「Pokémon GO」の開発元であるNiantic，サウジアラビアのeスポーツ企業・Savvy Games GroupとMENA-3地域で提携

　Savvy Games Groupは2024年8月25日，「Pokémon GO」の開発元であるNianticと，サウジアラビア，UAE，エジプト（MENA-3地域）での市場参入支援に関する覚書（MoU）を締結した。


　Savvy Games Groupは，サウジアラビア・リヤドに拠点を置く多国籍ビデオゲーム投資企業だ。任天堂の株式を大量保有していることで知られ，海外モバイルゲーム市場における大ヒット作品「MONOPOLY GO！」の開発会社・Scopelyの親会社でもある。eスポーツとゲーム業界全体の長期的な成長と発展の推進を目的とした企業であり，サウジアラビアの政府系ファンド・PIFによって2021年に設立されている。

　覚書締結の背景についてだが，Nianticのゲームはすでにこの地域で広くプレイされており，今回の提携によってこの成長を加速させる狙いがあるとのことだ。

　Savvy Games GroupのCEOであるBrian Ward氏は，「Nianticとのコラボレーションは，最先端のゲームとeスポーツ体験をMENA-3地域にもたらすという当社の取り組みにおいて，重要な節目となります。当社の現地の専門知識とリソースを活用することで，Nianticの拡大をサポートし，サウジアラビア，UAE，エジプトのプレイヤーの心に響く魅力的なローカライズされたコンテンツを作成できることを嬉しく思います。」と語っている。

「Savvy Games Group」公式サイト

「Niantic」公式サイト

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・Savvy Games Group and Niantic have signed an MoU to support Niantic’s expansion into the MENA-3 region, focusing on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.

・The collaboration will focus on inspiring people to play together through local community-building efforts and live events across the region.

・This partnership aligns with Savvy’s mission to enhance the games and esports ecosystem in the region, contribute to Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy, and bring new experiences to local players.

RIYADH - 25 August 2024: Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”), Saudi Arabia’s National Champion for Games and Esports, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Niantic Inc. (“Niantic”), a global leader in augmented reality (AR) and location-based games, to support Niantic’s expansion into the MENA-3 region, specifically in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt.

The partnership will focus on inspiring people to play together through local community-building efforts and live events in the region, promoting exploration and discovery of cities and local neighborhoods.

Niantic’s games are already played broadly across the region, and today’s partnership aims to accelerate this growth, providing new opportunities for the market’s fast growing mobile gaming audience to participate.

Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group, said: “Our collaboration with Niantic marks a significant milestone in our efforts to bring cutting-edge games and esports experiences to the MENA-3 region. By leveraging our local expertise and resources, we are excited to support Niantic’s expansion and create engaging, localized content that resonates with players across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.”

“Our partnership with Savvy Games Group will significantly enhance our reach in this vibrant region and support our growing community of players,” said John Hanke, Founder and CEO of Niantic. “Savvy’s deep understanding of the local markets and commitment to innovation makes it an ideal partner to inspire new audiences to explore the world and build real-world connections.”

Savvy will additionally look at ways to aid Niantic in establishing its regional operations in the MENA-3 area. This support could include identifying and securing office space, assisting with the recruitment of local talent, and providing administrative and logistical assistance to set up a functional regional office.

「Savvy Games Group」公式サイト

「Niantic」公式サイト