Gaming in West Africa: Only 7 years behind

And here I thought talking French 1 and 2 would be a waste. Har-har.

Wait so just to make sure you do realize west africa, think guinea, nigeria, niger, etc., are largely very poor third world countries right.

As a Nigerian and an avid gamer, I feel compelled to point out that "West Africa" is a relatively large region, Senegal is only one small part. I grew up playing the latest games from the US, UK and Japan, often getting titles before they were available in one territory or the other because region coding is less of an issue.

Having lived in East Africa I can say it is much the same there.

If you want games you have to import them, and exchanging games with friends is critical.

Incidentally where do you live for Senegal to be on the way to or from E3?

He must of borded the wrong airplane and was "home alone" =P You know... Going into places that are like 7, 10, 20, 800 years behind really makes you wonder how come people don't do that for the sheer feeling of going through time XD I mean, if you want to re-live the golden days of pogs just go to western africa am i rite? =3

i think the people of Senegal are too busy looking for food and safety to worry about next-gen gaming or Wi-Fi. I understand where this is coming from but this article is the equivalent to looking for an Apple Store in Chechnya.

nice attempt at humor but it just comes off as too elitist to be funny. sorry.

"nice attempt at humor but it just comes off as too elitist to be funny. sorry."
Well put, except I wouldn't have even given credit for the attempt at humor, mocking a third world country, or developing nation is not humorous, at all, ever.

I still think Senegal can whoop the US in soccer.

Yeah i have to agree, although i'm sure it wasn't intended, this post comes over very patronising and "look at the funny little Africans and their funny little ways!"

Also, as you point out, FIFA '99 is just as good as any other FIFA game just slightly older graphics and out of date team rosters

@Justin

Nice attempt at humor, but it just comes off as too racist and stereotypical to be funny. Sorry.

I'm agreeing with Justin on this one. The initial image and headline definitely create a laugh, but after that subsides it does indeed come across as lacking a little perspective.

Fifa '99 plays the same as this years.

HAHAHAHhahaha... priceless.

I like how the two individuals who actually live(d) in regions of Africa, Christopher Coker and JGO, brought up absolutely no negative remarks regarding the article. They pointed out that the author's comments are true, but of course the situation is due to the remoteness and size of the area. My point is, why is it that people always feel a need to defend everyone else when they themselves have not even experienced the situation first hand? Jumping to the conclusion that the author's intention was to be racist or elitist shows that: A) You are looking way to deep into the subject. It was an interesting look at gaming in different regions of the world, nothing more and nothing less, and B) You're notions of racism and elitism are over exaggerated and false, suggesting that you're merely picking a fight for the sake of getting attention, whatever that may be worth to you.

dude shadow warrior rocked hard core. some of the charactor designs were wicked!

bv, none of them were from senegal

Ya seriously guys, it wansn't that bad. I thought it was rather funny, even it wast intended. It's a little more sad than say what the Europeans have to go through but entertaining nonetheless (yes that is how it's spelled). On a side note: I love to make fun of the Europeans and the fact that they always get stuff after we do and thats why I love America. Take that forgiegners!

As a Nigerian, I can tell you that while you may not find the latest next-gen games in stores, any kid of means probably has one anyway.

Back in the late 80s, we had NESes and Master Systems and Commodore 64s just like the American kids had.

teh_pwnerer,
None of the other commenters were from Africa, and yet they are the first to bring out the racist card. You would assume that the two commenters that actually live in the country would follow suit, but it wasn't the case. That is my point.

Racist? No one played the "racist" card except for post 10, which seems to be a flame or rebuttal to the original remark regarding elitism. There's certainly a difference between racism and roflcoptering that these people don't have WiFi. That has little to do with race.

Given that the Sega Saturn is 11 years old, not 7, I'm going to assume you meant Sega Dreamcast.

bv, last i checked.. africa is a continent.. not a country. but yeah.. racism wasnt the point to me either.. it just wasnt funny.

