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Minister urges Iran to seize gaming potential amid global boom
Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Abbas Salehi warned that failure to mount coordinated support for the domestic video games sector would amount to “burning” a national advantage, as he addressed the closing ceremony of the 11th Iran Video Games Festival at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall.
Salehi said video games, with 3.4 billion players worldwide and $183 billion in revenue in 2023, have become one of the most powerful media industries globally.
Iran, he added, remains competitive in human capital despite losing part of its early lead. More than 29 million people in Iran are active gamers, according to the National Foundation for Computer Games, with the average player age rising to 29 from 16 in 2010. In the United States the average stands at 35, underscoring the medium’s shift into a multi-generational market, ISNA reported.
He described gaming as an integrated cultural ecosystem spanning animation, narrative design and advanced technologies including virtual reality, arguing that piecemeal policies would not suffice. A comprehensive support package, aligning public and private investment from production to market access, is needed to prevent further erosion of capacity.
Festival secretary Reza Ahmadi said 164 titles were submitted this year despite internet disruptions and logistical constraints. Of those, 130 qualified for review and 75 reached the main competition stage. He called the event a professional platform rather than a mere contest.
Veteran developer Mohammad-Mehdi Behfarrad, chief executive of Medrick Game Studio, said Iran entered game development roughly in step with the global wave nearly two decades ago but failed to sustain momentum.
Neighboring countries with shorter track records now target annual sales of around $750 million, he said, attributing Iran’s lag to late-stage policy recognition and limited structural backing.
He said total annual support from all public funds combined does not match the price of a luxury car in Tehran, arguing that without meaningful capital injection and media visibility, studios cannot scale or compete internationally.