One of the first lessons in Entrepreneurship 101 is to find an underserved market and serve it, and that's just what BreakAway Games and Quirkat have done with their Arabian Lords PC video game.

Inspired by the rise of Islam between the 7th and 13th centuries, Arabian Lords is a bilingual strategy game targeted specifically at Middle Eastern players. Gamers take the role of an enterprising merchant lord, and through a combination of strategy and city-building, they try to grow their influence from just one palace to an entire ancient empire. As they gain prestige and wealth, they must engage in competition and shrewd diplomacy against rival factions while keeping their own customers and citizens happy and their communities thriving. Beggars, thieves and vandals can be sent to sabotage an opponent, for example, while musicians, poets and bards can be used to help a market flourish. Players are rewarded for successful negotiation and leadership, not military might or violence.

Arabian Lords just launched in August, and is available across the Middle East. BreakAway is also considering launching the game in the US to tap into the Arab American market. Both Arabic and English versions are included on the CD, and gamers can match wits with up to four other players online or via a local network. Eleven scenarios are included, with detailed graphics and real-time action.

Mahmoud Khasawneh, CEO of Quirkat, explains: “This is the first time an established player like BreakAway has expanded its development effort in partnership with a Middle Eastern studio like Quirkat, to bring to the region a unique blend of gaming quality and cultural and historical references. We are proud to be part of this pioneering effort and we hope to continue this partnership by producing more titles with Middle Eastern flavour. The demand is certainly there, and it is refreshing to see a game of this quality address regional storylines.”

There are almost 200 million consumers in the Middle Eastern region today, and more than 33 million of them are online, according to Internet World Stats.* Where else are these savvy consumers being underserved....?

Website: www.arabianlords.com
Contact: info@arabianlords.com

Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen

* Note that Internet World Stats uses a fairly narrow definition of the Middle East, including only the following countries: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine (West Bank), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Megaphone has devised a novel way to make mega-screen advertisements draw crowds. Anyone within view of a large video display managed by Megaphone can join in a simple video game by calling in with their cell phones, with their phones serving as makeshift game controllers. As a video on Megaphone’s website demonstrates, those linked into the game can fire weapons at space-alien attackers while seeing their own avatar along with those of other players.

The graphics look like vintage ’70s video games, which has a certain retro appeal. And keeping the games simple makes it easy for anyone to join in. Megaphone’s founders note that their current games offer only a hint at what’s possible. They see applications for their interactive displays in clubs, concerts, movie theatres, sports stadiums and world-famous urban locations such Times Square in New York or the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo. Among the possible features: crowds playing at two separate locations could compete with one another. Besides gaming, the displays could also serve as makeshift voting booths or a way for concert goers to select a performer’s next song.

The essential appeal is audience participation on a massive scale. Participants get a sense they’re contributing to a larger effort, in the same way stadium goers continue to enjoy creating the wave during sporting events. With multitudes of users participating, everyone also retains some needed anonymity. If you play poorly, no one will know. ;-) And Megaphone is yet another example of harnessing cell phones to enhance a marketing effort. Last September we profiled a feature at VFestival that let festival goers download applications such as blinking screens intended to help people find each other. Similarly, a UK ad firm we wrote about in August lets cell-phone carrying pedestrians download product information, songs and ring tones from the company’s storefront video displays. No doubt there’s a long list of major advertisers the world over who are eager to see more.

Website: www.playmegaphone.com
Contact: contact@playmegaphone.com

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz

Earlier this year, we reported on NexGym—a youth fitness franchise that keeps youngsters moving through video game-inspired workouts. It turns out they're not the only players capitalizing on kids' fitness by incorporating video games. Canadian Bulldog Interactive Fitness and Colorado's XRKade are getting in on exergaming, too.

Bulldog Interactive Fitness founder Holly Bond was inspired by her own son's childhood battle with weight—a problem she realized affected not just his health, but also his self-esteem. That's why it was such a priority to develop fitness solutions that didn't leave fun out of the equation. Children ages 3 and up can take advantage of PS2 game bikes, Dance Dance Revolution machines, simulated mountain-climbing treadwalls, circuit equipment and much more, including camps, classes and special team training programs. Customers can purchase single session passes or memberships in increments of three months or a year.

Denver-based iTech Fitness launched XRKade with the same idea in mind of making fitness fun for kids by building on activities that already interest them—namely video games. In addition to consulting with a team of seasoned experts and industry professionals, iTech created an XRKade Jr. Board of Advisors ranging in age between 9 and 16 years old. The result? Fitness centers that feature the latest in virtual cycling, snowboarding, climbing, dance, tae kwon do and more. In fact, they might easily be confused as cutting edge video arcades rather than exercise facilities—which is precisely the idea.

Franchising and licensing information for both companies is available online, but clearly this is a concept that can be replicated or adapted. An obvious next step might be to let adults in on the fun. It's hard to imagine exergaming not quickly gaining popularity at any gym—even in office parks or senior living facilities, where a virtual climb through the Alps or boxing match might be just the ticket to inspire a newfound love of fitness!

Websites: www.bulldoginteractivefitness.com — www.xrkade.com
Contact: info@bulldoginteractivefitness.com — info@xrkade.com

Spotted by: Darren Baxendale

As featured last year, ING's Postbank is encouraging children to find their inner entrepreneurs and learn how earn, save and deal with money. This week, the bank opened a Bizznizz Lounge in Habbo Hotel, the online community that welcomes 7 million unique tween and teen visitors to its virtual rooms every month.

The Bizznizz lounge will be open to Habbo users who want to chat with other kidpreneurs about money, exchanging tips on how to run a part-time lawn mowing business, or the best way to advertise a dog walking service. Postbank will also be organizing fun and educational activities in the Bizznizz Lounge over the next few months. The bank sees Habbo as a natural fit for its Bizznizz activities, since Habbo players already actively participate in their own barter economy, trading furniture and other items with other players. Fun example of creating a relevant presence in a virtual community, targeting a specific audience in its natural habitat.

Website: http://bizznizz.postbank.nl and www.habbo.nl/entertainment/postbank

Related: Lemonaire campaign by Umpqua and KLM's social networks for frequent flyers

Taking advantage of the hype following the recent release of Nintendo's Wii console, Mr Cloud's T-Shirt Emporium lets customers order a t-shirt with their Mii printed on it. For those of you who haven't yet gotten your hands on a Wii, a Mii is a user's avatar—a 3D caricature that can be designed by choosing from a wide variety of facial and body features and colors. Miis serve as a player's character when playing games.

As Mr Cloud explains: "Much of the initial time on our newfangled Nintendo Wii was spent creating highly realistic Mii replicas of ourselves, our friends and many famous dead people. Wouldn't it be fun, we thought, if our creations of ourselves could be proudly displayed on a t-shirt?"

Customers can add Mr Cloud as a friend on their Wii, and then beam over their Mii using the Wii's built-in send functionality. The Mii-shirts (GBP 19.99 / USD 35) are custom-printed and dispatched within a few days. Sounds like a fun and very now example of gravanity, and a neat low-cost business idea for Wiired t-shirt printers across the world, especially when Nintendo starts making more consoles available to countries outside North America and Japan.

Website: www.mrcloud.com
Contact: www.mrcloud.com/contact_us.php

NOTE: We've received various alarming messages from people who paid for a Mii shirt but haven't received the product. While we still think this was a fun business concept, we would advise you not to order one. Please also see the comments below.