Latest news with #Savvy
Vogue Singapore
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Inside actress Karena Ng and Brian Sze's wedding in Tuscany
The morning of Karena Ng's wedding to Brian Sze began not with sunshine, but with rain. Heavy rain. 'The skies were so overcast, and parts of the hotel even had hail,' Karena remembers. 'We had to delay the ceremony by an hour, and honestly, we were all just sitting there hoping the rain clouds would have mercy.' At last, mercy arrived. As guests made their way to Villa di Geggiano—a 14th-century villa outside Siena where the ceremony was to take place—the clouds began to lift. A soft golden light washed over the Tuscan hills, and with it, Karena felt the day transform. 'I can't even describe the relief I felt when the sun finally came out. It felt like the whole atmosphere changed.' Karena, an actress based in Hong Kong, and Brian, head of Asia Pacific at had always envisioned their wedding as something cinematic, romantic, and transportive. Their planners, Juliana and Nati of Savvy Events Studio, brought that vision to life. 'Hiring Savvy was the best decision ever,' Karena says. 'From the very first call, they understood exactly what we wanted. They curated every detail with so much care—from the venues to the flowers. Honestly, they made the entire process so easy for us.' The couple's own love story began in Hong Kong, albeit in far less glamorous circumstances. 'We met at Ocean Park during a Halloween-themed weekend,' Karena recalls, laughing. 'My friend Kevin, who later became one of my bridesmaids, actually introduced us. But at the time, I wasn't interested. I thought Brian was too short!' They crossed paths again, nearly a year later, at a birthday party. 'He hadn't grown any taller,' she teases, 'but something clicked that night.' Karaoke sessions (always Jay Chou), sun-soaked outings, and endless hotpot dinners followed. 'I remember wondering whether Brian really liked all the same things I did—or if he was just pretending so we'd spend more time together,' Karena says. 'But one night, he came to meet me straight after a hotpot dinner, with cilantro stuck in his teeth and smelling like garlic. That's when I knew he was serious.' In October 2022, Brian proposed—but not just anywhere, or in any way. The setting was a glamorous photo shoot arranged for Karena's 29th birthday by her closest friends—the same group who would later serve as her bridesmaids. 'They told me it was to celebrate the last year of my 20s,' Karena explains. What was supposed to be a simple commemorative shoot quickly escalated into something far grander: Gucci, Valentino, and Miu Miu provided outfits, the location was styled like an Old Hollywood film set, and a vintage Rolls-Royce was positioned as a prop. A full team of photographers and videographers was on hand to document the day. 'I was loving it,' Karena says. 'I thought it was just this elaborate birthday surprise.' What she didn't know was that Brian had secretly turned the shoot into a proposal. 'I'd always told him—if you're going to propose, I want to be dressed up, and it has to be captured on camera,' Karena recalls. 'He remembered that.' As Karena changed into a vintage Valentino gown for the final look of the shoot, Brian waited nervously behind the backdrop, working with her friends to time his appearance. When Karena returned to set, she found 300 roses arranged atop the Rolls Royce and their favorite song, 'Until I Found You', softly playing. Then, Brian stepped forward, dressed in a Ralph Lauren Purple Label pinstriped suit, and dropped to one knee. 'It was perfect,' Karena says. 'A complete surprise—and exactly what I wanted without even knowing it.' Their wedding, held in August 2024, unfolded across two days in Tuscany. 'We chose Tuscany because we both love being outdoors, under the sun—and the scenery there is just unbeatable,' Karena explains. The festivities opened with a welcome dinner at Borgo San Felice. 'For that, I wore a pink floral Carolina Herrera dress,' Karena says. 'The theme was Under the Tuscan Sun .' Brian paired his Zegna beige linen suit with an olive linen shirt and Triple Stitch sneakers. 'It felt relaxed and summery.' But the main event was the ceremony itself, set at Villa di Geggiano. Guests entered through the villa's frescoed halls, where 12 hand-painted scenes of seasons lined the walls, before arriving at the all'Italiana garden. 'We were really worried about the rain, but when we got to the villa, it was like the sun came out just for us,' Karena remembers. The ceremony décor, created by Vincenzo Dascanio, featured a towering floral pagoda adorned with light pink roses and white orchids. 