Cashing in on bin Laden's death

Media companies are rushing to cash in on the death of Osama bin Laden, with retailers and analysts in the UAE expecting high demand for books, films and video games about the final days of the leader of al Qa'eda.

More Business news: Editor's pick of today's headlines

Last Updated: May 05, 2011

Aabar takes $1bn stake in Glencore flotation Abu Dhabi's investment vehicle, Aabar, has become the largest participant in the initial public offering of commodities giant Glencore. Read article

Right time for Aabar's move Glencore's flotation is an ambitious move by the Swiss commodities trading giant to flex its muscles further and tap into booming commodities prices. Read article

CityCenter trims its losses in Las Vegas CityCenter entertainment complex in Las Vegas sees improved performance in the first quarter. Read article

Hedge funds regain their status - and $2tn Industry Insights // Louis Gargour, the founder of LNG Capital, a fixed-income firm specialising in European credit, talks about his approach to investing and his view of the markets - with video. Read article

Property sales up and down Dubai estate agents are disputing data showing a 50 per cent decline in home sales in the first quarter. Read article

More business headlines

Publishers are scrambling to launch books about bin Laden, with the US company Random House reportedly assembling an essay collection that it expects to publish as an e-book as early as next week.

Isobel Abulhoul, the managing directorof the UAE book chain Magrudy's, said she expected increased demand for books about bin Laden.

"Books about the hunt for bin Laden and the history are part of the non-fictional perennial best-sellers," she said. "I think there will be lots of books that will be published as a result of [his death]."

Bin Laden-related films and video games are also in the pipeline, with some products expected to be available as soon as this weekend.

The New York company Kuma Games plans to release on Saturday a video game based on the killing of bin Laden. According to the company's website, the game will allow players to be "behind the trigger that finally takes down Osama bin Laden."

Bin Laden-related media products are "an opportunity for niche players" in the market, said Richard Adams, a retail analyst in the UAE at Verdict Research, which is part of the Datamonitor group.

"You'll have small opportunities that will be leveraged: book deals, films and computer games," he said.

While bin Laden's death was likely to mean more business for certain media companies and retailers in the Middle East, it was unlikely to affect the wider retail scene, Mr Adams said.

"It's a very interesting story, and I'm sure games manufacturers will be looking to develop [titles based on] these very sensational events," he said. "But bin Laden's death will have limited resonance here in terms of the retail sector."

Computer games which drew flak:

Last Updated: May 05, 2011

Medal of Honor The video game caused controversy last year because in its multiplayer mode it allowed users to play Taliban fighters and kill British troops. Amid the uproar over the game, which is set in Afghanistan, its publisher, Electronic Arts, decided to rename the enemy troops.

Six Days in Fallujah The video game, based on one of the bloodiest battles during the US-led occupation of Iraq, was slammed because of its graphic battle scenes. The game was also criticised because it depicted such a recent conflict, with many calling for the title to be banned.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 The game included an optional mission in which players joined Russian terrorists in an airport massacre. The game, containing graphic scenes, was slammed for what some critics said was a glorification of terrorism.

There could be opportunities in the Middle East's thriving gaming industry, he said.

But one regional video-game executive said he believed efforts to cash in on the death of bin Laden were in "poor taste".

"We're not looking for these short-term gimmicks," said Steve Tsao, the chief executive at the Dubai company Tahadi Games. Bin Laden-related games were unlikely to appeal to gamers in the Middle East market, Mr Tsao said.

"For a US market, I still view it as tacky, low-brow and opportunistic," he said. "Tahadi Games won't be capitalising on these kind of sensationalist games and content."

Others said it was inevitable bin Laden's death would extend beyond the news media into other forms.

"You see it on TV, you see it in newspapers, it's all over Facebook and Twitter, so why can't it be in a game?" said Mahmoud Ali Khasawneh, the chief executive of the Jordanian games developer Quirkat.

"The fact that there is a game about it is normal and natural," he said. "It's an extension like any other medium, just a powerful one because it's interactive."

But Quirkat would not develop titles featuring the slain al Qa'eda leader, Mr Khasawneh said. "We are definitely not into this. Our focus is on entertainment. We don't follow a political agenda or any kind of agenda."

In Hollywood, plans are being developed for at least one film about the killing of bin Laden by US special forces. Kathryn Bigelow, who directed the Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker, was already working on a film about attempts to kill bin Laden and is expected to rewrite the script before production starts this summer.

Other films are expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

bflanagan@thenational.ae