementation of customized research projects
- Industry Directory (including information regarding production, producers and developers, publishers etc.)
- Collection of Scientific resources for digital games industry
Video Game Compatibility and Quality Insurance, GAPP Lab
GAPP Lab was established in 2015 by Iran Computer and Video Game Foundation and its aim is to help game developers to refine their games and test their compatibility issues. GAAP is combination of Game and Application and also referring to gap between starting developing a game and its final stages until creating a quality game. GAAP Lab provide different Services including:
- Special Service for video games: PC, Consoles, Mobiles which includes: Operation testing and Compatibility test.
- Standard Reports: GAAP Lab will provide different standard reports such as bug reports and Compatibility reports.
- Standard Certificate: video games and applications which are tested and have completed all testing and compatibility levels will be granted quality approved certificate.
Festivals and Exhibitions
Iran computer and video games foundation have held its first exhibition and festival at 2011.[52][53] these festivals and exhibitions held in order to grow gaming industry of Iran and form elite game developing communities with active members.[52] Exhibitions happened in different parts included:[54] first three exhibition and festivals held together and from a fourth festival, they held separately.
- Game and Family
- Entertainment Area
- Business to Consumer Area
- Workshops
- Students
- Game and Technology
The Official Poster of Fifth Tehran Video Game Festival
| Title | Date | Location | Poster |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Tehran Game Exhibition | August 17–21, 2011 | Tehran, Milad Tower | |
| 2nd Tehran Game Exhibition | August 13–17, 2012 | Tehran, Imam Khomeini Mosalla | |
| 3rd Tehran Game Exhibition[55][56] | August 13–17, 2013 | Tehran, Imam Khomeini Mosalla |
| Title | Date | Festival Director | Poster |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Tehran Game Festival | August 17–21, 2011 | Behrouz Minaee | |
| 2nd Tehran Game Festival | August 13–17, 2012 | Behrouz Minaee | |
| 3rd Tehran Game Festival[55][56] | August 13–17, 2013 | Behrouz Minaee | |
| 4th Tehran Game Festival | September 2 – October 2, 2014 | Mehrdad Ashtiani | |
| 5th Tehran Game Festival | MAY 20- August 20, 2015 | Matin Izadi |
Articles and Publications
| Title | Publisher | Author/s | Date | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher's Book[57] | Iran computer and video games foundation | 2012 | ||
| Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Game Development[58][59] | Iran computer and video games foundation | Mehrdad Ashtiani, Mojgan Khazanehdari | 2012 | |
| Family Control (ESRA Content Rating) | Iran computer and video games foundation | |||
| Learning Video game Development for iPhone(translation) | Iran computer and video games foundation | Dave Mark | ||
| A Guide Game Scenario writing | Iran computer and video games foundation |
Events, Workshops and Announcements
| Name of the Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Kashan GDC | Apr-13 |
| Persian Gold Game Development | Jun-13 |
| Global Game Jam | Jan-13 |
| Kashan GDC | Apr-14 |
| Ludum Dare 30 | Aug-14 |
| NES Jam | Nov-14 |
| Ludum Dare 31 | Nov-14 |
| Global Game Jam | Jan-15 |
| Tehran Indie Game Festival | Feb-15 |
Announcements and Presenting New Video Games
- Announcement Ceremony for "Garshasp The Monster Slayer"
- Announcement Ceremony for "E.T. Armies" Video Game
- Announcement Ceremony for "Mirmahna", Iran National Video Game
- Announcement Ceremony for "Volleyball 2016" First Iranian Volleyball Video game[60]
Workshops
- Tehran Game Development Experience Workshop with Pascal Luban[61]
- Tehran Game Development Experience Workshop 2
- Tehran Game Development Experience Workshop 3
- Tehran "Game Development Experience 4" Workshop with Flavien Courbier[62]
- Tehran "Game Development Experience 5 Workshop
- Tehran "Game Development Experience 6 Workshop
- Game Making Event "Level Up"[63][64]
See also
- Entertainment Software Rating Board
- Game Rating and Administration Committee
- The 3DO Company
- Recreational Software Advisory Council
- Videogame Rating Council
References
- ↑ "Iran's National Foundation of Computer Games to Organize Game Centers – Herald Boy". www.heraldboy.com. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Iran plans to block websites offering "1979 Revolution"". 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Acclaimed PC game banned in Iran due to "hostile intentions"". 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Iran Bans Video Game Based On Revolution". Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ Mark J. P. Wolf, Toru Iwatani. Video Games Around the World. MIT Press. p. 277. ISBN 0262328496.
- ↑ Lewis, Danny. "Inside Iran's Budding Video Game Industry". Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ Azali, MohammadReza (2016-02-21). "The First National Conference on Computer Games in Iran". Techrasa. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iran's video-gaming industry poised for action – Africa M.E.". 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ Šisler, Vit (2013-01-01). Huntemann, Nina B.; Aslinger, Ben, eds. Video Game Development in the Middle East: Iran, the Arab World, and Beyond. Critical Media Studies. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 251–271. ISBN 978-1-349-43501-2.
