Fawzi Messmer, vice president of editorial at Ubisoft, said: Image: Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center.
Written by Hannah Johnson | @Hannah Johnson
“We are all inspired by each other.”
aThe 3rd Arabian Publishing and Creative Industries International Conference (Conference PCI), to be held in Abu Dhabi on April 28th, will explore what the entertainment and media sectors can learn from each other and bring together creative experts from the Arab world and internationally. A full-day program will be held focused on bringing together the following. market.
One of this year's Congressional PCI speakers, Fawzi Mesmar, works on creative industries and diversity. He is an internationally recognized video game developer and currently serves as Vice President of Editorial at Ubisoft.
In addition to his experience developing video games and leading cross-cultural teams, Mesmar works to empower the next generation of game designers in the Arab world. He published the first comprehensive Arabic book on game design. Al-Khallab talks about the art of game designhe's a weekly podcast for game developers. Habibis With Osama Dorias and Rami Ismail.
Prior to the parliament Publishing perspective spoke with Mesmar to learn more about his approach to gaming, creative work, and supporting the video game industry in the Arab world.
“Diverse teams create better products”
Publishing prospects: I have experience working in game development in the Middle East, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe. How has that global perspective influenced your approach to storytelling and creative direction?
Fawzi Mesmar: What I love about game development is that no matter where we are in the world, we can be united by our passion for this medium. I can go to any game studio and share it with my colleagues. It's great to have things in common, but it's equally important to celebrate our differences.
“Al Harab talks about the art of game design”
Being able to work with people from such diverse backgrounds has taught me the importance of keeping an open mind. What is considered very welcome in one culture may be considered very rude in another. Therefore, I always assume good intentions, prefer to learn and ask questions.
Most of all, I like exploring different perspectives and avoiding “absolute truths”. Trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes is something only video games do, and no other medium can do it the same way. Applying this mindset will help you create better games. My travels really taught me that.
Publishing prospects: Why is it important for major game franchises to embrace diverse perspectives and inclusive storytelling? How does this help build deeper connections with fans?
Fawzi Mesmar: There is research to support this. Diverse teams create better products. Our games are only better when we bring together so many different perspectives and ideals, share our experiences, perspectives, and traditions, and fuse them into a game that has the ability to speak to so many people. can become a thing.
Video games are a global industry. People are enjoying it everywhere. The more inclusive we are, the more likely we are to speak to someone, somewhere, and inspire them on their life journey.
I remember being inspired by space invaders, Mario, Many other games are also growing.I also remember being impressed when I first played it. assassin's creed And for the first time, I saw my culture represented on a large scale. It was a long and very shocking moment for me.
Publishing prospects: How do you see the relationship between games and other creative industries such as publishing and film? Are there opportunities for cross-pollination of stories and intellectual property?
Fawzi Mesmar: absolutely. I've worked with so many different IPs in my career. Star Wars To Marvel and Hasbro. My two favorite games of his last year were: spiderman games and witcher A game series based on the fantasy novel of the same name.
When it comes to entertainment, we are all inspired by each other and have a huge influence on each other's work. Lately, we've been seeing the gaming industry have a huge impact on filmmaking.flat the mandalorian tv series [part of the Star Wars franchise] A game engine was used to create some of the scenes. This will likely continue across all industries for the foreseeable future.
Publishing prospects: Your panel at this year's PCI Congress is on “Transnational Storytelling.” What do you think are the possibilities for Arabic stories and creative works to reach a global audience through media such as games?
Fawzi Mesmar: The video game industry is currently the largest and most popular form of entertainment of all time. In terms of revenue, it's more than movies, television, music, and books combined.
We're all at a stage where we all play games to some extent. From traditional gaming on consoles and PCs to virtual reality headsets and smartphones, it's ubiquitous and more widespread than most.
This makes it an ideal place for Arab creative players to tell their stories to audiences that have not previously heard of them. In fact, gaming audiences frequently seek out originality, especially from unfamiliar places.I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in Arab. witcher What will games look like, or what other new forms of storytelling will come from our culture that speak to the world?
Publishing prospects: Ubisoft has a number of long-running, fan-favorite game franchises. How do you balance respecting your existing fan base while injecting new perspectives into your storytelling?
Fawzi Mesmar: We're obsessed with our players. ” We care about our players and invest heavily in getting to know them, ensuring direct communication channels, and gathering feedback. Everything we do is done taking into account the player's perspective and their preferences.
We think we need to find out what they don't know yet and surprise them with it. We want to maintain their trust while surprising and delighting them with new experiences. It's a delicate balance, but our creative team always has great discussions with our fans to spark their creativity to create new things.
Congress PCI Details
On stage at the first performance of the 2022 Arabian Publishing Creative Industries International Conference.Image: Porter Anderson, Publishing Perspectives
At this year's PCI conference, Fawzi Mesmar will participate in a panel discussion at 2:45 p.m. Transnational storytelling through game adaptations Also in attendance were Manga Productions CEO Essam Boukary and Nico Partners CEO Lisa Hanson. The discussion will be moderated by Edward Nawotka. Publishers Weekly.
Now in its third year, the International Conference on Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries is hosted by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center and takes place the day before the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. Organizers say they aim to continue expanding the conference event into a “knowledge sharing hub for regional and global publishing and creative content developers in the Arab market.”
The program will include a full day of professional discussions, as well as workshops and masterclasses for creative professionals and students, as well as exhibitions from technology and creative companies active in the Arab world and internationally.
to follow Publishing perspective Learn more about this year's Congressional PCI.
Learn more about Publishing Perspectives on the Abu Dhabi International Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries Conference here, learn more about the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair here, You can find out more about the UAE market here, about book fairs and trade fairs in publishing around the world here, and about Arabic in publishing here.
Publishing Perspectives is the world media partner for the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards, another program produced by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center.