'It was breathtaking,' Karena says. Brian arrived first, driving up the cypress-lined driveway in a vintage 1957 Porsche Speedster. 'Everyone loved that entrance,' Karena says. Then came the moment Karena had long imagined. 'I walked down the aisle to 'Wildest Dreams' wearing a Zuhair Murad gown. It had long sleeves, a dramatic train, and so many intricate lace details.' She paired the gown with Jimmy Choo heels and De Beers earrings. 'That gown was everything to me. I felt like a princess.' The sun filtered through the trees as the couple exchanged vows beneath the floral arch. 'After the stress of the morning, it was just…peaceful. I felt so much love from everyone around us.' A surprise twist came during their first kiss: 'The fireworks went off early! So I had to kiss Brian quicker than planned, just to make sure we caught the moment.' After the ceremony, guests enjoyed prosecco and canapés in the villa's topiary garden while Karena and Brian slipped away for portraits. Then it was back to Borgo San Felice for the evening's wedding party—where Karena's love of film took center stage. 'I wanted the dinner party to feel like a movie set,' Karena says. Guests were handed movie tickets stamped with a quote from Love Actually —'To me, you are perfect'—before entering a red velvet tent labeled 'On Air—Enchanted Romance.' Inside, candles hung from the ceiling, menus were printed on film reels, and place cards resembled director's clapboards. 'It felt like stepping into a film production.' For the dinner, Karena changed into a gold Georges Hobeika couture gown embroidered with intricate beading. 'That dress sparkled under the candlelight—it was like wearing stardust.' Brian wore a white Brioni tuxedo jacket with a white shirt from Mr. Dandy. After dinner, Karena changed once more, slipping into a Musemarry White Privee dress for the couple's first dance. A live band from Paris, Circus Music, kept guests on the dance floor late into the night. 'Honestly, I don't think anyone sat down after dessert.' Reflecting on the day, Karena says, 'It's been months, but my friends are still talking about it. That's what means the most to me—that people had fun.' Even now, she finds herself looking back through the photos. 'Each picture just reminds me of the love we felt, and how happy everyone was. That's what I'll remember forever.' And as for married life? 'We're still doing what we've always done,' Karena laughs. 'More hotpot. Always.' Elena Baranchuk 1 / 59 In my Carolina Herrera dress for the welcome dinner. Elena Baranchuk 2 / 59 Strolling through the hotel courtyard before meeting our guests for the welcome dinner. Elena Baranchuk 3 / 59 The theme for the welcome dinner was Under the Tuscan Sun. Elena Baranchuk 4 / 59 An aerial view of Hotel Borgo San Felice. Elena Baranchuk 5 / 59 A medieval Tuscan garden setup to match the history of the property. Elena Baranchuk 6 / 59 Basking in the Tuscan sun! Elena Baranchuk 7 / 59 Dancing the night away to a vibrant local Italian band. Elena Baranchuk 8 / 59 Our beautiful wedding stationery set by Fee Greening, who executed perfectly a picture of a Tuscan landscape I had on my phone from my first trip to this region. Elena Baranchuk 9 / 59 The custom crochet bag and gifts from Heir for our guests. Elena Baranchuk 10 / 59 Getting ready in my bridal party pajamas. Elena Baranchuk 11 / 59 Sharing an intimate moment with my bridal party in our Not Just Pajama in lustrous satin. Elena Baranchuk 12 / 59 All smiles in our white and champagne silk outfits with feathered sleeves. Elena Baranchuk 13 / 59 The finishing touch of the white robe is an equally elegant feathered pearl bag. Elena Baranchuk 14 / 59 My satin gown goes perfectly with the soft daylight. Elena Baranchuk 15 / 59 The gown awaits beneath ornate splendor within a storied chamber. Elena Baranchuk 16 / 59 Before putting on the bottom layer of my Zuhair Muard gown, I took a glance out of the window to watch the arriving guests. Elena Baranchuk 17 / 59 Crystalline Jimmy Choos rest atop a cloud of tulle. Elena Baranchuk 18 / 59 Veiled in gossamer lace in the sumptuous grandeur of Villa di Geggiano. Elena Baranchuk 19 / 59 The bridal party beholds the silhouette of my gown. Elena Baranchuk 20 / 59 Thank you, my dearests, for always ensuring every detail is right. Elena Baranchuk 21 / 59 With my bridesmaid and five best friends, Yvonne, Tiffany, Fiona, Ingrid, and Mayao. Elena Baranchuk 22 / 59 A bridal portrait before the first look with bridesmaids. Elena