Outstanding 12-Year-Old is Malaysia’s Youngest Game Developer

Image Credit: hype.my

Besides studying for UPSR, most 12-year-olds are content to sit around and play video games. But not Muhammad Thaqif. Instead of playing other people’s games, he decided to develop his very own, and he’s now Malaysia’s youngest game developer!


It All Started When…

He first posted on a Facebook group named “PC Gaming Community [MALAYSIA], asking if anyone would buy his self-developed game for RM 1, and to suggest titles for his game. Due to his young age, he received criticism and ridicule. However, many were impressed, as coding games aren’t easy to develop, and they take up a lot of time.

Image Credit: malayreporter.com

On the Way

Muhammad Thaqif doesn’t have his own computer or laptop, so he spends his time developing his game at a cyber cafe instead. Unfortunately, when the owner of the cafe discovered it, he deleted it, fearing that it was a virus. To make matter worse, Muhammad Thaqif had already completed 75% of the game! He updated the group again, and asked if the community could suggest a laptop within the range of RM 350. Touched by his perseverance, several community members then donated money to him to get his own computer. In another stroke of luck, the cafe managed to recover his files as well!

Image Credit: malayreporter.com

Going Viral

Soon, news of this boy wonder broke across various social media platforms, and generated plenty of attention. He’s also a bit of a “family man” already, and here’s why. According to the Malay Reporter, Muhammad Thaqif is a hardworking boy who helps his mum with her online business when he’s not working on his game. Plus, due to financial issues, he had to stop schooling, and he wants to sell his game to help the family out. Even Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq has got wind of this, and now wants to meet Muhammad Thaqif. An avid gamer himself, Syed Saddiq has always supported the eSports scene in Malaysia, and said that there needs to be more youngsters like Muhammad Thaqif.

12-year-old Muhammad Thaqif has been busy visiting an internet café daily for the past year to develop a first-person shooter game. – Picture via Facebook/Muhammad Thaqif
Image Credit: malaymail.com

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