Local firm innovates to help flood victims

All proceeds from iPhone version of locally developed 'Relief Copter' to go towards helping flood victims.

KARACHI: Mohsin Afzal is ready to take on the country’s gaming industry armed with nothing but philanthropic intent, a 17-year-old lead developer and a title whose proceeds will be used for flood relief activities. His team has come up with a game called Relief Copter – available on Facebook and the iPhone – and all proceeds from the iPhone version will be directed towards helping flood victims.

The Facebook version is mainly intended to raise awareness about those suffering in the aftermath of the worst-ever floods to hit Pakistan in its history. It also has a donate option, linked to the websites of various aid organisations working for the rehabilitation of flood victims.

These include Save the Children, Unicef and Edhi amongst others.

Being a Fulbright scholar who recently graduated from the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley, Afzal boasts some powerful credentials.

He has also availed the opportunity of interning at LucasArts, an American company renowned for its innovative line of graphic adventure games.

Afzal is the CEO of we.R.play, a start-up that focuses on developing “casual, artsy and fun games for smartphones and social networks.”

“Relief Copter is just a small effort to remind the people, particularly those living outside the country, that there is still a lot of work to be done and a lot of help still needed,” explained the CEO in an interview with The Express Tribune.

Afzal added that the initial outpour of sympathy and aid for the flood victims was not enough and millions were still in dire need of assistance. “The flood and its victims have drifted to the periphery of the world’s conscience.”

The CEO said that his company had everything to gain from the endeavour, not the least of which would be the obvious satisfaction of using its expertise to do some good and help the people in need of assistance.

He admitted that the game would also help them generate goodwill since the company is striving to make a mark in the smartphone and social network gaming landscape.

Both versions of Relief Copter were developed in around three months. Afzal explained that it took his team this long because it was their first title. “We partnered with Bangladesh-based G4R to help us out with the development,” he added.

“I think another really interesting fact is that our main developer for the Facebook version, Kamil Waheed, is only 17 years old.” Afzal disclosed that the game’s development had also slowed down because Kamil was busy with monthly tests at school.

The budding entrepreneur said that along with creating original games under its own banner, we.R.play also makes games for other companies. He proudly told The Express Tribune that one of the company’s clients was Playdom – the Disney company behind popular Facebook title ‘City of Wonder’.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2011.