The government of India has appealed to the country’s gaming industry to follow the “Make in India, for the world” goal when it comes to game development. The idea is not just to be a consumer’s market but to be more participative in the development and marketing aspect of the industry as well. Logically, it means that Indian gaming companies are more likely to focus on gaming themes that have a global appeal. This is relatively simple in, say, a cash rummy app. The rules are the same when you play poker or rummy online. It is the story-based games where a global appeal can be a challenging task.
While global products are envisaged, the Indian audience has indicated a diagonally opposite preference. According to a recent survey, 70% of Indians prefer games with vernacular content. So, perhaps the message for gaming companies in India is to think global but act local!
Mobile Gaming and Vernacular Content
If thinking global is high on the Indian games industry’s agenda, acting local is no less important. The pro-vernacular outlook of the Indian gamer is largely driven by the prevalence of mobile gaming.
India has some of the most affordable average mobile data plans in the world. An IAMAI-Kantar report found that India is home to over 900 million internet users. The smartphone penetration in the country is estimated to be at least 46%, or around 650 million. However, it could potentially be much higher, particularly since there are more than 591 million active gamers in India. All these numbers are closely linked to the popularity of mobile gaming in India. 90% of the gaming revenue in India is attributed to mobile gaming.
Notably, gaming in India is no longer an urban phenomenon. 66% of gamers in India are from non-metro locations. The reach of 5G has meant that fast internet is now spreading across India. The smartphone penetration is providing Indians with the two tools that gaming now needs – the internet and smartphones.
To sum it all up, what would you get when you provide fast and affordable internet, smartphones under ₹10,000 and a plethora of popular mobile gaming apps? The answer is an overwhelming group of gamers from the hinterlands of India, who are more used to vernacular content. This is in sharp contrast to the English-first consumption pattern of urban India.
Going Vernacular
It is not a surprise that 66% of gamers in India are from non-metro locations, and 70% of them prefer vernacular content. The non-metro gamers in India form what is known as an absolute majority in politics. Rural internet subscribers in India are increasing at 25%, while the growth in urban areas is 21%. 75% of internet users in India use Hindi or other vernacular languages for their services. In response to this, many companies on the internet have tailored their services in the regional languages. Rummy online players would know that the popular cash rummy platform RummyTime provides customer support in multiple regional Indian languages.
This has also resulted in a rise in regional language games in India. Gaming companies have their task cut out as they need to utilise technologies like AI-driven translation and voice recognition to present immersive non-English games for their audience. The next wave of online games in India has a generous dose of Indian mythological themes, Bollywood-inspired narratives, and digital adaptations of local games.
A Transition in Process
One of the commonly-stated examples of the localisation of gaming in India is the development of the first India-based console game, Raji. Consequently, several video games have come up with mythological characters like Bheem and Arjun as game characters. The card-battler game Kurukshetra is another example of an Indian theme used in game development.
In a survey, 82% of respondents showed interest in playing games based on Indian mythology, while 40% showed a clear preference for such themes. This is reflected in games like Rangoli Rekha, which was designed for Indian audiences by a US company, Zynga. Subway Surfers issued an update with Mumbai streets as the plot for their endless runner gaming experience. The use of Indian languages and terminologies is becoming more common as Indian gaming themes take centre stage.
Local Flavours
Vernacular gaming and Indian gaming themes were an unknown concept until a few years ago. But now, gaming companies are aware of the evolution in gaming preferences in the country. They, for instance, are aware of the dominance of ABCD in the country. ABCD, in this case, is astrology, Bollywood, cricket, and devotion, the pet topics that rouse Indian interests.
While serving these gaming experiences, language plays a key role. While English is one of the two official languages in the country, Hindi is the more widely spoken one. Besides, there are dominant regional languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, etc. Many industry experts are now earmarking Hindi as a must for game localisation while also highlighting several popular vernacular languages as deeply engaging and effective.
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