Pakistan’s gaming industry is experiencing growth after a period of decline, with locally developed games witnessing a slight resurgence. However, these games remain largely unpopular within the country. Experts suggest that Pakistani developers are increasingly targeting the global market to achieve better financial returns.
According to the State of Apps 2023 report by IT consultancy firm Data Darbar, games published by local developers in Pakistan rebounded to 1,100 in 2023, up from 868 in 2022. This resurgence is attributed to rising demand, with Pakistanis downloading 3.5 billion apps in 2023, 36% of which were games.
Despite this growth, monetization remains a challenge within Pakistan due to low in-app purchases and advertising revenues. Unlike India, where the gaming industry has successfully monetized through gambling games, Pakistan’s cultural restrictions limit certain revenue-generating opportunities.
The animations, games, and graphics sector in Pakistan is valued at $300 million, contributing $157.9 million to IT exports, according to the Pakistan Animation, Graphics & Games Ecosystem Report 2022-2023. The gaming sector comprises 53% of this industry, highlighting its significance.
Experts like Khurram Samad and Mutaher Khan emphasize that Pakistani developers are primarily focused on international markets, such as the US, India, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines. This is due to the global appeal of narrative-based games inspired by Bollywood and Hollywood content, which resonate more with audiences outside Pakistan.
While the industry shows promise, there remains a significant gap between the number of IT companies and gaming studios in Pakistan, indicating untapped potential in the gaming sector.
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