logo
Manga Productions signs partnership to launch ‘Sonic' game in the Middle East

Manga Productions signs partnership to launch ‘Sonic' game in the Middle East

Arab News28-07-2025
RIYADH: Manga Productions has signed a publishing and distribution agreement with Japanese company Sega, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The launch highlights the popular game Sonic Racing: Crossworlds in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), will collaborate with Sega to launch the game for MENA audiences and provide opportunities for Saudi talent to participate in the publishing process, as well as marketing the game.
Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, said that the company has successfully built strategic partnerships contributing to the development of the creative content industry in the Kingdom and the region.
The game provides extensive vehicle customization options for appearance and performance, along with items granting special abilities that affect gameplay style. It also supports online multiplayer, allowing players to compete globally, climb leaderboards and earn rewards.
The game launches with a record-breaking roster of 23 characters, with plans to expand this number post-launch through continuous updates.
These updates will include characters such as Hatsune Miku, Joker from Persona 5 Royal, Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, plus popular characters from franchises such as Minecraft and SpongeBob SquarePants, among others.
Players can customize their strategies using more than 70 types of items, each offering different skills and features. It supports online multiplayer with a co-play feature, allowing up to 12 players to compete in a variety of modes.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ignore the tech titans — AI is not your friend
Ignore the tech titans — AI is not your friend

Arab News

time4 minutes ago

  • Arab News

Ignore the tech titans — AI is not your friend

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI's Sam Altman have been aggressively promoting the idea that everyone, children included, should form relationships with AI 'friends' or 'companions.' Meanwhile, multinational tech companies are pushing the concept of 'AI agents' designed to assist us in our personal and professional lives, handle routine tasks, and guide decision-making. But the reality is that AI systems are not, and never will be, friends, companions, or agents. They are, and will remain, machines. We should be honest about that and push back against misleading marketing that suggests otherwise. The most deceptive term of all is 'artificial intelligence.' These systems are not truly intelligent, and what we call 'AI' today is simply a set of technical tools designed to mimic certain cognitive functions. They are incapable of true comprehension and are not objective, fair, or neutral. Nor are they becoming any smarter. AI systems rely on data to function, and increasingly that includes data generated by tools such as ChatGPT. The result is a feedback loop that recycles output without producing deeper understanding. More fundamentally, intelligence is not just about solving tasks; it is also about how those tasks are approached and performed. Despite their technical capabilities, AI models remain limited to specific domains, such as processing large datasets, performing logical deductions, and making calculations. When it comes to social intelligence, however, machines can only simulate emotions, interactions, and relationships. A medical robot, for example, could be programmed to cry when a patient cries, yet no one would argue that it feels genuine sadness. The same robot could just as easily be programmed to slap the patient, and it would carry out that command with equal precision — and with the same lack of authenticity and self-awareness. The machine does not 'care'; it simply follows instructions. And no matter how advanced such systems become, that is not going to change. Simply put, machines lack moral agency. Their behavior is governed by patterns and rules created by people, whereas human morality is rooted in autonomy — the capacity to recognize ethical norms and behave accordingly. By contrast, AI systems are designed for functionality and optimization. They may adapt through self-learning, but the rules they generate have no inherent ethical meaning. Consider self-driving cars. To get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, a self-driving vehicle might develop rules to optimize travel time. If running over pedestrians would help achieve that goal, the car might do so, unless instructed not to, because it cannot understand the moral implications of harming people. This is partly because machines are incapable of grasping the principle of generalizability — the idea that an action is ethical only if it can be justified as a universal rule. Moral judgment depends on the ability to provide a plausible rationale that others can reasonably accept. These are what we often refer to as 'good reasons.' Unlike machines, humans are able to engage in generalizable moral reasoning and, therefore, can judge whether their actions are right or wrong. Simply put, machines lack moral agency. Their behavior is governed by patterns and rules created by people, whereas human morality is rooted in autonomy — the capacity to recognize ethical norms and behave accordingly. Peter G. Kirchschlager The term 'data-based systems' is thus more appropriate than 'artificial intelligence,' as it reflects what AI can actually do: generate, collect, process, and evaluate data to make observations and predictions. It also clarifies the strengths and limitations of today's emerging technologies. At their core, these are systems that use highly sophisticated mathematical processes to analyze vast amounts of data — nothing more. Humans may interact with them, but communication is entirely one-way. Data-based systems have no awareness of what they are 'doing' or of anything happening around them. This is not to suggest that DS cannot benefit humanity or the planet. On the contrary, we can and should rely on them in domains where their capabilities exceed our own. But we must also actively manage and mitigate the ethical risks they present. Developing human-rights-based DS and establishing an international data-based systems agency at the UN would be important first steps in that direction. Over the past two decades, Big Tech firms have isolated us and fractured our societies through social media — more accurately described as 'antisocial media,' given its addictive and corrosive nature. Now, those same companies are promoting a radical new vision: replacing human connection with AI 'friends' and 'companions.' At the same time, these companies continue to ignore the so-called 'black box problem': the untraceability, unpredictability, and lack of transparency in the algorithmic processes behind automated evaluations, predictions, and decisions. This opacity, combined with the high likelihood of biased and discriminatory algorithms, inevitably results in biased and discriminatory outcomes. The risks posed by DS are not theoretical. These systems already shape our private and professional lives in increasingly harmful ways, manipulating us economically and politically, yet tech CEOs urge us to let DS tools guide our decisions. To protect our freedom and dignity, as well as the freedom and dignity of future generations, we must not allow machines to masquerade as what they are not: us. • Peter G. Kirchschlager, Professor of Ethics and Director of the Institute of Social Ethics ISE at the University of Lucerne, is a visiting professor at ETH Zurich. ©Project Syndicate