Umm, I live in Southern Africa, so I'm hardly lacking perspective or making fun of Africans "and their funny little ways". Granted, gaming is much further along here than it is further up the continent, I still thought it was interesting to look at Senegal's gaming situation having just come from something ridiculous as E3. I don't see how any part of the post could possibly interpreted as "racist" - Nowhere in the post do I mock the people or the country, I'm pointing out how small gaming is to readers who probably couldn't imagine walking into a store with games that old.

"I began to explore the vast and largely undeveloped wasteland that was the country's...airport building".

And that's misinterpreted, stating the insignificance of gaming to the rest of the world? No one can peer into your brain and know your true feelings on these things, so we're working with what you give us. That said, surely you can see why that comes across as a little arrogant to some.

you should be burned and crusified for those remarks

I am a Nigerian and I should be getting an Xbox 360 any day now.




Just as soon as this guy pays me to release my fathers wealth from my government...

futurebiblehero - I'm saying the airport is crap (which it was). I think deeming that as a form of arrogance towards an entire country is a bit of a stretch. Good thing I didn't comment on how rubbish LAX is... :)

futurebiblehero,
So by your reasoning can I come to my own conclusions that your chosen screen name is a commitment of sacrilege and that you are in fact a non-caring and arrogant individual?

btw, here in Brazil, some retailers are still selling Super Mario Kart, Nintendo64 and tons of Genesis (here "mega drive") cartridges (all new). And yet I can purchase all the recent titles too, like age of empires 2 and Conker's Bad fur Day for n64 (ok, just kiddin') by outrageous prices!

Deduct what you'd like, BV; As I'd come to the conclusion that you resort to ad hominem attacks when you have nothing else to work with.

Ludwig - Understood. This has already been blown far out of proportion as it is. I'm not necessarily carrying a pitchfork as much as I'm saying that could've been worded a little better.

What?

I would love to find a Saturn brand new! If Panzer Dragoon Saga was also available, that would be great!

I read it once and thought it was interesting. Then I read all the comments, noting the ones talking about racism, re-read and I still thought it was interesting.

Pointing out differences is not racism. Never is and should never be. Even if the differences are negative. Nowhere did I read anything that displays a belief of superiority of one race over another.

Superiority of one country? No.

Superiority of a class of countries (say developed vs. underdeveloped)? That's closer.

The only thing I infered from this article was the somewhat time-rifty-ness of the airport and particularly the gamestore. And the low-tech cracks were obviously jokes.

Equality, in a generalized sense, means that amongst other things - Everyone and everything can be made fun of.

To me, it shows he felt that the environment he was in was worthy of being compared to environments he and most of us are used to. That implies a level of respect, not despite of the jokes but because of them.

I live in Argentina... and guess what! I'm still playing Gran Turismo 2 in a PSX =P

PC video: Geforce2 MX400
256MB Ram

Also, some small airport shops can be *very* outdated in regard to their stocks. In the case of games, if nobody buys a certain copy, it may stay there for years to come, and once in a while they'll put it on display to see if them can dump it on some unsuspecting traveler.

Man we have become so politically correct that any humor at the expense of anyone (except perhaps white and western folk) is jumped on by the myriads of keyboard jockies shouting racist or snob. I found nothing offensive about this or racist. There are relative backwaters all over the world, be it Senegal, Guyana, Belize or Easter Island. Simply pointing out the differences and getting a bit nostalgic about it is fine.

I really hate PC-ness can you tell?

"Fifa '99 (don't worry, it plays the same as this year's version)"

haha, brilliant

I live in Senegal, so I can tell you that what you saw at the airport does not mirror the whole country, not even closely. In fact, just the other day I walked past an Xbox 360 in a store window (the premium version), that I'm now thinking about buying. Nobody actually buys anything from the airport anyway (apart from ignorant tourists), in some weird twist stuff is actually cheaper outside the airport. Gaming wise, we usually get our stuff one or two months after it's available in France.