Baranchuk 23 / 59 Took a village to get into this tulle. Elena Baranchuk 24 / 59 Overlooked the ceremony and watched guests arriving, feeling so loved. Elena Baranchuk 25 / 59 A close-up look at the details. Elena Baranchuk 26 / 59 My oval engagement ring, customized by Brian, matches the sparkling Jimmy Choo heels. Elena Baranchuk 27 / 59 I love how the veil matches the dress. Elena Baranchuk 28 / 59 One of my favourite photos! Elena Baranchuk 29 / 59 Brian in his Ralph Lauren Purple Label tux. Elena Baranchuk 30 / 59 Brian's groomsmen and best friends Brian L, Martin, Kevin, and James. Elena Baranchuk 31 / 59 The beautiful surroundings for the ceremony. Elena Baranchuk 32 / 59 The rain stopped and the skies cleared up just in time for the ceremony. Elena Baranchuk 33 / 59 Kicking off the ceremony, entering in a vintage Porsche... thankfully no stalling involved! Elena Baranchuk 34 / 59 Grooving to James Brown's 'I Got You.' Elena Baranchuk 35 / 59 Bridesmaid Fiona and groomsman Brian are leading the bridal party. Elena Baranchuk 36 / 59 All in anticipation... Elena Baranchuk 37 / 59 Guests see my gown for the first time as I emerge from Villa di Geggiano. Elena Baranchuk 38 / 59 A moment that I will cherish forever. Elena Baranchuk 39 / 59 Golden-hour light filtering through the veil. Elena Baranchuk 40 / 59 All smiles under the Tuscan sun. Elena Baranchuk 41 / 59 We laughed a lot. Elena Baranchuk 42 / 59 Funny moment: the fireworks came out early, so I had to accelerate our kiss to capture this moment! Elena Baranchuk 43 / 59 We rehearsed (just a few times...) for this picture. Thankfully, it came out quite well! Elena Baranchuk 44 / 59 The squad. Elena Baranchuk 45 / 59 After the ceremony, we went off to take photos while guests enjoyed cocktails and canapés. Elena Baranchuk 46 / 59 Brian is probably asking me how many more photos are left. Elena Baranchuk 47 / 59 We shared a kiss overlooking the yard. We made sure to take little moments just for us. Elena Baranchuk 48 / 59 Even after spending countless nights meticulously planning every detail of the dinner, it surpassed my wildest dreams. Elena Baranchuk 49 / 59 A surreal evening. Elena Baranchuk 50 / 59 A little lovey-dovey moment. Elena Baranchuk 51 / 59 My Georges Hobeika couture with the most spectacular details. Elena Baranchuk 52 / 59 Feeling like a fairy. Elena Baranchuk 53 / 59 Dinner theme: Enchanted Romance. Elena Baranchuk 54 / 59 Champagne tower to start the night! Elena Baranchuk 55 / 59 A couple in love! Elena Baranchuk 56 / 59 Sensational live music from Circus Music. Elena Baranchuk 57 / 59 Our banquet venue with a gorgeous floating candles set up. Elena Baranchuk 58 / 59 Love is sweet, especially when layered! Elena Baranchuk 59 / 59 The perfect finale. This story was originally published on
Broadcast Pro
7 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Savvy Games Group and King Abdulaziz University to launch training programme
The collaboration aims to equip Saudi students with high-impact skills. Savvy Games Group, Saudi Arabia's national leader in the games and esports sector, has entered into a strategic partnership with King Abdulaziz University through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer two new diploma programmes, one in Games Production and the other in Esports Management. The initiative aims to develop Saudi talent equipped with the essential skills needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving gaming and esports industries. Set to launch in the upcoming academic year, the new diplomas will provide a blend of academic learning and industry-specific training. Students enrolled in the programmes will gain practical expertise in managing game development projects and executing professional esports events, both of which are increasingly pivotal to the entertainment and technology landscape. The collaboration is part of Savvy Academy's broader Level-Up programme, designed to deliver vocational training to university students across the Kingdom by aligning with leading academic institutions. The partnership also supports the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and contributes to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goal of becoming a global hub for games and esports. Majed Al-Muhanna, Chief Human Resources Officer at Savvy, said: 'This partnership with King Abdulaziz University is a key step in building local capabilities in game development and esports operations. This is part of our Savvy Academy initiative, through which we are enabling new pathways for the next generation of