PlayStation: Play and pray

2007-05-08 14:06

Kuala Lumpur - Muslim gamers worldwide will soon be able to mix praying with playing after the creation of a Qu'ran which can be downloaded onto PlayStation portable consoles.

Student Ikhwan Nazri Mohamad Asran, 21, designed the software after seeing a similar version of the Bible.

"They did the Bible, so why not do the Qu'ran... This application can help younger people to read the Qu'ran," Ikhwan told AFP on Tuesday.

PlayStation enthusiasts, more used to playing games such as Ridge Racer and Metal Gear Acid, can download an English-language version of the Qu'ran, with displays in Arabic script, from the internet.

Ikhwan said the software should appeal to parents, who sometimes distrust the internet and gaming.

"For some parents, when we talk about the internet, all they see is porn, the bad things. When we talk about the PlayStation, all they see is gaming and spending too much time not studying," he said.

"A mother can say, 'Read the Qu'ran first and then I'll let you play games.'"

The software will be available for download for free after May 19 from his website http://raise.flavert.com, Ikhwan said.

- AFP