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On June 23, 2022, Google announced two related but distinct initiatives for Pakistan’s games sector: Think Games, a two-day knowledge-sharing event, and the graduation of 54 mobile-gaming studios from its 11-week Gaming Growth Lab (GGL). The announcement presented both as part of Google’s effort to help Pakistani developers build games for global audiences; it was not a single product launch or a report proving industry-wide results.
Two initiatives, with different jobs
| Initiative | Format | Reported purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Think Games | Two-day event | Share industry knowledge, tools and practices, and connect developers with Google and local gaming experts. |
| Gaming Growth Lab | 11-week acceleration program | Offer emerging mobile-game studios workshops and consultations addressing business challenges and growth. |
Think Games was first announced in May 2022 and was described in contemporaneous coverage as Pakistan’s first thought-leadership and knowledge-sharing event for game developers. That “first” is a reported description, not an independently established historical ranking. Reports said the event attracted more than 1,600 attendees, but did not specify how many were developers, students, publishers, investors or other participants. TechJuice’s coverage and Brandsynario’s report describe the event’s audience and goals.
What the Gaming Growth Lab offered
GGL focused on emerging mobile-game studios rather than the full range of games businesses. Reports describe training workshops, in-depth consultations and access to Google and wider games-industry expertise. The stated aim was to help studios address business problems, improve their offerings and expand. Topics mentioned included user acquisition and monetisation—how a studio attracts players and turns a game’s audience into revenue. Geo News’ report covers the program and its graduation.
Google reported that 54 mobile-gaming studios graduated. The coverage does not clarify whether “studios” means legal companies, teams or another unit, and it does not publish a complete graduate list. Nor does it describe GGL as a funding or investment scheme: the available reports document training and consultations, not grants, equity terms, guaranteed publishing, distribution or advertising support.
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One graduate’s reported results
MicZon, a mobile-game publisher founded by Nouman Sharif in 2018, was identified as a GGL graduate. The company said it learned about user acquisition and game monetisation through the program. It also reported that, after joining in March 2022, its app downloads and revenue had increased by 35%. MicZon forecast 20% year-on-year growth in downloads and revenue for 2022. These are company statements reported at the time, not independently audited measurements; the forecast should not be mistaken for a confirmed result. Brandsynario reports the claims.
Contemporaneous coverage also named Hazel Mobile Group, Game District and GeniTeam as Pakistani developers that had gained international recognition. Those examples are not a complete roster of the country’s studios, and their inclusion does not establish Google endorsement of their games. See TechJuice’s account.
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Why focus on Pakistan’s game developers?
Google’s stated case rested on a young, entrepreneurial developer community and the prospect of building games for international audiences. Farhan Qureshi, then Google’s regional director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said the company wanted to help Pakistan become a stronger participant in the global gaming industry and support developers making games for the world. That was an ambition, not evidence that the sector had already reached that position.
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Pakistan’s mobile audience and developer ecosystem can create an opportunity, but they are not interchangeable with a globally successful games industry. A large audience does not by itself create original intellectual property, sustainable revenue or exports. Studios also need skills, financing, effective publishing and user-acquisition strategies, reliable infrastructure, international business access and ways to retain talent and revenue locally. A 2022 Korea Creative Content Agency overview provides broader context on Pakistan’s games market; it does not show that Google’s programs caused sector growth.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2022 announcement does—and does not—show
The event and accelerator offered different forms of capacity-building: Think Games for broader knowledge exchange, and GGL for more focused support to participating mobile studios. The reported attendance and cohort size indicate the scale Google attached to the initiatives, while MicZon’s account gives one example of a participant’s experience. None of those figures establishes the programs’ aggregate effect.
The available coverage does not answer whether participation was free, how studios were selected, whether Google offered credits or continuing mentorship, whether the program was repeated, or how many graduates remained active or released successful games. It also does not provide audited totals for jobs, exports, revenue or investment connected to the cohort. The reports are largely based on Google’s announcement and participant statements, rather than an independent long-term evaluation.
“Latest” and “ongoing” described Google’s positioning in June 2022. The announcement supports saying that Google presented Think Games and GGL as part of continuing support at that time; it does not establish a formal multi-year national strategy or prove the initiatives continued through 2026. Likewise, a global-industry figure repeated in some 2022 coverage was a forecast for 2024, not a current market-size statistic.
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