Games2win's Farah Sayyed is the woman behind the cutesy characters who smack their boyfriends when they check out other girls, and the tricks that help a waiter snare his prized catch from the clutches of a boring boyfriend. Who said real love couldn't be virtual?
Games2win's Farah Sayyed is the woman behind the cutesy characters who smack their boyfriends when they check out other girls, and the tricks that help a waiter snare his prized catch from the clutches of a boring boyfriend. Who said real love couldn't be virtual?
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"Romance is the most popular category on our site," laughs Farah Sayyed, Creative Director for Games2win, which, as the name suggests, is a portal for online gaming. It's not legendary like World of Warcraft yet, (the online role-playing game), but that hasn't stopped young girls from logging on to play 57 games about taming cheating boyfriends and steering clear of boring geeks -- in a bid to simulate real-life mush dilemmas online.
Speaking of World of Warcraft, its massive popularity is due in part to a loyal audience of female gamers who love the opportunity to get flirty, naughty, or just get back at boys via dragon personalities and guilds that share the spoils of victory on games like Dragons and Dungeons.
"Our dominant female audience aspires for romance in their own lives. We take slice-of-life themes and present it to them in the form of games. Since they are wacky and situational, it's fun for everyone -- not just the girls," is Sayyed's explanation for the 27 per cent of page views that romance games on the site generate.
Take, for instance, The Boyfriend Trainer, a game that, well, helps you train your man to toe the line. "As girls, we all have hated our men for staring at other girls or not paying attention to us. Imagine if you will, a game that allows you to punish the ogling boyfriend and boom -- The Boyfriend Trainer is born," is Sayyed's take on how the game was conceptualised.
Each game is a product of brain-storming, research and an analysis of trends by a team housed at the firm's Tardeo office. "Everything is inspired from experiences and 'what ifs'."
And all of this has undergone monumental change from the days of Banegi Apni Baat. Sayyed agrees. "We underestimate youngsters today. They are far more mature than we give them credit for. Their idea of love has evolved, and relationships have modernised. The concept of a live-in relationship was unthinkable not so long ago, but it's a new generation out there and they are open to new experiences. So, our games have evolved too."
It's also the reason people rushed to take on avatars and serenade each other under pixel-leaved palm trees and on dates costing Linden dollars when Second Life first hit computer screens in 2003. The virtual world enables its 'residents' to interact through avatars, socialise and love, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property.
Little surprise then, that the Games2win's most popular game is called The Great Indian Honeymoon. The user has to play her way through pesky relatives and jetset across Miami to experience a memorable honeymoon, the Indian way. Played close to 11 million times since its January 2009 debut, it's their biggest draw. "The audience is curious and curiosity leads to discovery. They want to learn and experience everything involved with love, right from romance to heartbreak, and everything in between," says Sayyed.
Kissing games -- Screen Kiss, Kiss-Mat 2, Zombie Kiss and Flying Kiss -- are some of the oldest games on the site. Consider the fact that they are consistently voted and asked for by the site's audience (girls aged eight to 18), and you know that they are not going anywhere for a while.
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