Gamsole has published a teaser video for its latest title, called Gidi Run, a 3D game based in Yaba, or similar locale in Lagos.
As you will see when you watch the video, it really is a teaser that gives little or no hint to what kind of gameplay the player will experience, except that the environment will be three-dimensional. But Gamsole has told me that Gidi Run is actually an endless run, the kind that games like Subway Surf and Temple Run have made popular worldwide.
Abiola Olaniran, Gamsole CEO says they wanted players who are familiar with Lagos to be able to imagine it as being set in an area like Yaba, and other similar downtown locales in Lagos where the trademark yellow and black painted “danfos” are the transport staple.
But anyone who knows Yaba will know there are no large Gamsole billboards there. Gamsole traditionally monetises via in-game display advertising, but a title like Gidi Run, has a lot of in-game real estate that could be used for another kind of advertising. I suspect that vehicles, walls and billboards in the game environment can be customised to display messages from popular local brands.
The 3D animated teaser which depicts the antics of a typical bribe-collecting Lagos police, and crazy Lagos bus conductors is not only funny, but suggests high production values. Although I can’t help wondering why the characters have only four fingers, the attention to detail in the sights and sound are remarkable. If the final production lives up to the initial hype, it could be a big deal.
Can Gidi Run give Subway Surf a run for it’s money? We’ll see. Gidi Run will be available on Gamsole’s traditional development turf, Windows Phone and PC.
Check out the trailer.
