GameBox: Pakistani Youth’s New Favorite Digital Playground

Globally, 4 in 10 people say video games interest them, and smartphones are extending their lead as the most popular gaming device. Today, gaming has emerged as the world’s most favorite form of entertainment with the industry generating more revenue than TV, music, and movies last year.

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News - 1st Oct, 2019 ) : Globally, 4 in 10 people say video games interest them, and smartphones are extending their lead as the most popular gaming device. Today, gaming has emerged as the world’s most favorite form of entertainment with the industry generating more revenue than tv, music, and movies last year. Becoming the heart of entertainment, the gaming industry is leading to entirely new segments of game enthusiasts, opening new avenues for game developers worldwide.

Moreover, given the incredible rise of mobile gaming, what was once the territory of die-hard fans is becoming a place for casual enthusiasts thanks to the pick-up-and-play nature of the technology. The mobile hardware, which was previously restrictive for gaming, is becoming more robust and the approach to game development and player expectations is also drastically changing. With such dynamics, it’s no wonder why mobile gaming currently accounts for a huge 40% of the global video game market which is expected to surpass the halfway mark by 2020.

In Pakistan too, the software industry is making progress with the Pakistan Software Export board (PSEB) estimating the total size of the software sector at approximately $6.5 billion, which is expected to grow at least 3.5% in the next five years. Gaming has emerged as one of the key constituents and contributors of the local software industry with some good game development companies coming under the global spotlight. But, this new favorite entertainment of the world comes with its fair share of challenges, especially for the impressionable youth, and even more so in developing markets like Pakistan. GameBox, a gaming platform by Telenor Pakistan, is effectively fixing these challenges.

A Safer Gaming Experience for the Vulnerable Demographic

Video games are popular among people of all ages, but they attract children and young adults more than any other age group. Although both males and females between the age brackets of 55-64 cite gaming as an interest, it is, unsurprisingly, popular among young males between the ages of 16-24. But, younger children are into video games too and they are the ones most vulnerable to some in-game content, such as ads, exposure to which might not be appropriate for them.

Telenor’s GameBox resolves this by bringing kids’ most popular games on one platform, making them completely ad-free and devoid of any objectionable material. Kids of all ages can choose to play any of their favorite games from GameBox’s long list of popular games and have an unparalleled gaming experience that is entertaining and safe at the same time. It also brings a sigh of relief for parents who can allow their young children to play games in GameBox’s trustworthy environment. And, with its new version titled ‘GameBox Kids’ coming soon with added safety and games for younger children, parents are going to be as excited as their young ones because they can now have precious extra time to make that business call, get dinner ready, or simply take a well-deserved break! All that while their kids are having 100% safe and smart fun!

Affordable Subscription for Access to Great Gaming Content

It’s not unusual for video game players to feel annoyed when stuck in the middle of a game and needing a credit/debit card to make in-app purchases to level up. Especially in Pakistan – where access to debit/credit cards is incomparable to the huge mobile market size – it’s harder for the youth to buy digital content online.

The unique rental model of GameBox presents an effective solution to this challenge. Users can get access to the exciting and growing gaming content on GameBox at an affordable subscription of PKR 5 per day or just PKR 30 per week. The low-cost daily or weekly subscription allows children to play over 700+ full-version games, completely ad-free and without any in-app purchases. With all levels pre-unlocked, GameBox delivers its young users a smooth gaming experience.

A Boost for Local Game Development Market

Pakistan has no dearth of talent in the game development sphere. But, the biggest challenge they face is non-discovery on their gaming products. The mainstream app stores like Play Store or the App Store have stiff competition and gaming startups find it tough to get discovered. Plus, they lack the resources to take measures to improve their rankings on these mobile app marketplaces.

GameBox fixes this by promising an enhanced discoverability for young and promising game developers of Pakistan. The platform encourages new developers to submit their gaming products for review and get a chance to get featured on GameBox and begin their journey to success. Moreover, the new gaming apps added to GameBox listings are also monetized and every download yields some profit for the developer. The platform also encourages developers to build games on local storylines, to which the youth can connect better and thus the local market can be expanded. This gives the local game development market a considerable boost and provides developers a platform to start small and get their skills recognized on a domestic as well as global scale.