Brazil Capoeira Landing in China, Joining Hands with Tencent and UNESCO in Preserving Traditional Games

BEIJING, Oct. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2015, the Tencent Interactive Entertainment Division launched partnership with UNESCO to systematically archive and protect traditional games worldwide and inaugurated the Open Digital Library on Traditional Games to provide access to public audience on the research and exploration of the game collection. Then, TIE launched the "Voyage of Exploration" project and sent a group of experts to Bangladesh and Mongolia to research local traditional games.

Recently, the team completed their traditional games collection trip in Brazil, gathering related information of Capoeira, a symbolic Brazil traditional game. Tencent even successfully replicates the dance moves of Capoeira in one of their PC-platform games: QQ Dance.

During the Rio Olympics, the Xinhua News Agency interviewed Mr. Miao Hou, the assistant marketing manager of Tencent Interactive Entertainment group regarding the collection and investigation of traditional games in Brazil. Mr. Hou mentioned that Tencent's QQ Dance team would reanimate the real-life performance of Capoeira as well as incorporate local Brazilian music into the game of QQ Dance. The purpose of this plan is to allow players of QQ Dance to be able to enjoy a complete experience of the Brazilian traditional heritage while playing.

Recently, the test version of the theme Capoeira in QQ Dance has been made available to reporters inside the gaming experience workshop of Tencent interactive entertainment group in Shenzhen. Inside the beta test, gaming characters are dressed in classical white Capoeira clothing, following players' commands along with Brazilian theme music, demonstrating complete movements of Capoeira.

As mentioned by Mr. Hou during his interview in Brazil, with the application of game development experience and technology that Tencent possesses, it is possible to reinvent the face of the traditional game into something the crowd is more familiar with. At the same time, it encourages the globe to gain a better understanding on what "living heritage" is really about.

At the same beta testing venue, a filming crew from the Discovery channel was also recording the testing process. The purpose of their appearance in the studio is for the recording of this year's documentary "Game Vision". In "Game Vision", audiences will be invited to discover the history of gaming, at the same time making a comparison between the traditional Olympics and eSports, in order to take a peek at the future of gaming. Discovery channel also accepts submission on ideas on future gaming from audiences through iTencent's Facebook page (@itencent).

Capoeira as a traditional game, is revived with the help of the newest technology. As technologies such as virtual reality and reality enhancement improve, the future of reviving tradition games or inventing a new form of gaming is limitless, the sky is the only limit.

About Brazil Capoeira

Brazil Capoeira is a combination of art and martial art, invented by the non-local immigrants in Brazil back in 16th Century. It is known to be one of the most important national sports that symbolises the local heritage of Brazil.

SOURCE Tencent