TEHRAN – Iranian games returned to the shortlist of nominations for the International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) on Thursday one day after the organizers removed them all from the list, the Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation announced.

The IMGA announced 52 nominees including 16 Iranian games On Monday, but the Iranian productions were eliminated from the list a day after.

The games were deleted from the list based an agreement between IMGA MENA and its partners, the data and mobile services provider Zain Jordan and the game studio Maysalward.

However, they revised their decision after Iran made a protest against the act.
  
“Our lawyer found out that there is an amendment to the license agreement between IMGA and IMGA MENA which excluded Iran,” IMGA CEO Maarten Noyons said in a statement released on Thursday.

“When he presented this fact to us — our partners and the pre-judging panel — they concluded that developers from Iran are not eligible for IMGA MENA,” he explained.

“At this moment there are no consequences whatsoever, since the Iranian developers are back in the race and they will have an equal chance to win an award as any other developer from the MENA region,” Noyons said.

“I would say that their chances are even higher, since so many Iranian games have been nominated,” he added.

“4Wheelers” from Ordibehesht Studio, “Ancients Revival” from Anashid Games, “Clown: Legendary Theater” from Game Origins, “Mafioso” from Paeezan Game Studio, “Shadow Racer” from Noa Games and “Battle of Legends” from Trixmen Studios are among the Iranian games nominated.

Winners are scheduled to be announced during a ceremony in Amman, Jordan on November 11, and they will also become eligible to be considered for an IMGA Global Award early next year.

The IMGA is a worldwide competition that started in 2004, and it covers several different regions. In addition to IMGA Global, which is open to all, there is also IMGA MENA, IMGA Southeast Asia and IMGA China.

Photo: A scene from “Battle of Legends” from Trixmen Studios, which received a nomination at the International Mobile Gaming Awards.

ABU/MMS/YAW