Saudi professionals to gain the skills and experience required to succeed and be a leader in this industry. Our work directly supports the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and Vision 2030's ambition of establishing Saudi Arabia as a global hub for games and esports.' Prof. Mohammed Balubaid, Dean of the Applied College, commented: 'This partnership with Savvy underscores our commitment to equipping students for careers in rapidly growing industries aligned with the Vision 2030. As gaming and esports expand at an unprecedented pace, there's a rising demand for talent that combines creative insight with operational excellence. Through this collaboration, students are expected to be exposed to real-world opportunities such as potentially supporting major international events like the Esports World Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia. We're proud to offer our students these pathways and contribute to shaping the Kingdom's digital future.' The MoU is part of Savvy Academy's Level-Up programme that is designed to provide vocational training in games and esports to university students in Saudi Arabia by partnering with renowned educational institutions.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pet Raccoon Gets the Zoomies When Mom Tells Her It's Bath Time
Pet Raccoon Gets the Zoomies When Mom Tells Her It's Bath Time originally appeared on PetHelpful. We've seen lots of animals get the zoomies, and it's always a joy to see. But there's one animal that we didn't know gets the zoomies when they're Kimberly DeFisher, known as Arctic Fox Daily, shared a video of her raccoon Savvy's excitement over bathtime recently, and it's the cutest thing you'll see today. It begins when Savvy notices Mom filling up her bathtub and she can't contain her excitement. Watch on to see her adorable zoomies and her bathtime routine. The whole thing will make you smile! This was just too cute! Kimberly says in the video's caption, "May be nicknamed trash pandas, but they sure like to be clean!" She loves her bath! Viewers also got a kick out of Savvy's zoomies and bathtime playtime. One commenter pointed out what we noticed, "I love how she grabbed the hose lol!" @Rose enjoyed, "When she ran back to him like, 'Do you see how much fun I'm having?!' LOL!"Do Raccoons Make Good Pets? Commenter @Heather admitted, "This does not help me not want a raccoon as a pet LOL!" If Savvy's antics make you want to Google where to get a pet raccoon, you might want to do a bit of research first. WebMD aren't fans of the idea of bringing them inside since they're a lot of work. They say, 'Owning a pet raccoon might be more trouble than it's worth, and most animal experts don't recommend keeping them as pets.' Raccoons are incredibly smart animals, known for their curiosity and problem-solving skills. With their nimble paws that work almost like hands, they love exploring and trying new foods. They also have great memories; feed one once, and you'll likely have a regular visitor! They enjoy cuddling and snuggling but also have a playful streak that keeps their humans on their toes. They're smart and curious, love to climb and explore, and even if you put locks on or other deterrents to keep them out of rooms, cupboards, and other areas you don't want them to access, they'll find a way to get around them. They'll also steal and hide things that they want to keep for themselves! It's currently only legal to own a raccoon in 16 states. They carry some very bad diseases and have a bite that can cause medical issues. Before rushing out to buy one, do your research to find out if it is available to keep one as a pet in your state. Many states require permits and special training to keep this exotic pet. I think they're cute, but I'd prefer to just keep watching cute videos of them online. Pet Raccoon Gets the Zoomies When Mom Tells Her It's Bath Time first appeared on PetHelpful on Jul 24, 2025 This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Int'l Business Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Savvy STR Agents: How Tyler Coon Turned a Passion for Short-Term Rentals Into a Thriving Real Estate Empire
