The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, inaugurated, this Friday, May 24, the first edition of the “Morocco Gaming Expo”, at the Sofitel Jardin des Roses in Rabat, with the presence of a of Nintendo icons, Takaya Imamura.
With the aim of promoting the Gaming industry in Morocco, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication organized the Morocco Gaming Expo for the first time. This event is part of the “Rabat Gaming City” project, which aims to create a cluster of businesses to stimulate the creation of qualified jobs and promote the emergence of a dynamic cultural and social scene in Rabat. The objective is to enable the capital to become the major hub of the electronic games sector in Africa and the MENA region.
On this occasion, international companies in the sector will be able to establish national and international partnerships and participate in training on video games. Visitors, passionate about gaming, will have the opportunity to play all kinds of games, on all types of consoles.
Presence of a Nintendo legend
And who better to inaugurate this event than a true Nintendo icon? Indeed, Takaya Imamura is an emblem of the video game industry, having worked at Nintendo for more than thirty years. He is best known for his contributions to the F-Zero and Star Fox franchises, where he designed many iconic characters. The Japanese creator also imagined and designed the universe and atmosphere of the famous game The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask.
Takaya Imamura left Nintendo in 2021 and is now devoting himself to a manga that he drew in his youth: Omega 6. This work will be published this summer worldwide and according to the mangaka, “it will soon be adapted into a video game.”
A successful stay in Morocco so far
On the day of the inauguration of the Morocco Gaming Expo, Takaya Imamura spoke several times to express his joy at being in Morocco for this occasion. “I had the chance to see the Gaming show in advance and I can say that it was burning with life and imagination. This leaves no doubt that the future is still ahead of us in terms of video games”noted the Japanese designer.
During his stay in Rabat, Imamura collected several ideas, such as “the Moroccan landscapes which gave me a lot of inspiration for my projects”. In return, the Japanese designer’s wish is “to inspire all the young people who will be present at the video game show”.
Finally, the first edition of the Morocco Gaming Expo is a success for all parties. It represents a great tribute to the Japanese creator who continues to influence and inspire the video game community. Then the presence of a personality such as his in the country will be beneficial for Moroccans, who will be able to draw inspiration from a figure in the world of gaming to develop this industry.
