Video gaming startup already has 4 million downloads. What’s next for Chickmania?
In the fastest growing video games market in the Middle East, Jordan’s Chickmania - a leader in interactive mobile game development - has plans to expand globally. Customised coaching, mentoring and staff training has helped the company set a clear pathway for growth, and now their games have 50K active daily users.
In recent years, the perception of video games has changed. Once touted as a waste of time or too violent for children, some video games are becoming acknowledged for their contributions to game-based learning, problem solving and creativity. The Middle East and North Africa are quickly becoming M increasingly important markets for the $160 billion global industry. The Jordanian market is the fastest growing in the world, increasing by 14.5% over the last years to $5.4 billion.
Chickmania, a Jordanian games developer, started in 2017 as a marketing and production agency but noticing the huge demand for mobile gaming, they invested. Today, Chickmania has six live games on iOS and Android and more than four million downloads. The company is working towards becoming one of the pioneers in the field, especially given the recent acquisition by the Stillfront Group of Jordan-based gaming startup, Jawaker, for $205 million.
“The video game industry is serious in the MENA region, so in Chickmania we are always looking for new ideas and new concepts to save and to increase our share of the market,” says Mustafa Swiedan, Head of the Studio at Chickmania.
With more than 50 thousand daily active users, Chickmania has grown to about 35 staff who develop interactive mobile games, implement creative marketing and produce videos. This year, they hope to reach 50 full-time employees. “Chickmania is growing, we hire new people frequently and we care about the capacity building of our team,” said Zain Al-Shorbaji, Executive Assistant.
In order to assist the company in its ambitions to scale up and expand, SPARK and the International Group for Training (IGIT) are providing Chickmania with customised coaching sessions about financial management, operational systems and human resources management. The support is offered as part of SPARK’s Jobs and Perspectives programme, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It is the first time we receive coaching sessions and training that serve our needs” – Zain Al-Shorbaji
Alongside their plans to expand in Jordan, the company is now making plans to attract international investors. “With the receiving of such coaching, we now have a clear direction of what we will do during 2022. This will not only benefit Chickmania but will be helpful to many partner companies and local talents,” Zain says.