Tyler Coon One visionary saw a niche in the real estate industry and took a different route to build his business through passion, persistence, and a sharp eye for opportunity. While others pivot to starting real estate teams after years of grinding to exhaustion, Tyler Coon of Savvy STR Agents found his calling early and has doubled down since. Founded in 2019, Savvy specializes in one thing: helping clients discover and invest in profitable short-term rentals (STR). Today, the firm has grown to have agents across the U.S., from the Carolinas to California, making it one of the nation's leading agencies focused on STR investing. Back in 2020, amid the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic, Coon began working with a doctor who wanted to relocate to Asheville. Plans changed, and together they started searching for short-term rental investments instead. That search quickly became a passion. "I fell in love with the process. Running the numbers, looking for value-add opportunities," he shares. "Especially in Asheville, where there weren't many turnkey options, we had to find the diamond in the rough and make them shine." While most agents in his market were focused on traditional real estate, Coon saw a gap. He realized not many in the region were truly specializing in STRs. So, he proposed to his business partner that they shift their entire model, and got a negative response. "He told me it would never work. It's too niche, too risky," he recalls. Fast forward to today: Savvy is one of the top-producing real estate agent companies in North Carolina, thanks to Coon, and has grown into a nationwide force. What makes Coon's story especially unique is that he didn't start Savvy to escape the grind; he thrives in it. Despite leading a multi-state team, he's still personally closing deals. "In this industry, a lot of people grind until they burn out, and then they build a team to step away. That's not me," he says. "I'm in it because I love it. And because I'm in the field, I know the numbers inside and out, may it be what the properties cost, what they make, or how to optimize them. That's what sets us apart." Coon's journey hasn't just been about volume; it's been about building a better experience. By 2022, as the white-hot STR market cooled, many clients from the boom years started needing help. Not just buying properties, but operating them. "We realized we needed to show up better after the sale," Coon says. "So we doubled down on post-close support." That shift included hiring more staff, creating message groups for clients to share local recommendations, and even visiting properties after they launch as STRs. It wasn't just about being helpful; it was about creating a community. And it worked. This commitment to community and support has created a powerful referral engine, helping Savvy maintain strong sales even during market slowdowns. "By focusing on relationships, my clients talk about me, refer me, and I do just as much business with less hustle." Among the many standout listings Savvy has taken on is the Mirror Hotels, a striking architectural project and one of the highest-grossing Indiegogo campaigns in its category. "These are the types of listings that excite me," he says. "They're different, they push boundaries, and they bring in high ROI for our clients." Furthermore, recognizing the information gap many aspiring STR investors face, Coon recently published a guidebook – How To Sell Your Short Term Rental For More Money – to help demystify the process. "We've literally written the book on how to do this," he says. The book joins a growing library of educational resources Savvy STR provides to empower its community of investors, many of whom are first-timers. "There's this belief that you have to choose between scale and service. But we've proven you can treat clients with respect, give them the tools they need, and still build a business that performs." Truly, Savvy STR Agents isn't just a real estate company; it's a movement within the investment community. A reminder that when you lead with passion, build real relationships, and embrace the details, success follows. And for Tyler Coon, the treasure hunt continues.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From fatwas to 'Fortnite': Saudi Arabia's $38-billion play to rule esports