Funny thing how most Africans are like they have to import their latest games. Most of the time I have friends who get the latest games in the grey markets dotted around Nigeria before some are even released in some territories. I know while there was a drastic shortage of PSP a few months after launch, I saw about a dozen in some store over here. Likewise Shadow of The Colossus was available here the weekend after I read IGN's review. The thing is you can most definitely still find Megadrives/Genesis's and NES/SNES's alongside Xbox360s and DS-es (no lites yet though) in mint condition in stores here so it's not a big deal. The only console that you mostly find used games and older titles for is the Gamecube, there is barely any new games in the markets over here for the machine (I know 'cos that's the only console I have; imported Resident Evil 4 at launch though).......

Again, calling the airport of a third world country "crap" is unnecessary. Don't forget this is a country with a life expectancy of 52 and an adult literacy rate of 40%.

Moving away from the post for a second, a couple of people mentioned "well if the two Africans wern't offended..." That is one of the single most stupidest arguments i've ever heard.

Someone also mentioned being "PC". I think you need to stop watching FOX News for 5 minutes. There isn't actually a thought police trying to control you and make the entire population mindless robots. People are "PC" because, like most normal humans, they don't want to unnecessaryly offend people. People think free speech means you have the right to be an asshole (not talking about the original post here) and say whatever you feel, but it's really about speaking up against oppression.

Back to the original post, i'm not saying it was racist and i know it's difficut to convey humor through writing, and how easy it is for people to get the wrong idea, but i fail to see how you can't see how using phrases like "by "quaint little country", I really mean a place that technology actively flees from in blind terror" for humour is patronising and inappropriate when talking about a third world country.

I am from Senegal and was there last month. Any game available in the states is available there. Wifi is available albeit not at the airport. People there are as much advanced "gaming wise" that anyone else in the world; besides, the lack of titles availabilty in the stores does not stop them from playing the latest games. Because DSL is readiliy available thanks in part to global crossing ambitious efforts to build a global cable network, they download versions of the latest games from p2p. A few young entrpeneurs have also opened gaming rooms stacked with the latest X-box and PSP and for a buck an hour you can play the game of your choice. Personnally when I brought the latest fifa '06 to my cousins, they were not interested telling me that the local crowd was more interested in pro evolution soccer 5 (or6, can't recall) as it was much more intuitive and realistic from their perpspective. just my little cent.

No, free speech is about just that, freedom of speech.
It means that I have the right to speak my mind.
And, as corallary, the responsibilty to use my speech wisely, and deal with the consequences of said speech.
PC has and is disabling the ability of people to carry on meaningful debate, as inevitably one party plays the "PC card" and kills the debate.
Calling an airport shitty isn't an offense.
Grow some skin folks.

"Again, calling the airport of a third world country "crap" is unnecessary. Don't forget this is a country with a life expectancy of 52 and an adult literacy rate of 40%."

That really doesn't impact on whether or not the airport sucks. It's a valid opinion for me to have, and I never judged the country based on the airport. As I said before, I think LAX sucks as well. That doesn't mean I'm somehow implying something about California or America as a whole. If I went to a terrible restaurant where I live, I'd note that as well (and this is a third-world country too).

"i fail to see how you can't see how using phrases like "by "quaint little country", I really mean a place that technology actively flees from in blind terror" for humour is patronising and inappropriate when talking about a third world country"

I fail to see how you can fail to see that I fail to see the... The fact is, technology is generally way behind in that country. That's what I was saying and it's a fact. I think by saying "aww, they're a third world country give them a break" is even more patronizing. I didn't use the observation to attack the country, I simply made the observation. Some seem to think that ignoring it would have been less "offensive", which honestly doesn't make much sense to me.

i don't think the post was racial or stereotypical at all. the writer was shocked at how behind the country seemed as far as gaming goes. it just came off as really snobby.

Who's even saying that the fact that they're playing games that are 6-7 years old is a disadvantage? I'd even say that they've been blessed by the gaming gods not to have seen some of the shovelware that the big gaming corps have hurled out the door in the last decade.

