< Previous30 edge_ july 2023 cover story The survey reinforces previous industry research on gaming’s role in developing valuable transferable skills. It noted that when employers were asked about the top skills sought in entry-level hires, communication, problem-solving, and composure under pressure ranked highest. In line with this, 74 percent of respondents recognised that engaging with fellow gamers on platforms enhanced their confidence in communication, a skill highly desired by recruiters. Commenting on the report, van den Elshout explains that the skills learned from gaming can be applied in many professional contexts. “With limited practical experience, highlighting transferable skills acquired through gaming can set Gen Z applicants apart from other candidates. For example, Gen Z gamers can showcase relevant accomplishments such as high rankings or awards earned in competitive gaming tournaments. They can also connect their gaming experiences to specific skills required for the job by describing how gaming has taught them to think creatively, handle pressure, and work collaboratively,” he says. The rise of professional gaming as a viable career option has opened up numerous opportunities for passionate gamers. Beyond the thrill of competition and the potential for substantial financial rewards, being a gamer nurtures valuable transferable skills that extend beyond the virtual world. By harnessing their passion and leveraging their skills, gamers can embark on a fulfilling career path with endless possibilities. Moreover, as emerging technologies such as AI, VR and the metaverse continue to evolve, avid gamers will find themselves at the forefront of an ever-expanding landscape filled with new avenues to turn their love for gaming into a rewarding profession. Constant transformation Emerging technologies such as AI, VR and metaverse will further drive the sector’s evolution $321BN The forecasted value of the global gaming industry by 2026 WWW.DEFSECME.COM AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION LOCK & LOAD The region’s leading voice for defence & security Online now, in print this JulyLEVEL UP YOUR GAMING ARSENAL 5 epic releases of 2023 that’ll set your heart racing GAMING By Arya Devi S tep into a realm where imagination knows no bounds and digital landscapes come alive. 2023 is a year packed with exhilarating releases, and we’ve handpicked five games set to redefine how you play. From heart-pounding action to captivating storytelling, these titles are poised to leave an indelible mark on the gaming landscape. Prepare to level up and get ready to immerse yourselves on exciting, new adventures! 32 edge_ july 2023 featureedge_ july 2023 33 feature Experience it here: Street Fighter 6 PS5, XBX, and PC $62.99 In Street Fighter 6, prepare to enter a realm of high- stakes combat and electrifying showdowns. With a roster of 18 fighters, both iconic legends and thrilling newcomers, engage in intense battles featuring striking character redesigns and cinematic specials. Choose from three control types and master the evolved combat system. Harness the power of the Drive Gauge to strategically claim victory. Get ready to unleash your fighting skills in this adrenaline-fueled experience. For nostalgia lovers Action, Fighting34 edge_ july 2023 feature Star Wars Jedi Survivor PS5, XBX, and PC $69.99 In a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes you on an action-packed adventure. The plot is a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and takes place five years after the ending of the first and continues the adventure of Cal Kestis. The young Jedi Knight and his friends navigate the aftermath of the fallen order, battling against the oppressive Galactic Empire. Prepare for a thrilling journey of survival, courage, and rebellion in this highly acclaimed action-adventure game. May the Force be with you. For movie fans Experience it here: Star Trek: Resurgence PS4, PS5, XBX, and PC $39.99 Star Trek: Resurgence invites players on a thrilling narrative adventure set in the vast expanse of the Star Trek universe. Immerse yourself in dialogue choices, relationship building, and exploration. Engage in dialogue-driven role-playing, navigate branching storylines, and experience diverse gameplay styles including shuttle piloting, phaser fights, tricorder scanning, stealth, and micro- gameplay mechanics. Unleash your inner explorer and forge your own path in this captivating sci-fi adventure. Experience it here: Action, Adventure Adventureedge_ july 2023 35 feature Greyhill Incident PC, PS4, PS5, and XBX AED 129 (Pre-orders) Step into the shoes of Ryan Baker, an ordinary guy caught in the grip of an extraordinary and terrifying secret. In this story-driven Survival-Horror game set in the early 90s, the neighbourhood of Greyhill becomes the backdrop for a thrilling battle against an insidious alien invasion. As the media distracts the nation with tales of weather balloons and government cover-ups, the truth slowly unravels before the vigilant eyes of Greyhill’s residents. For supernatural fans Experience it here: DIABLO IV PS5, XBX, and PC $69.99 In a world consumed by darkness and despair, the malevolent return of Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, unleashes chaos and corruption. As evil spreads and faith falters, a courageous few rise to challenge the unstoppable tide, delving into their own inner demons to confront an unforgiving land forsaken by hope and justice. Players should guide characters through quests and combat in the world of Sanctuary after the resurrection of Lilith. Experience it here: Survival, Horror Action, Role-play36 edge_ july 2023 opinion How Arabic language fuels MENA’s games industry W ith a predominantly young and digitally savvy population, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is really making its mark in the gaming industry. Around 55 percent of the MENA population is aged under 30, with a 95 percent smartphone penetration. As such, they are comfortable with, and fluent in, technology and its various platforms and applications and it is therefore no surprise that the region’s gaming market is one of the fastest growing in the world. Boasting more than 375 million gamers, the region has almost as many as the whole of Europe combined and it is anticipated that this number will continue to rise. With several governments in the region recognising the positive economical impact of gaming, and therefore investing heavily in it, new milestones and peaks of activity are expected in the near future. For instance, Tamatem’s own data reveals that Egypt is already home to over 23 million players and the indications are that gaming is likely to flourish in this market even more. By far the largest country in the region in terms of population, Egypt has a significantly higher percentage of gamers aged under 25 than the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and its true potential in the gaming world is yet to be fully realised as these gamers make their mark. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia unveiled its National Gaming and Esports Strategy last year with a mission of becoming a global hub in the industry by 2030. Nearly 90 percent of the By Hussam Hammo CEO, Tamatem Games Harnessing the power of Arabic language and culture cultivates a vibrant gaming sector in the region GAMINGedge_ july 2023 37 opinion Saudi population are gamers, the highest per capita globally, and it also has the highest average revenue per paying user worldwide at $270 per user. Consumer spending in gaming in Saudi Arabia is expected to become as big as the Turkish market, growing at 22 percent year on year. Meanwhile, the projected market volume of the UAE is expected to hit $221.5 million by 2027 and the Egyptian mobile gaming market is valued at $528 million. These numbers are substantial and are likely to grow exponentially in the coming years. The popularity of gaming gained further momentum during the COVID-enforced lockdown, as it became one of the most popular activities when the world was forced to stay indoors - particularly when it came to gaming on mobile platforms. And while the mobile games market has, until recently, been believed to be male dominated, there is a longstanding but often lesser recognised female gamer community that has been growing from strength to strength over the last few years. Now more than ever, with esports becoming more established and accessible, female gamers are on the rise and there are some incredibly inspiring players. In fact in Saudi Arabia, female gamers are outnumbering their male counterparts, while they are also quickly catching up in the UAE. Tamatem Games, a mobile games publisher in the Arabic speaking world, is predominantly run by women and we are excited to see an increasing involvement of women, both professionally and recreationally, in the industry. We launched Tamatem Games because there was a dearth of Arabic language games available online for audiences in this region. Now, it is not so much a question of increasing the number of games available in the Arabic language, but creating ones that can both entertain and suit the culture of the Arabic- speaking market. Ultimately, our communities are always looking for content they can relate to and understand. Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world, with 319 million native speakers, but if an international or non-Arabic game developer is looking to expand into the Arabic-speaking world, they must look at ways in which they can make their games or content relatable to the Arabic-speaking user. The MENA region and the Arab market as a whole have cultural and linguistic differences and intricacies that can truly impact the way a game is consumed and played. If people create games that are relatable to the culture of their audience, demand for these games will automatically increase and this also creates healthier and better competition within the market. And all of this promotes the development of and wider interest in the sector that we love. The MENA-3 of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt are naturally important players in the region’s gaming industry, but other countries are also playing their part. Jordan is home to Tamatem as well as the very first gaming company in the region, Maysalward, while Qatar aspires to become an important hub for the gaming world. The future is so exciting for MENA’s gaming market and what we have seen so far is just the beginning. “The MENA region and the Arab market as a whole have cultural and linguistic differences and intricacies that can truly impact the way a game is consumed and played” 375M The number of gamers in the Middle East and North Africa A vast gaming market MENA has as many gamers as the whole of Europe combined38 edge_ july 2023 tech tips to optimise your Windows PC for gaming 5 tips GAMING Quick, simple, and effective tweaks to elevate your gameplay By Adelle Geronimo many gamers are seeking ways to squeeze every last drop of performance out of their hardware. Don’t underestimate the impact of a few clever software tweaks that can take your gaming experience to the next level. