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What are young, urban Indians playing? Computer and internet games are finding growing numbers of takers. With Xbox and other gaming consoles entering many Indian homes, the rules of entertainment are surely changing. There are a variety of game titles now available-including racing, sports, action and adventure. A guide for gaming enthusiasts.
Then there's FIFA '06, another top-of-the-line basketball game that is becoming a favourite with people. And if you thought that these were the only ones available in the market, you're wrong. Thanks to the increasing number of Xbox gaming enthusiasts in India, players like Microsoft and EA Sports are bringing out console and PC games. For the uninitiated, console games are those you play on the Xbox, while PC games are those that can be played on your regular computer. The expansion of next-generation hardware and technology in the marketplace is simultaneously delivering new ecosystems of social exchange, interactive entertainment, media experiences and advertising models. PC games can enjoy longer useful lives, thanks to downloadable updates that range from simple graphics tweaks to comprehensive "mods" that add new capabilities and elements to a game. In some cases, mods can turn a struggling title into a gaming legend. While the casual game segment is growing, casual gamers tend to jump from one free demo to another with little sense of brand loyalty. While banner advertising provides a good revenue stream for the online game providers, gaining brand loyalty and getting people to spend money for subscriptions or downloads will be the key to growing the market. Currently, casual gamers spend $9 a month on games. Those playing multiplayer online role-playing games spend an average of $26 a month, while Microsoft Xbox 360 gamers spend $35 a month. Playing video games is also becoming more of a contact sport. The average gamer spends five hours a week playing games with other people online, while teen gamers spend up to seven hours a week. The choices of gaming titles available in India is growing by the day and in India, according to experts, game-based titles (basketball, cricket and car racing titles) are a big hit, followed by film and adventure games. Strategy games, or those in which the player is put in fictitious situations, are yet to find takers, even though games like Age of Empires and House of Dead continue to remain favourite titles with a majority of youngsters. EA Sports, for instance, has about 30 titles covering PC, PS2, PSP, and X360 platforms. Children are queuing up for movie-based games like Spiderman, Matrix, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Xbox 360's entry into the Indian market has given birth to a new generation of console gamers, testing and making peace with international titles.
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For
years, the stereotype of a video gamer as an anti-social loner who sat in
his or her bedroom mesmerised by a TV screen was not that short of the
mark. There's a rage that's fast catching up with young, urban Indians.
Computer and internet gaming are finding a growing number of takers,
especially as young converts make sure to stock the latest titles for
their Xbox and playstations. There's NFS or Need for Speed, a popular car
racing game that has recently been launched in its latest avatar with
improved graphics and even more complicated twists and turns.