Iranian Developers Forced to Rely on Open Source Software

Developing a current generation game without current generation software sounds like an impossible task - unless you're Fanafzar Game Studios.

Garshasp, the Mace of Sarith is a game produced entirely from in-house and open source programming software. Due to Western trade sanctions, obtaining actual development software is impossible. What makes Garshasp unique is in addition to being produced with open source software, it is also the first Iranian game with global commercial viability to come out of Iran.

"Google was our university," Fanafzar business developer Arash Jafari said.

Garshasp, based off the epic poem Garshasp Naame, takes the players through beautifully rendered environments you wouldn't believe were cribbed together by a bunch of amateur programmers using open source software. It's a pretty gutsy move, and if the game does well, maybe it'll help bring more Iranians into the game development business.

Source: Washington Post via GamePolitics