With the Esports World Cup quickly approaching, the office of the foundation organizing the tournament was buzzing with employees running qualifying matches and finalizing the opening ceremony of the competition with a $70-million prize pool. The seven-week event starting July 8 is at the heart of Saudi Arabia's bid to dominate the world of competitive gaming and the video game industry at large. Mike McCabe, the veteran gaming industry executive who heads the EWC Foundation, explained how gamesmanship would influence every aspect of the event. 'Every team gets one of these,' said McCabe as he picked up a metal figure made of two concentric triangles from his desk. He separated the center triangle from the outer one. If a team won a championship, he said, the centerpiece would go into the trophy, while the other would be embedded on a totem displayed in the Saudi capital. 'If they lose, it gets crushed by this massive new pneumatic press, then ground up and put into the bottom of the totem for next year,' McCabe said, a smile on his face. 'So there's this huge gamification, even with the trophy.' "Huge gamification" may be the central ethos of the kingdom's National Gaming and Esports Strategy, a $38-billion play that aims to position Saudi Arabia as a 'global hub in the games and esports sector by 2030' and to replicate the country's petrodollar-backed entry into the wider world of sports and entertainment. It's another element in Saudi Arabia's about-face from a hermit kingdom notorious for puritanical laws to a tourist destination that can draw 150 million visitors a year. The effort goes well beyond hosting this summer's tournament — the premier esports competition on the planet — or hosting the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2027 for a 12-year term. Saudi Arabia is embedding gaming within marquee construction projects of Vision 2030, the all-out, post-oil transformation plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reportedly an enthusiastic gamer himself. ("League of Legends" is his favorite, we're told.) Neom, the futuristic megacity on the Red Sea coast, intends to be the region's 'first true gaming hub,' according to its website, featuring a campus, recording studios, and motion capture and visual effects for game development. Another giga-project near Riyadh, Qiddiya City, is supposed to have a dedicated esports district the size of 17 city blocks, with four arenas and space for esports clubs and gaming companies' regional headquarters. Gaming is huge everywhere, but it's huge on a different level here Mike McCabe, esports expert, on gaming in Saudi Arabia The kingdom has also looked outward. Over the last few years, Savvy Gaming Group, a company owned by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's $700-billion flagship sovereign fund, has acquired roughly 40% of the global esports industry, including the Electronic Sports League — the gaming equivalent of the NFL — according to Savvy corporate materials. Savvy holds stakes in Scopely, the studio based in Culver City, and behind "Pokemon Go!" and "Monopoly Go!"; the acquisition catapulted Savvy to become the top mobile game publisher in the U.S. and the fourth globally, excluding China. The fund also owns parts of Nintendo (4.19%), Activision (4.9%), Take-Two Interactive (6.52%), Electronic Arts (9.34%) and a raft of smaller studios. The staggering scale of the investment has made Saudi Arabia the impossible-to-ignore behemoth in the room, especially amid a post-pandemic contraction hitting the industry in the U.S. and Europe that has seen major gaming companies fire some 34,000 people in the last three years, according to industry layoff trackers. That's despite accusations of 'games washing,' the notion that the kingdom is promoting esports — just as it bankrolled golf, tennis, boxing, wrestling and Formula One racing — to distract from its record of domestic repression, especially the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and insider-turned-critic of the crown prince. Yet many emphasize the main focus of the kingdom's esports strategy is local, with a plan to set up 250 gaming companies in Saudi Arabia that will create 39,000 jobs, and contribute some $13.3 billion to GDP by 2030. 'It's not just about, 'We're going to own a bunch of video-game-related companies across the world. It's 'How does this improve or grow over generations the industry in these Middle Eastern countries?' ' said Derek Douglas, head of the Video Games Group at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). 'It's really predicated on this idea of diversification and growth within the region." That's no easy task in a country where authorities once issued a religious fatwa against Pokemon playing cards. (The reason given was that they promoted evolution and gambling.) But McCabe and other leaders in the nascent gaming industry here insist there's potential, with roughly two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's 23 million people identifying as 'gaming enthusiasts,' according to a 2021 report from Boston Consulting Group, 'Gaming is huge everywhere, but it's huge on a different level here,' McCabe said, and not only because more than two-thirds of Saudi society is under 35. 