Gaming, specifically video gaming, has been an ever-present part of Western European, North American, and East Asian cultures for decades. In recent years, however, the increasing availability of gaming technologies has allowed other regions to ease into the gaming space.
Ghana is one such country, and while the gaming scene is still young, the entertainment medium is gradually taking over. Two key factors are helping to build a bustling gaming entertainment and competition scene in Ghana now: the rise of mobile and internet access and active competitive gaming organizations.
Mobile adoption leading to mobile gamers
Mobile adoption, thus, access to the internet conveniently and cheaply, is rapidly on the rise across the continent. Ghana is second only to South Africa on the continent in mobile penetration at 55 percent, which significantly outpaces the West Africa average of 44.8 percent.
This access to the internet and the mobile ecosystem has, as it has across the world, opened Ghanaians up to a tremendous range of gaming opportunities. Many of the game apps that rank highly in Ghana’s Google Play Store are single-player or casual titles, but the PPSSPP app shows that there’s a hunger for video gaming. The app is an emulator of video games made for the PSP, making the Sony console’s titles available to mobile users.
Outside of the Google Play Store, several other mobile browser-based gaming platforms have become popular in the country. Much like in other countries where mobiles have become widespread, easily-accessed mobile slots, such as Drago: Jewels of Fortune, Starburst, Legacy of Dead, and Great Rhino Megaways have become go-to gaming options in the Ghanaian market.
The increasing accessibility of mobiles has had a profound effect on the local gaming scene, particularly on the competitive side. Not only are consoles popular for these events, as we’ll get into shortly, but the wide adoption of mobiles has also encouraged organizers to set-up mobile-based gaming tournaments. PlayArena established several mobile eSports competitions, featuring games like Soccer Stars, 8-Ball Pool, and Clash of Clans.
Laying the foundations of the competitive scene
Ghana is the eighth-largest video games market on the continent, with the scene showing steady growth year-on-year. In fact, the Ghanaian video games market is predicted to grow to $27 million next year. One of the proponents of this growth is the nationwide establishment of communal and competitive gaming events.
While there are several competitive gaming organizations, the Ghana eSports Association is perhaps the most important. The organization strives to build up the eSports ecosystem in Ghana, drawing in businesses and would-be gamers alike. Working as a hub for eSports, they promote and collaborate with many of the small, more localized, and big-name organizers setting up competitive gaming around the country.
As well as helping to set-up these tournaments, the Ghana eSports Association also uses social media platforms to put the spotlight on the gamers. They upload highlights videos and stage live streams through the likes of YouTube and Facebook Live to offer gaming entertainment to people as both gamers and spectators.
With all of the options becoming increasingly available through mobiles, consoles, live events, and social media, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ghana’s love of gaming continues to grow each year.
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