Prithhis Bose
Oct, 08.2024
The Saudi Prince has expressed interest in keeping the kingdom's partnership with Nintendo going. Although Nintendo dominates much of the gaming market in the United States and Japan, other nations have showed initiative to get more involved in the industry, which could lead to gaming being introduced to previously unanticipated places. Although it's uncertain, it doesn't appear likely that this relationship will have an impact on game content in the future.
The Saudi Arabian entertainment industry has been growing. Savvy Games Group, a government-funded firm involved in several aspects of the gaming industry such as eSports and publishing, has taken steps to broaden its reach in an effort to diversify the nation's economy. Saudi Arabia has made enormous gaming investments, and it doesn't seem like it will stop anytime soon. By 2030, Savvy Games Group hopes to establish Saudi Arabia as a gaming hotspot by assigning key segments of the gaming sector going forward.
During Tokyo Game Show 2024, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia was interviewed by Kyodo News, and he expressed interest in investing more in Japanese video games. The nation's sovereign wealth fund group has boosted its gaming investments as it shifts away from an oil-dependent economy; its Public Investment Fund now owns close to ten percent of Nintendo's shares. When asked if there was a chance of going farther, the prince replied, "It's always a possibility," adding that any action he and the nation take to increase their ownership in Nintendo will be done in accordance with the business to maintain good relations. After it was announced that Saudi Arabia remained interested in this partnership, Nintendo's stock surged, with shares rising by almost 4%.
Right now, Saudi Arabia is Nintendo's biggest shareholder, and its influence is growing. The nation owns sizeable stakes in other gaming firms, but not all of them—it owns roughly 10% of Nexon, 5% of Capcom, and 9% of EA, to name a few. It appears that Saudi Arabia has no intention of having a direct impact on the creation of video games. Outside of these expenditures, though, certain parts of films like Spider-Man 2 were restricted before they were released in the nation.
More attention might be drawn towards restrictions like these as gaming is further connected to Saudi Arabia. The country has plans to host the inaugural Olympic eSports games in 2025, which will likely further highlight the growing relationship between the country and the multinational gaming market. 2025 could be a defining year for Saudi Arabia and gaming, with the Switch successor on the horizon in addition to this competition.
More attention might be focused towards limitations like these if gaming is progressively related to Saudi Arabia. The nation intends to hold the first-ever Olympic eSports competition in 2025, which will probably emphasise the strengthening ties between the nation and the global video game industry. Given this competition and the impending release of the Switch successor, 2025 may prove to be a pivotal year for both Saudi Arabia and the gaming industry.