Disney Games and Nigerian game company Maliyo Games collaborate to release a mobile game based on the cartoon series “Iwájú.”
Maliyo Games is the first African developer to work with Disney on a game. A mobile game development studio that focuses on Africa inspired games . Everything they develop is lined with the culture and experience there have . They aim to disrupt the gaming business by becoming Africa’s leading game supplier.
The Disney+ series “Iwájú: Rising Chef” transports players to a futuristic Lagos through a delectable journey. Enjoy Nigeria’s rich culinary legacy by cooking and serving Jollof Rice in the game. This engaging mobile game symbolises Maliyo Games’ ambition to provide high-quality African-themed games for a global audience.
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Maliyo Games’ expertise in African mobile games and Disney’s massive reach are used in the relationship. The cooperation “Iwájú: Rising Chef” showcases the possibilities of combining African culture with a worldwide brand, creating a unique and engaging experience.
Maliyo Games, comprising staff from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, is developing an official tie-in to Disney’s Iwájú series, which launched on February 28th.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to build an Africa-focused gaming IP for one of the biggest brands in the world,” Maliyo Games CEO and founder Hugo Obi told CNN.
About Iwájú
Iwájú is an animated miniseries produced by Wait Disney Animation Studios and the Pan-African British-based entertainment company Kugali Media for the streaming service Disney+. It was written by Olufikayo Adeola and Halima Hudson and directed by Adeola, and is the first “original long-form animated series’ ‘ produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The title of the series, iwáju, roughly translates to “the future” in the Yoruba language (literally “front-facing”)
The series stars Simisola Gbadamosi, Dayo Okeniyi, Femi Branch, Siji Soetan, and Weruche Opia. Originally planning a series of shorts, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Kugali Media were developing the long-form series for Disney + by December 2020. The story draws inspiration from (and is set in) the city of Lagos, Nigeria, due to Lagos being “the culture capital of Nigeria” and due to both its mainland and island areas having “a unique, distinct feel” that the creative team felt provided “an interesting base for the story”. Cinesite was announced to co-produce the series in September 2021, with pre-production underway at Cinesite Montreal. Production began in May 2022. Animation is provided by Cinesite’s Montreal and London facilities, with pre-production and storyboard supervision at Disney’s Burbank and Vancouver studios. The series includes an original score composed by Ré Olunuga.
Iwájú premiered on Disney+ on February 28. 2024, and consisted of six episodes.
Set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the series explores “deep themes of class, innocence, and challenging the status quo” 213141(5) as it follows wealthy island inhabitant Tola and mainland inhabitant Kole as they discover the dangers in both lands.5
African-made, set in Africa
”This is what we are all about: making African-inspired content, so designing games based on African characters, African stories and sharing it with a global audience,” said Obi. ”The opportunity to build a game with Disney is something you pinch yourself about. It’s a first for us in terms of working with a client. Furthermore, to work on an IP that is Disney’s first African-focused animation series… it was a real honour.”
Marvel Studios first sought a local developer for an Iwájú tie-in, inviting multiple developers to propose game concepts and work on prototypes. Disney chose Nigerian developer Maliyo to lead the Iwájú mobile game project due to their impressive concept.
“We are situated on earth. We are aware of the end users and the market. We can identify with and sympathise with the narrative,” says Obi. “We know this story first hand. We could create a beautiful and engaging experience from that.”