- ↑ "Top Rank in Mideast Video Game Production". Financial Tribune Daily. 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iranian video games draw interest of customers in global markets". irna.
- ↑ "Iran's video-gaming industry poised for action – Africa M.E.". 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Status of Video Games in Iran". Financial Tribune Daily. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Iranian Expo Promotes "Proper Culture Of Computer Games"". Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iran national foundation of computer games News, Videos, Reviews and Gossip – Kotaku". Kotaku. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iran tries to crack games market". BBC. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iran's National Foundation of Computer Games to Organize Game Centers – Herald Boy". www.heraldboy.com. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iran Game Development Institute | Global Game Jam®". globalgamejam.org. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- 1 2 "انستیتو ملی بازی سازی". irangdi.ir. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- 1 2 "Game Jam at FUM in Sept.". Financial Tribune Daily. 2016-07-13. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- 1 2 "Class of 2016 | Moody College of Communication". Moody College of Communication. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ Lien, Tracey (2012-10-25). "The stressful life of Middle Eastern game developers and reality of their craft". Polygon. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ Azali, MohammadReza (2016-02-21). "The First National Conference on Computer Games in Iran". Techrasa. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Iranian Expo Promotes "Proper Culture Of Computer Games"". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Iranian computer game companies to attend Game Connection 2015". 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
- ↑ "Iran interactive games on display at world's biggest fair in Cologne". www.irna.ir. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "I was surprised to learn that there's an Iran sponsored booth at Gamescom - here's a pic of their pavilion (booth)". TopTopic.com. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- ↑ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Post-nuclear: video games are 'blooming' in Iran and some make up to '200k' a day | Sci-Tech | DW.COM | 19.08.2016". DW.COM. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- ↑ "Iran to participate in Gamescom 2016 in Germany". The Iran Project. 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
- ↑ Chiaramonte, Perry (2016-06-07). "Tehran blocks sale of video game depicting Iran's 1979 revolution | Fox News". Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ Caoili, Eric. "Iran Sets Up ESRA Game Ratings, ESRB Denies Link". www.gamasutra.com. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Islamic system will rate video games | The National". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ Newbould, Chris. "Islamic video game rating system launched | DigitalProductionME.com". www.digitalproductionme.com. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ Lewis, Danny. "Inside Iran's Budding Video Game Industry". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ Jafari, Hamed (2015-09-21). "5.5 Million Iranian Players on Clash of Clans". Techrasa. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ Jafari, Hamed (2016-02-07). "$140M Video Games Market Revenue in Iran". Techrasa. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Top Rank in Mideast Video Game Production". Financial Tribune Daily. 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "Acclaimed PC game banned in Iran due to "hostile intentions"". 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ About ESRA - IRCG official website
- ↑ "Entertainment Software Rating Association – Retro CDN". retrocdn.net. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ "Islamic Video Game Rating System Launched at Dubai World Game Expo | IslamToday – English". en.islamtoday.net. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ "Islamic Game Rating System Announced". Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ http://www.basemedia.com.au/. "Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA)". Console Database. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ About Iran Game Development Institute - IRCG official website
- ↑ "انستیتو ملی بازی سازی". irangdi.ir. Retrieved 2016-07-10.
- ↑ "Iranian Companies Developing New Video Games for Local Players – Herald Boy". www.heraldboy.com. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Finding video games with added cultural value | Digital Culture | DW.COM | 06.08.2015". DW.COM. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- ↑ "PressTV - Iran game tops Game Connection Asia". edition.presstv.ir. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
- ↑ ""Hate the Sin" named best at Game Connection Asia". www.payvand.com. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
- ↑ "User account | DIREC". tecent.ir. Retrieved 2016-07-10.
- ↑ "Market Research | Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation". En.ircg.ir. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- 1 2 "Fifth Tehran Video Game Festival". www.tehrangamefestival.ir. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ "tehran game festival | Fifth Tehran Video Game Festival". tehrangamefestival.ir. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- ↑ "Tehran Game Expo 2013". www.tehrangameexpo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
- 1 2 "Tehran Game Expo 2013 kicks off". 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- 1 2 "Third Tehran Game Expo & Festival inaugurated". old.ido.ir. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ "Trouble Brewing At Jabong, Reliance Will Pump More Money Into Jio And Other News". 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ "Co-author of Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Game Development". 2015-09-01. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ "Co-author of Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Game Development". 2015-09-01. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- ↑ "'Volleyball 2016' brings sport to world of video games". 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ↑ "Iranian Game Industry Developing at Fast Pace". 2015-01-13. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Flavien Courbier partakes in "Game Development Experience 4" workshop | | Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation". en.ircg.ir. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Iranian company launches competition to select prototypes for Gamescom". 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- ↑ "Iran to Participate in Gamescom 2016 in Germany". 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-08-21.