It's wholly possible to have a great time with games from 5+ years ago, and enjoy months and years of gaming goodness without ever having to upgrade one's video card or anything. X-Com: UFO Defense, System Shock 1/2, Quest for Glory, NES and SNES were emulated perfectly back then, the original Unreal tops just about any FPS that's out nowadays - the list goes on and on. Furthermore, I really only use my PS2 to play PS1 games (with the notable exception of Sly Cooper) - that is just plain sad.

Hail the gaming of yesteryear - they don't make 'em like they used to. We should be so lucky as these guys are to have those things on the shelf again.

As a Ugandan avid gamer, I couldnt help but be a bit saddened by this article. Truth be told while Ludwig was aiming for light humor, kinda felt it was at the expense of a 3rd world country. Light or not, coming from a 3rd world country, it still sux 2 be made fun of.
While the article doesnt directly apply to me, the city where i'm at, or the kind of gaming life i have, it still paints a rather pitiable image of 3rd world Africa as a whole.

"The fact is, technology is generally way behind in that country" Noone is denying that, but you seem oblivious to the fact that there are very good reasons for that. Also you state that their airport is 'crap' as a matter of fact, when considering their resources, many would think that it was pretty good. Saying LAX sucks is irrelevant as you were basically laughing at the fact that the airport is "an undeveloped wasteland".

I'm sure there was no vicious intent behind the post, it just comes across as ignorant and highly arrogant.

I'm from Ghana. You've got to realize that entering one gaming shop doesn't exactly portray an entire country's gaming market scene. I grew up in Accra never realizing how poor my country is simply because I grew up in the middle of the city shielded by my dad's wealth. I had my Xbox 360 6 weeks ago. And I know a bunch of my buddies who do. Quite certainly, it might be a bit humorous, but then again, if the market surrounding the shop is that of kids runnin PII boxes, why sell fifa 06 which costs a hell of a lot more and requires more juice from a system. Gaming is expensive.. very expensive....

"The fact is, technology is generally way behind in that country" Noone is denying that, but you seem oblivious to the fact that there are very good reasons for that."

But the reasons do not change the fact I stated - they only reinforce it. The purpose of the post was not to discuss the reasons for Senegal being behind in those respects. I mentioned the lack of technology to give background and to indicate how unimportant something like gaming could be considered there. You seem to view me saying "the tech is behind" as some sort of attack or insult to the country. It's a developing country. They're behind. So what? It's a fact, not a condemnation.

"Also you state that their airport is 'crap' as a matter of fact, when considering their resources, many would think that it was pretty good."

Yeah, but Mr. Many isn't writing this post, I am. I didn't like the airport. I'm entitled to that opinion and I think it's a real stretch to liken that to me insulting the country and being ignorant of their situation. I live in a third world country myself and I experience similarly "appalling" things every day. Just because the country's developing, doesn't mean I can't point out how much things need to improve. Ignoring problems don't make them go away.

Disliking LAX isn't irrelevant either - I was illustrating how I could easily dislike any airport without drawing irate comments. Funnily enough, I think LAX is even WORSE than the Senegal airport. At least the security guys in Senegal are friendly. :)

The article does not make fun of Senegal or third world countries. A lot of people seem to think that saying we're behind in technology is some sort of shameful and offensive statement that springs forth from a desire to mock. That's just how things are and that's why we're "developing" countries. I never said "this place is terrible BECAUSE it's lacking in technology" or "this place sucks because they have no new games". There's no ignorance or hateful arrogance involved.

You did not just state a fact though did you, it was the base for any humour in the post. Therefore you were essentially laughing at them for being 'behind the times'

I was personally offended by the FIFA dig. Take your Winning Eleven and stick it Ludwig. :-P

What I find even more shocking your harmless snobyness, Ludwig, is that it appears that you didn't even leave the airport, even though you were stranded there for 24 hours. I hope you actually did a little exploring outside of the airport. If you didn't, you wasted an excellent opprotunity to explore a country that you wouldn't typically visit.