DUBAI: Between endlessly checking Twitter timelines and scrolling through Instagram feeds, a new activity has taken over the region’s phone time. Enter StyleCity, an IOS and Android game made by Dubai-based tech company Dubzplay, that features three of the Middle East’s top influencers who go by The Real Fouz, Model Roz and Noha Style Icon on Instagram.
The new mobile game, which has been dubbed the “the UAE’s fastest downloaded game” by its makers — it has been downloaded over 200,000 times since its November launch — draws inspiration from “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” a highly-addictive app that mythologizes Kardashian West’s ladder climb to the A-list.
“We really wanted to create original content that targets the region,” shared Mohannad Khallouf, CEO of Dubzplay, with Arab News.
Available in both Arabic and English, the free mobile app is a role-playing game that’s set against the backdrop of Dubai. It allows players to create a customizable character that is “expected to attend different events throughout the city.”
The influencers weren’t heavily involved in the development of the app, but played a role in promoting it. Supplied
In order to advance, the character must mingle with the It crowd of Dubai while getting rated for their style. By completing these tasks, the player will unlock a series of shops, salons, events and wardrobe options — there are over 1,500 unique items — that will help them become the “next StyleCity star.”
“Dubai has a strong nightlife and fashion culture. It’s definitely the hub of fashion in the region, and so we felt it would be the perfect backdrop,” shared the mobile game developer on the decision to set the new app, which was four years in the making, in the Emirati city.
The game’s success can likely be attributed to two factors: The Middle East’s growing desire for high-quality, localized content and the strategically-planned app roll-out, which involved The Real Fouz (Fouz Al-Fahad) Model Roz and Noha Style Icon (Noha Nabil) announcing the launch to their combined 22.4 million Instagram followers.
Khallouf notes that the influencers weren’t heavily involved in the development of the app, but played a role in promoting it on their respective social media platforms.
“They have a very strong presence in the GCC,” stated Khallouf of the three fashion influencers. “All three of them are very well respected in the market, so it just made sense to design them as characters in the game.”
StyleCity is available on Android and IOS, and the game is free to download with in-game purchases available.
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