Kim Kardashian's Skims to launch first store in the UAE
Kim Kardashian's Skims to launch first store in the UAE

Arab News

time11 hours ago

  • Arab News

Kim Kardashian's Skims to launch first store in the UAE

DUBAI: Reality star-turned-entrepreneur Kim Kardashian's shapewear and loungewear brand Skims is set to make its brick-and-mortar debut in the UAE, with its first physical store opening at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ The launch date has not yet been announced. A post shared by SKIMS (@skims) Founded in 2019, Skims quickly rose to prominence for its inclusive approach to shapewear, offering a wide range of skin tones and sizes. The brand has since expanded into loungewear, activewear and swimwear. A post shared by SKIMS (@skims) The brand's success has been bolstered by a roster of celebrity supporters, including Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and even the brand's co-founder Kardashian herself, who regularly appears in the campaigns. Skims has also released high-profile collaborations, including a Barbie-themed collection and limited-edition capsule lines with fashion houses Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana. A post shared by SKIMS (@skims) The brand was available in the region exclusively through Ounass, the UAE-based luxury e-commerce platform operated by the Al Tayer Group. Known for bringing high-end international labels like Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale's, Prada, and more to the Gulf, Al Tayer was also responsible for introducing Skims to the Middle East in December 2020. Kardashian recently unveiled a new product under Skims — the Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap — a shapewear-style mask for the face that has stirred debate online. A post shared by SKIMS (@skims) Retailing for $48 and 'infused with collagen yarns,' the product sold out within 24 hours, driven by customers hoping to achieve a more sculpted jawline, as advertised. While some have praised the product as a non-invasive and innovative approach to contouring, others have criticized Skims for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and contributing to body image insecurities. One user on X wrote: 'Can't believe people are actually buying this Skims face snatching wrap,' while another commented: 'Not sure how this would change your jaw or face shape at all … Recessive chin or jaw is real and can be fixed, but not with a wrap.' Still, some users expressed enthusiasm about the release. 'I don't particularly like Kim K and I've never bought anything from Skims but low-key kind of want the face looks like it would cure my tmj (Temporomandibular disorder),' one comment read.

Nadine Labaki among stars to headline Abu Dhabi congress on Arabic creativity
Nadine Labaki among stars to headline Abu Dhabi congress on Arabic creativity

Arab News

time11 hours ago

  • Arab News

Nadine Labaki among stars to headline Abu Dhabi congress on Arabic creativity

DUBAI: Acclaimed Arab stars including Lebanese actress and director Nadine Labaki, Tunisian Egyptian actress Hend Sabry and Jordanian director and actress Tima Shomali will headline the upcoming Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries in Abu Dhabi from Sept. 14 to 15. The two-day event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, aims to explore the evolving role of the language in the region's fast-growing creative economy. It brings together cultural leaders, global tech voices and rising regional talent. A post shared by تيما الشوملي (@timashomali) The celebrity trio will lead a panel titled 'Her Narratives: Women Reimagining Arabic Creativity,' which highlights the impact of Arab women in reshaping storytelling across film, literature, media and digital platforms. Labaki is best known for her Oscar-nominated film 'Capernaum,' Sabry for her award-winning roles in Arabic cinema and Netflix's 'Finding Ola,' and Shomali for co-creating and starring in the Netflix series 'AlRawabi School for Girls.' The session will focus on their personal experiences, creative approaches and the challenges they have overcome while influencing Arabic cultural expression. Hend Sabry is famous for her award-winning roles in Arabic cinema and Netflix's 'Finding Ola.' (Instagram) Other highlights include 'Whose Story Is It?'— a conversation on originality versus adaptation in Arabic television featuring Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum, Syrian author and poet Rami Koussa and OSN executive Rolla Karam. The session will examine how localized remakes and original content shape identity and creative ownership in an increasingly globalized market. The congress also brings together major players in technology and media, with partners including Google, AWS, TikTok, Adobe and Sard Writers' Room. The agenda spans themes including artificial intelligence, digital publishing, and the business of creativity through a series of curated panels and industry conversations. In 'Creators, Capital, and Control,' executives from Snap, TikTok and Meta will discuss power dynamics in today's content economy. Also, 'Arabic Language Crisis and the Coming Shift' will examine the tension between Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects. Panelists include Dr. Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, and language expert Dr. Hanada Taha Thomure.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store