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

Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (, ''Vezârat-e Farhang va Ershâd-e Eslâmi'') ("Ministry of CIG") is a ministry responsible for managing access to media that, in the view of the Iranian government or the ministry, violates Iranian ...

to control and support the

video game industry The video game industry is the tertiary industry, tertiary and quaternary industry, quaternary sectors of the entertainment industry that specialize in the video game development, development, marketing, distribution (marketing), distribution, ...

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

video game developer A video game developer is 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 business with em ...

s, teaching

video game development Video game development (sometimes shortened to gamedev) is the process of creating a video game. It is a multidisciplinary practice, involving programming, design, art, audio, user interface, and writing. Each of those may be made up of more speci ...

, and monitoring the activities of

LAN gaming center A LAN Gaming Center is a business where one can use a computer connected over a LAN to other computers, primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games. Use of these computers or game consoles costs a fee, usually per hour or ...

s 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 convention A gaming convention is a gathering centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three business days long, and often held at ...

s and

game jam 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 ...

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

trade fair A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific Industry (economics), industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest Product (business), products and se ...

s * 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), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...

. 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 (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

. 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 video game publisher, publisher based in Prague. The company focuses on creating military simulation games such as ''Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' and the ''Arma (series), A ...

a license to sell ''

Arma 3 ''Arma 3'' is an open world tactical shooter simulation video game developed and published by Bohemia Interactive exclusively through the Steam distribution platform. It is the third main entry in the ''Arma'' series, and the eighth installment ...

'' 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 ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

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 Computer and Video Games Foundation, Iran National Foundation ...

(ESRA), a

self-regulatory organization Self-regulation may refer to: *Emotional self-regulation *Self-control, in sociology/psychology *Self-regulated learning, in educational psychology *Self-regulation theory (SRT), a system of conscious personal management *Industry self-regulation, ...

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

s 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

External links

Official website

Old domain

Tehran Game Festival
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828170741/http://tehrangamefestival.ir/en/ , date=28 August 2018 2007 establishments in Iran Video game organizations Censorship in Iran