'There's a climatic element as well: It's really hot in the summer and people spend a lot of time playing video games.' Some local success stories have already emerged in esports, such as Mohammed Al-Dossary, who won the 2018 FIFA eWorld Cup and now runs Team Falcons, an esports team reportedly backed by the royal family and which regularly signs players from around the world. In May the Falcons signed a partnership with Red Bull to be its official performance partner during this year's Esports World Cup. Not all are sanguine regarding the Saudis' gilt-edged charm offensive. The developers of GeoGuessr, a game that — you guessed it — has people suss out locations based on Google Street View imagery, recently withdrew from the Esports World Cup after angry fans threatened to boycott the game because of the kingdom's human rights record. 'You — our community — have made it clear that this decision does not align with what GeoGuessr stands for,' said a statement from the developers. To kickstart a game development industry essentially from scratch, the government set up a panoply of incubators and accelerators, partnering with international educational organizations such as Digipen, a gaming-focused college, to draw Saudi entrepreneurs and aspiring developers. But the programs have struggled to get enough qualified participants, observers say, and have tended to focus their efforts on Riyadh rather than across the country. Others say that's changing and point to similar endeavors in China and elsewhere that took decades before they bore results. "The West started utilizing China as an outsourcer for some engineering but primarily as for these massive art houses that were relatively cheap compared to U.S. and Western studios," Douglas from CAA said. "Smash-cut to today, you now have a generation and a half of individuals that have been trained to make video games. And so we're seeing a lot of next-generation content coming from there." Last year, China released "Black Myth: Wukong," its first AAA title — that is, a game with budgets in the hundreds of millions, featuring advanced graphics and gameplay; Douglas says several others are already in the pipeline. Yannick Theler, chief executive of Steer Studios, a Riyadh-based games studio that is part of Savvy, is confident the kingdom's first locally made AAA title is just a matter of time, though perhaps beyond 2030. 'That's why I came here: because of the holistic view [authorities] are taking in developing talent and the ecosystem,' said Theler, who previously founded Ubisoft Abu Dhabi. Already, Steer Studios was working with schools to teach children coding and game design at an early age. 'We'll need 10 years once we put everything — studios, academies, accelerators — in place,' he said, adding Steer currently has 100 employees, half of them Saudi. One person with a headstart is 24-year-old Abdulrahman Rashd, a developer who started designing maps when he was 12 for "Minecraft," the smash-hit creative building game, and later sold them on the game's marketplace. 'It was honestly fun. It provided a sense of purpose, because making things felt really good. And when we started making money, it changed our lives,' he said, adding that over the years he and a co-founder have netted around $1 million from the marketplace — a figure that stunned his parents. 'At first, they were classic Arab parents, saying things like 'Why are you wasting your time on games,' ' Rashd said, laughing. 'But then they saw the money and said I should keep going.' Rashd, who studied computer science at university, got a spot in a government-backed incubator and accelerator program called Saudi Game Champions. To qualify, he and a friend participated in a so-called Game Jam, where they had to design a game in three days around a theme; in this case, what they considered delightful. 'We did a top-down farming simulator. Why? Because it's really relaxing and honestly quite delightful in games,' Rashd said. He's using his time at Saudi Game Champions to develop a title called 'Up With Doznik,' a first-person action-adventure game. 'Fight shapeshifting monsters, upgrade, die, repeat — and grow stronger each time,' is the tagline. Rashd insists there's 'insanely good talent' in the country, and that the government's emphasis on building local talent is important. 'Investing in our people is way better than bringing in someone from abroad to do the work,' he said. The quickest pathway to getting more designers like him, he said, was simple: 'Just do s—. Just go out there and make stuff.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