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that software adjustments can only take you so far if you’re being held back by outdated hardware. That said, we’ve got some handy tips to help you get the most out of your Windows PC. S o, you’ve got yourself a shiny new gaming PC and you’re all set to embark on your epic gaming adventures. But hold on! Just because you’ve installed the latest version of Windows and downloaded your favourite games doesn›t mean your PC is firing on all cylinders. While a hardware boost can work wonders for your setup, upgrading your GPU can be a pricey affair. It’s no wonder that edge_ july 2023 39 tech tips Tip 1: Turn on ‘Game mode’ Sometimes the simplest things can make a big difference. By activating Game Mode, Windows dedicates a significant amount of resources to your gaming application, disables notifications, and either shuts down or reduces the impact of most background activities. This adjustment enhances overall performance, delivering an improved gaming experience. To activate game mode, follow these steps: 1. Press the Start button on your keyboard to open the Start menu. 2. Type “Game” in the search bar. 3. When “Game Mode Settings” appears at the top of the Start menu, click on it. 4. In the Game Mode Settings window, click the button to enable Game Mode. Tip 2: Boost your power settings Take control of your power settings and elevate your gameplay. When it comes to desktop systems, power settings typically have minimal impact on performance. However, for laptops, enabling high performance mode can yield significant improvements. To tap into this power-boosting feature, follow these steps: 1. Open the Settings menu by clicking on the Start button and selecting “Settings”. 2. In the Settings menu, click on “System” and then choose “Power & Sleep”. 3. Locate and click on “Additional power settings.” This action will open the Control Panel. 4. In the Control Panel, you should see the “Choose or customise a power plan” screen. Here, select “High performance” to prioritise performance over energy efficiency on your PC. 5. If you don’t see this option, expand the “Show additional plans” drop-down menu to uncover the hidden high performance mode. In case Windows is still hiding these options and you still can’t find the high performance mode, you can create a new power plan. On the left sidebar of the Control Panel, click on “Create a power plan.” Choose “High performance” and proceed with finalising your new plan. Tip 5: Update your Windows Just like updating your GPU drivers, ensuring that your Windows 11 operating system is up to date is equally crucial. Before diving into installing games and applications on your PC, it’s essential to check for any pending OS updates. These updates often bring valuable performance enhancements and improvements to the overall user experience. Keep in mind that Windows won’t automatically update on metered connections. If you’re connected to a metered connection, it’s essential to manually check for pending updates periodically. This way, you won’t miss out on the latest performance-boosting improvements. Tip 3: Disable unnecessary apps and processes While many background applications tend to be lightweight, there are a few that can unexpectedly impact your game performance. To identify these resource-hogging culprits swiftly, follow these steps: 1. Press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys simultaneously on your keyboard. This action will open a menu with various options. 2. Select “Task Manager” to launch the Task Manager window. 3. In the Task Manager, you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the programmes currently running on your system and their respective resource usage. You can then manually select and close down applications that are consuming the most system resources by simply right- clicking on them and selecting “End Task”. Tip 4: Optimise your in-game settings When it comes to boosting frame rates in games, one of the most effective strategies is to optimise in-game settings to find the perfect performance sweet spot for your hardware. If you find your game struggling to keep up, your first course of action should be adjusting the game’s resolution setting to the lowest acceptable level, and then gradually increasing it to determine the ideal setting for your specific setup. Fortunately, most PC games provide a wide array of advanced settings that you can fine-tune.Next >