Art & Creativity : How the use of strong local cultural content can bring creativity to video game development and reach an international audience
In 2014, alongside his studies, he decided to get into video games to promote Africa and created his first game, which was a success in 2018.
He set up his first gaming company, Masseka, in 2018 right after graduating with a degree in computer engineering applied to business management. At the same time, he works for Capgemini on the ESA and NASA Biomass space project to calculate the impact of deforestation in Africa on global warming.
In 2019, he launched the development of Gara, the first African edutainment platform, to facilitate the distribution and monetization of mobile games and digital books throughout Africa by integrating all African payment systems. The Gara company was created in 2022 and won the support of numerous organizations such as Digital Africa.
In 2022, he created the first african experience in the metaverse The Sandbox to promote african native population with the game “The Legend of Mulu”.In 2023, he signed a contract with the French Embassy in Senegal to create the country’s first gaming incubator and also integrate the One Young World community.
He is twice ranked by Forbes among the 30 most influential young people under 30 on the African continent, first in 19th position in 2018 and in 1st position in 2022.
His talk will focus on the creation of local cultural content and how video games as a medium can help to disseminate it around the world. But also, how this content with a strong cultural identity can help create new and interesting gaming experiences for gamers around the world.
Masseka Game Studio, founded by Teddy Kossoko, is the first video game studio based in Europe creating contents based only on African cultures, facts and histories. To strengthen immersion, Masseka works with ethnologists and historians in Africa and France.
Kissoro Tribal Game, the first game of the studio has been a worldwide success. More than 250 articles in national and international media, reports on many TV channels, more than 6,000 downloads in 3 weeks.
Teddy Kossoko, is developing a network of African and European partners to build this bridge between Africa and the world.