Find shelter and community in games | The DeanBeat

13.10.2023 - 21:58 / venturebeat.com

It’s a sad time for the world. Just when there was a chance of a thawing in the Middle East, the awful attacks in Israel and retaliation in Gaza have frozen hopes of peace and progress. It has set us all back 50 years. I look at the news and want to cry. I want to look away, but I also want to look so I can fully understand the scope of the heartbreak that is happening.

For the life of me, I can’t think of anything inspiring to say in the wake of recent events. It’s troubling. I’m supposed to be a writer, and I’ve always been hopeful. But I find myself at a loss for words. The violence comes to us and makes its way into our homes on TVs and smartphones. It is paralyzing.

I can be grateful that this war is not affecting me directly or putting my close friends and family in harm’s way. But I also think of people I know in the game industry. They are among the people who are in danger, not just because of the war in Gaza but also because of the war in Ukraine. I know there are many people involved in the fighting who would much rather be making games. And I cannot think of a worse waste of human talent. I sincerely hope and wish that they stay safe. I know that many people will not be. I am not going to say their names here. But I can see them so clearly in my mind’s eye. I worry for them.

I know that some very large game companies like Playtika and Plarium, both based in Israel, have people at risk in both warzones. It must be so very frightening and despairing to know that your people are not safe on two fronts at the same time. In Gaza, I believe there are fledgling gamers and game developers who do not have a way to hit escape velocity and enjoy a career in games.

GamesBeat Next 2023

Join the GamesBeat community in San Francisco this October 23-24. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry on latest developments and their take on the future of gaming.

I dined in Tel Aviv years ago in fellowship with Israeli game developers and tech startups. They have an amazing population of game developers who have pioneered social casino games, mobile marketing, hypercasual games and game venture capital. They were a generation ahead when they discovered the power of games and technology to drive a nation’s economy. They took me on an excursion to the Dead Sea, where I floated in mineral-rich water.

I have never been to Gaza or the countries directly surrounding Israel. I recently went to Saudi Arabia and was shocked and amazed to see so much modernization happening there. Meeting people who had big dreams and hopes for gaming and esports was exciting. They’re dreaming of building cities where games are an integral part of life. I talked to some Saudi interns who grew up in Riyadh with manga and