Google deepens its commitment to Pakistan’s gaming industry

Google today reaffirmed its commitment to Pakistan’s gaming industry through three new steps. First, its Gaming Growth Lab in Pakistan is entering its second phase where participants across 57 selected companies will receive 1:1 support and mentorship from Google experts, to help them build on the learnings from the first phase of the program, and take their businesses to the next level. Google will also host Pakistan’s inaugural Think Games Pakistan event in June, and launch the first edition of its ‘Google for Games’ Pakistan newsletter.

Launched on 1 March 2022, Gaming Growth Lab (GGL) is an accelerator program by Google that seeks to nurture Pakistan’s top up-and-coming mobile game companies. The first phase of the program – a 5-week education phase – was attended by over 250 participants from 57 selected companies. 

Now in its second phase, GGL will see these 57 participating companies embark on an 8-week virtual support programme focused on identifying and addressing business challenges, and expanding their offerings. Selected participants will also join coaching sessions led by Google experts on topics such as Google Play, Google Cloud, measurement and export where they can acquire more learnings on game creation and growth. 

Google’s Regional Director in Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, Farhan Qureshi said,

“Our goal is to make Pakistan a global gaming powerhouse, and put Pakistan’s gaming industry on the world map. Whether we’re talking about gaming developers looking to create, grow, or monetize games, Google is committed to supporting all of them on their growth journey. I’m excited to see the progress made by Gaming Growth Lab, an initiative that reflects our ongoing commitment to develop the gaming community in Pakistan and help the country unlock its digital opportunity.”

Already, GGL participants are reporting results. Codematics, a Pakistan-based app development company, launched two games on the Google Play Store (Bomber Warriors and 3D Car Parking) after attending the first phase of the GGL program. Waseem Javed, Director of Codematics, said, “GGL sessions have been great for us, especially when we connected with experts from Google and the larger ecosystem. GGL has helped us expand our business from just apps to games.”

Participants who complete both phases of GGL will graduate from the program in June, after which they can enjoy additional benefits including, priority access to future Google gaming initiatives and networking events in Pakistan, and business growth support from the Google team. 

Additionally, Google will host Think Games Pakistan for the first time on June 21-22. This two-day virtual event will bring together Pakistan’s gaming community, experts, and thought leaders, and become Google’s flagship gaming community event in Pakistan. It will feature the latest insights and data around gaming, as well as tools and solutions to help gaming developers build better games and succeed on a global level. 

Google also recently launched its inaugural ‘Google for Games’ Pakistan newsletter, a quarterly edition of the newest information and insights around gaming specifically designed to cater to the needs of gaming developers across Pakistan. The newsletter can be signed up here: goo.gle/gfgpk-signup