Mal Lawal 4: About the Galleries

Meaning “of the past”, Mal Lawal, today in its 4th edition, relaunches with a slightly different look, inviting visitors to take a trip down memory lane and experience the nostalgia of video games. From the experienced collector to the amateur enthusiast, this edition of Mal Lawal is driven by each collector’s personal stories, offering a unique window into local popular culture.

Focusing on pre-2000 video gaming, particularly the transformative era of the 1990s, this exhibition presents what was and still is popular among video game lovers here in Qatar. Collectors' collectibles take us on a journey to the recent past, while local and resident developers have developed games inspired by these games and consoles. What can these memories and early experiences offer to the future of the local gaming industry?

JEEL AL-TAYYIBEEN

When you think of video games before the turn of the millennium, what comes to mind?

Atari, Mario, Captain Majid on Famicom?

With the rise of arcades in the 1970s, gaming slowly became a popular form of entertainment around the world, and this region is no exception. In Qatar, gaming centres like Sana and Aladdins Kingdom featured arcades and were frequented by families. The popularity of home consoles also found its way to the region, with the likes of Family Computer and Computer Sakhr becoming household favourites.

In this section, a visual timeline of video gaming awaits you. Beloved classics like the Game Boy and PlayStation sit alongside names that might not be as familiar. Game-changers and history makers also feature, like Fairchild Channel F, the first console to use interchangeable cartridges, and the infamous Atari E.T. game, considered by many to have triggered the Great Game Crash of 1983.

The items on display are more than just objects; they are vessels that hold memories and tell stories.

EL DEKKAN

In 2021, during the announcement of PlayStation 5, Sony’s Jim Ryan claimed that people in the Middle East never played games before PlayStation. An exaggerated statement, this is of course false. However, prior to the first PlayStation, and similar consoles of that generation, original consoles and their games were not readily available in the region. Highlighting a gap in the market that needed to be filled. In comes bootlegging.

The culture of bootlegging has been prevalent since home computers first emerged and removable computer storage, like the floppy disk and CD, reigned supreme. It wasn’t only games that were copied and sold; hardware also fell victim to it. Cloned versions of Nintendo's Family Computer, known as "Famiclones," made their way into many homes across the region.

Cheaper and easier to obtain, bootleg games and consoles provide a wider perspective on access and the global reach of culture. Afterall, purchasing originals and copies from the same dekkan or jam’iya was the norm.

Multiple gaming histories exist, and bootlegging is just one of them.

'MAKE LEARNING FUN'

The 1980s saw the first-ever Arabic home computer, Al Alamiyah’s Computer Sakhr, burst onto the scene and revolutionise computing in the Arab World.

Running on a localised MSX system, Computer Sakhr was the brainchild of the late Kuwaiti businessman Mohammed Al Sharekh. With the assistance of the late Egyptian computer engineer Dr Nabil Ali, they were able to create a machine that fulfilled the needs of the Arab family. It entertained, educated, and even saw the release of the first-ever digital Quran.

A big hit, Sakhr’s popularity transcended beyond the Arab World and saw large exports of its computers head to Europe to cater to the Arab diasporic population. Despite a few localised versions of the MSX system, such as Bawarith's Al Mithali, emerging in the region, none could replicate Sakhr's success.

An important tool that led the way for the Arabic language to be used efficiently on our computers today, to call Computer Sakhr anything but monumental, would be an understatement.

HOMEGROWN

This final section brings us back to the present as we spotlight local brilliance.

Inspired by some of the games and consoles displayed in this exhibition, the games featured here merely scratch the surface of a burgeoning local industry.

A dynamic industry that is slowly growing regionally and locally, it is all-encompassing, including the production and development of hardware and software. As the industry continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to ensure its sustainability. The rise of small and independent gaming studios highlights the need for sufficient support systems to enable an industry that is a beacon of innovation and creativity.

The future is promising. From events that celebrate gaming and its community to local e-sport tournaments, there’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to gaming here in Qatar.