Leti Arts tells the African stories through interactive cross-platforms. As one of a handful of interactive media studios in sub-Saharan Africa, Leti has been introducing global audiences to African story-telling. It has a mission to develop innovative, interactive, collaborative, challenging and fun games for all ages. It was founded by Eyram Tawiah and Wesley Kirinya, and has offices in Accra and Nairobi, Kenya.
The Chief Executive Officer of Leti Arts, Mr Eyram Tawia told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS that the software development sector in Ghana was growing, in spite of challenges and that there were some interesting developments, with the mobile phone being the hottest part of the sector.
He cited the recent awards received by two of Ghana’s software companies; Nandi Mobile and Mobile Technology for Community Health in Ghana (MoTeCH), at the 2013 World Summit Awards (WSA), a United Nation initiative to promote the world’s best e-Content products and awards local software applications with global relevance, as a key determinant of the growth of the sector.
“Improvements can be two-fold. Better incentives for technology and software startups along the line of the free trade zone initiative that is tax breaks and benefits.
Secondly, our educational system needs to reward students for practical knowledge to ensure students graduate with skills that are suited to potential employers,” he said.
Leti Entertainment Centre
Leti Arts delivers content to consumers through a cross-platform FREE mobile app called the Leti Entertainment Centre. The app will be available this October, initially on Android, Java, and Windows Phone and will eventually roll out to IOS and BlackBerry. It can be downloaded as easily and simply as any other application on these popular platforms.
Content from Leti Arts, that is games and digital comics, will be pushed to the centre for consumers to download for free or buy, as and when they are released.
He said the response had been positive, with people who are into gaming and comics eagerly anticipating the impending product release, and that the broad consumer base in Ghana has not had access to their products yet.
Through the creation of Africa&apos’s Legends, Leti offers a series of interactive games and comics that present stories of recognised historical and mythological African heroes, presented as superheroes in the 21st century.
It uses compelling quality vector graphics that communicate the true ambience of African culture to merge the past with the present in compelling formats that genuinely excite and encourage younger generations to connect with African history and culture.
Mr Tawia said making history and culture in education relevant, through interactive content, was a better long-term bet for preserving the African heritage. The first series is based on the character Ananse from West Africa and is marketed to consumers as The True Ananse. It is scheduled to be launched this October.
He said the initiative would continue with a series of games and comics focused on other characters from Africa&apos’s Legends (Shaka, Pharoah, etc), with the view to engaging each regional geography in Africa, with characters they will know and love.
“We hope to get creative talent from all over Africa to depict the cultural nuances of each character vividly and genuinely to ensure our characters become household names like Batman, Superman and Iron Man” he said.
Challenges
Like every venture around the world, the game industry in Africa has some special challenges.
First, the industry is nascent, so Leti Arts does not only aspire to grow a company but also a whole industry.
Though a huge challenge, Mr Tawia said, Leti relished tackling big issues to be an example to show it could be done in and from Africa.
The second major issue is the scarce talent and human resources focused on game and comic development. However, Leti develops its employees and also trains people who are passionate about the industry through an internship programme which encompasses different aspects of the industry.
Going forward
Leti Arts is launching the True Ananse this October, the first installment in the series of games and digital comics based on characters from our Africa&apos’s Legends initiative.
“We expect Ghanaians to download the app and enjoy our content, as a first step. We will be producing television shows and movies; merchandise (toys, stationery, clothing and apparel); print editions and other exciting initiatives based on our characters and content,” Mr Tawia added.
Patrons can engage with Leti online and join the Leti Superhero Brigade through its website, www.letiarts.com and also on social media. They can also follow the exploits of The True Ananse (facebook.com/TheTrueAnanse and twitter.com/TheTrueAnanse).
By Ama Amankwah Baafi/Graphic Business/Ghana
Writers email; ama.baafi@graphic.com.gh
