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Five free mobile games created to mark SG50

SINGAPORE — In celebration of Singapore’s Jubilee year, five games created by local developers and featuring unique Singaporean features will be put up for free downloads on Google Play and iOS App stores from July 1, said the Media Development Authority (MDA) today (April 9).

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SINGAPORE — In celebration of Singapore’s Jubilee year, five games created by local developers and featuring unique Singaporean features will be put up for free downloads on Google Play and iOS App stores from July 1, said the Media Development Authority (MDA) today (April 9).

One of them, for instance, is set in a “kopitiam”, where players have to spot the parking attendant before they get summons. Another gives players a shot at designing a new look for Singapore using iconic buildings, such as HDB flats, Lau Pa Sat or Marina Barrage, that they can pepper on an empty map.

The mobile games will give players a chance to learn more about Singapore’s history, culture and iconic personalities in an interactive way, said MDA.

Calls for proposals in June last year attracted over 40 idea entries, of which four were selected for MDA funding. These are “Building the Lion”, “KAN-CHEONG! Kopitiam Saga”, “My Singapore City” and “Rickshaw Rush”.

The fifth game, “Satay Club”, was independently developed and selected as part of the slate after its developer volunteered for the game to be part of the SG50 initiative.

Speaking at the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI) Workplan Seminar today where the games were exhibited, Mojocat’s game designer Janus Ong said his inspiration for “KAN-CHEONG! Kopitiam Saga” came from the charm and “quirks” of Singapore’s “kopitiam” culture. He wanted to create a game that could make people laugh at their own culture and appreciate it at the same time.

“Many people say that Singapore is a food haven... However if you look closer, it is not just the food that brings about what makes us Singaporean, it is the behaviour we have around the kopitiam — the way we order our drinks, the way the hardworking stall-holders prepare their dishes — that captures the human element and contributes to the culture,” added Mr Ong.

Today, Minister for Communication and Information Yaacob Ibhrahim also gave updates on the S$10 million Digital Inclusion Fund that was first announced last April to minimise the digital divide within society.

Since December, the Home Access programme under the fund has reached out to more than 2,400 households on existing financial assistance. For no more than S$6 a month, eligible low-income households can get a tablet and four years of fibre broadband Internet access.

The programme will now be open for direct applications from eligible households starting this month.

M1, the appointed service provider for the Home Access programme, will also be rolling out its free regular training workshop in June to help beneficiaries learn how to use their tablets and email.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) will also be launching a new Software Design and Development Centre of Excellence by mid-July to develop citizen-centric digital apps, said Dr Yaacob.

User feedback will be incorporated at the app designing process and the centre intends to develop more e-Services similar to the existing OneService and SingStat apps.

“Government agencies will be able to tap on the centre’s expertise in research and data analytics to design and develop their dutiful services to better meet citizens’ diverse needs and expectations,” said Dr Yaacob.

Beyond project management, the centre will also allow IDA to develop a small but strong core of coders and engineers capable of creating IT solutions within the government, he added.

 

 

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