The Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation (ICVGF), also known as the National Foundation for Computer Games (NFCG), is an

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

established by the

Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance ( fa, وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی, ''Vâzart-e Ferheng-e vâ Arshad-e Eslâmi'') ("Ministry of CIG") is the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is responsibl ...

to control and support the

video game industry The video game industry encompasses the Video game development, development, marketing, and Video game monetization, monetization of video games. The industry (economics), industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs wor ...

in Iran. Established in 2007, the ICVGF is responsible for publishing and releasing video games, supporting Iranian

video game developers A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...

, teaching

video game development Video game development (or gamedev) is the process of developing a video game. The effort is undertaken by a developer, ranging from a single person to an international team dispersed across the globe. Development of traditional commercial PC ...

, and monitoring the activities of LAN gaming centers in Iran. The ICVGF is also responsible for banning foreign video games that are not compatible with Iran's political views, and filtering video game websites that do not meet governmental rules.

Duties

The main duties of the ICVGF are: * Supporting and promoting game development in Iran * Educating Iranian game designers, developers, and artists in Iran * Managing the Entertainment Software Rating Association and the Game Development Institute * Hosting officially-sanctioned

gaming conventions Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playing ...

and

game jams A game jam is an event where participants try to make a video game from scratch. Depending on the format, participants might work independently, or in teams. The event duration usually ranges from 24 to 72 hours. Participants are generally program ...

in Iran * Promoting Iranian video games at regional and international gaming conventions and

trade fairs A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and cu ...

* Governing and controlling video game sales in the Iranian market

Video game bans

One of the responsibilities of the ICVGF is to ban video games that do not meet Iranian ideals or do not follow the Iranian government's media regulations. This is often done in conjunction with the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, Sepāh-e Pāsdārān-e Enghelāb-e Eslāmi, lit=Army of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution also Sepāh or Pasdaran for short) is a branch o ...

. One notable ban was the 2016 video game ''1979 Revolution: Black Friday'', which, according to the ICVGF, presented "false and distorted information" about the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

. The ICVGF blocked websites offering the game, and conducted an operation to confiscate all copies of the game in Iran. In 2012, the ICVGF denied

Bohemia Interactive Bohemia Interactive a.s. is a Czech video game developer and publisher based in Prague. The company focuses on creating military simulation games such as '' Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' and the '' ARMA'' series. It is also known for ...

a license to sell '' Arma 3'' in Iran due to its depiction of the Iran Armed Forces. ''Arma 3'''s plot depicts Iran as a leading member of the fictional coalition "CSAT", an antagonistic faction that fights the player's faction,

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Organization

Entertainment Software Rating Association

In 2007, the ICVGF established the

Entertainment Software Rating Association The Entertainment Software Rating Association (ESRA) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings in Iran. The system was established in 2007 by the Iran National Foundation of Computer Games and has the status of a re ...

(ESRA), a

self-regulatory organization A self-regulatory organization (SRO) is an organization that exercises some degree of regulatory authority over an industry or profession. The regulatory authority could exist in place of government regulation, or applied in addition to governmen ...

that assigns age and content ratings for video games released in Iran.

Iran Game Development Institute

In 2010, the ICVGF established the Iran Game Development Institute (IGDI), a video game development school, made for the purpose of training Iranian video game designers and developers. The IGDI regularly participates in

and gaming conventions hosted by the ICVGF, and often wins awards from them.

Festivals and exhibitions

The ICVGF hosts gaming conventions and game jams in Iran for the purpose of garnering wider appeal for Iranian video games and the Iranian video game industry.

References

{{reflist, 30em

External links

Official websiteTehran Game Festival
2007 establishments in Iran Video game organizations Censorship in Iran