The year 2021 seems to be the year for Pakistan as investments and business opportunities pour into the country. Pakistan has emerged as a destination of choice for many organizations looking to invest in the next regional unicorn.
This year has been nothing short of momentous for our local start-up ecosystem and now everyone feels that these firms, mostly tech-based, hold a lot of potential. All credit perhaps goes to the tech-savvy consumer who is now more receptive and responsive towards adopting new technology.
Moreover, Covid-19 has made all of us demand speed and convenience out of everything, which is why a new terminology, quick commerce is now slowly replacing e-commerce. All of this points us in the direction that tech innovation is the way to go.
While working towards a tech-based economy, one area which is extremely crucial to be explored is gaming and animation. Gone are the days when broadcast media used to be the only source of entertainment.
Now consumers are opting for digital forms of entertainment which are not just limited to Netflix, YouTube, etc. The search for on-demand/digital entertainment is now also being catered to by Esports.
Pakistan has the potential to be one of the key regional players in the gaming industry if the right kind of capacity building, skill development, and mentorship takes place, to facilitate the animation and gaming start-ups.
A lot of new players have entered the Esports arena for Pakistan. From players to casters to organizations looking to host Pakistan’s next big tournament. Through incubation and focus, these start-ups can be transformed into sustainable and successful businesses.
One thing that is a major priority for the Esports fraternity is the organization and execution of the entire Esports spectrum. From tournament management and execution to broadcasting, and grooming the right talent to casting and promoting tournaments, there are a lot of verticals that need to be actively reviewed.
One company that seems to be looking to be working on this front and is trying to evolve the Esports landscape of Pakistan and beyond is GameRED, powered by REDtone Digital Services.
On their way to executing their first Esports tournament, Valorant Infinity Cup, they have been aggressively talking about incubating local talent around gameplay and exploring scenarios around live/recorded broadcasting of tournaments, merchandise, etc.
GameRED powered by REDtone Digital Services (RDS) is a regional Esports powerhouse that is working on accelerating Esports as a regular sports league.
According to Mahnoor Nadeem, CEO RDS and Group Vice President REDtone, “Pakistan’s market has rapidly evolved during COVID. For the first time digitization has led from the front and organizations, big and small, are evolving the way they connect and work with their audiences.”
“With Esports, we felt that legitimization was a huge sign of support from the government and it gave us a chance to bring our international partners to Pakistan to help evolve the market and incubate talent through tournaments, casting opportunities, etc. from grassroot level.”
Our government is also working towards developing this industry as in a recent announcement, Karachi University in collaboration with Ignite will be setting up a training facility, incubator, co-working space, and production studio for the promotion of game development across the country.
Providing such facilities will enable Pakistan which has the potential to grow and compete with the rest of the world.
Right now, the first order of business needs to be that domestic brands work with Esports firms to incubate and evolve local talent. Doing so helps grow the industry and take it to regional/global destinations to compete and win.
The Esports industry in Pakistan looks very promising, with the right push from the public and private sector the industry has the potential to flourish and finally put Pakistan on the global map as an Esports-led, technology-first nation.
