A mobile game that allows users to experience the insanity of crossing a street in Vietnam from the safety of their phone has received funding from Facebook for future development.
Vietnamese Road, a game that teaches people how to cross Vietnam's hectic streets, has received a US$40,000 grant from the tech giant's start-up fund, reports VnExpress. According to the news source, the funding includes tools and services provided by the social media company and its partners.
The game was developed by HanelSoft, a Hanoi-based app company, and the Japanese company Hiropro. Since launching in June it has been downloaded over 7,000 times, and 75% of the users are foreign.
Enomoto Kaori, a game designer at HanelSoft, was inspired to create the game after living in Vietnam for the last year. VnExpress says Kaori wanted to develop an app based on Vietnamese life and culture since she had not seen many games which covered such topics.
The app is similar to the classic arcade game Frogger, as users have to try and cross a road packed with common Vietnamese sights: cyclos, delivery bikes, vending carts and motorbikes with pigs strapped on the back.
So far, Vietnamese Road features locations in Hanoi, Saigon, Hue and Phu Quoc, and can be downloaded from the iTunes app store and on Google Play.
[Photo via GameDeets]
