With the boom in the gaming industry as a whole, the Indian gaming market also continues to see a surge in the revenues. The rise of several small and independent gaming companies has given rise to a number of impressive games entering the arena. Compared to the popularity of console gaming a decade ago, the number of people playing such games has come down by a substantial margin. It is the mobile gaming market that has taken over the major share in India as well as the whole world.Â
Why is mobile gaming popular?
In 2016, India had about 201 million users of mobile gamers.. This was projected to reach about 370 million users by the year 2022. According to Nasscom, India’s mobile games market is expected to be worth $5 billion by 2020, up from $290 million in 2016. The reason for this is the accessibility of smart-phones. They have become cost-effective and everyone spends more time on their devices. Furthermore, a majority of the games can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store and App store.Â
The introduction of freemium games (free to download with in-app purchases) has made it possible for people of all ages to enjoy mobile games. These can be played anytime and anywhere. They enable in-game purchases that sell goods/services meant to help players get past the advanced levels.
All those who play mobile games aim for high scores. Most of them allow players to compare their performance with their friends/family. This sets in a sense of competition and gives rise to them spending more time in games. Another reason is casual games are relaxing and stress-relieving. They offer a break from the day-to-day pressures of professional and personal demands. Since they are readily available on mobile devices, players tend to make use of them whenever they are looking for an interlude.
Finally, the inclusion of new techniques that offer a unique gaming experience is key. According to the latest in technology news, the following are some of the options to look forward to:
- Virtual reality games – Players can become a part of three-dimensional experience with the inclusion of VR in gaming. Wearable devices such as headsets, helmets, masks, and gloves are used for this purpose.Â
- Augmented reality games – The best example of such a game is Pokemon Go. Players have to make use of their real-time environment with audio and video content. The experience is made much better with special devices and unique gameplay.
Let us now talk about the Indian gaming market. As mentioned earlier, the mobile gaming market opened up a number of prospects for Indie and small gaming companies. There are genres such as simulation, Match 3, puzzle, combat and arcade games to venture into. Each of them has a specific target audience to cater to. The country has a 1.40 billion population and most of them have smart-phones. People from different walks of life resort to mobile gaming. According to statistics, Indian players who use the in-app purchase feature have also gone up in the past few years. They are not hesitating to spend a certain amount of money to gain an advantage over other players.
India has a lot to look forward to in 2020. With internet services offering better packages and new tools such as Google Stadia and Apple Arcade being introduced into mobile gaming, the future is quite promising for gaming companies as a whole.