Talk given at Dubai World Game Summit about localization challenges faced while building Jawaker; an online multi-player card gaming website targeting the MENA region Fouad Mardini

1. Localization Challenges
in Jawaker
Dubai World Game Summit
30 Nov 2010

2. Fouad Mardini
Co-founder/Developer

3. Social Card Gaming

4. Targeting MENA

5. Statistics
400,000+ Users

6. Statistics
~2,000 Concurrent
Players at Peak

7. Statistics
12,000,000 Hands
Played a Month

8. “Name of the Game”

9. Jawaker is the Arabic
plural of Joker

10. Not this Joker

11. But rather this Joker

12. Don’t judge a book by
its cover
– American Proverb

13. Nissan Moco
Spanish speaking world

14. Jawaker’s Premium
Membership Branding

15. Flirted with many
names
(Gold, Plus, etc...)

16. Jawaker Basha

17. Product Perception

18. Competitions very
popular especially
during Ramadan

19. Users LOVE the idea

20. Even organizing and
managing their own
through Facebook

21. kingoftrx Facebook Page !"#$%

22. Product Monetization

24. Virtual Goods

25. Falafel

26. Arageel

27. Mint Tea

28. In addition to Ramadan
only goods (Ataief, etc.)

29. Unique Advertising
Model

31. Zain Campaign
5% CTR

32. Google Chrome
Campaign (CPA)
Campaign Renewed

33. Payment Headaches

34. Reluctance to use
credit cards

35. Payments through SMS
Big Hassle
Bad Cash Flow

36. Western Union Money
Transfer

37. Product Relevance

38. Localized Game Rules

39. Street Rules

40. Employee dedicated to
getting rules

41. Suit Names

42. Customized Audio
Content

43. Other Challenges

44. Players easily offended
verbally

45. Contact Info
Requests to
“Deal with
them”

46. Chat Filtration and
Banning Players

47. Zero Tolerance

48. Technical Issues

49. Arabic RTL

50. Android still messes it
up

51. Thank You