Category: Over The Top Services

Mumbai: aha is set to release an original film, RathaSaatchi in Tamil, on 9 December, which talks about the valour of the revolutionaries, revolt, and revenge, and has launched the trailer.

The film is helmed by debutant director Rafiq Ismail and bankrolled by Turmeric Media and Magizh Mandram.

aha CEO Ajit Thakur said, “We believe the story is the most important aspect of any film project. It’s a film with soul; hopefully, everyone will appreciate how the subject has been presented.”

The film, which is an adaptation of the short story Kaithiga from the book “Venkadal,” extols the rebellious spirit of Appu, the most wanted fugitive who fought against slavery and dishonest politicians. Additionally, it clarifies the difficulties and struggles that Appu had, as well as those of his supporters, who abandoned him for understandable reasons.

The film’s distinguishing feature is Jeyamohan’s highly regarded script. The impressive cast, which also includes Kanna Ravi, Elango Kumaravel, Kalyan Master, Kalieaswari, Arjun Ram, Arumugam Bala, Praveen, Vinod Munna, and Madras Vinoth, is sure to catch viewers’ attention. The soundtrack for RathaSaatchi was composed by Javed Riaz, and Jagadheesh Ravi shot the movie.

Mumbai: India will become a hub of drone technology, and India will require at least one lakh drone pilots by next year, says the union minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur. He was addressing the crowd after the flagging of the “Drone Yatra 2.0” in Chennai today.

“Technology is truly transforming the world at a rapid rate, and it has never been more relevant than now as its applications are solving some of the most pressing problems on the planet,” said the minister. He added, “Prime minister Modi once remarked that ‘India has a billion solutions to a million problems.’ As the country of a billion plus people, India is increasingly leveraging technology to stay ahead of the curve.”

Detailing the advancements in drone technology in India, he said that during the beating retreat, the entire nation was mesmerised by the display of 1000 ‘Made in India’ drones by Indian start-up ‘Botlab Dynamics’ led by an IIT alumni. As a part of the SWAMITVA scheme (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas), the survey of the land and houses are being prepared through drones in the villages, he added. Drones are increasingly being used to sprinkle pesticides and nano fertilisers in the fields in rural villages.

He said that recently, the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) and directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) had granted conditional exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the deployment of drones for live aerial cinematography of the India cricket season in 2021.

He remarked that as part of the “Kisan Drone Yatra,” inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi, 100 Kisan Drones were sent to villages across the country to spray pesticides. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that “Kisan Drone is now the beginning of a new age revolution in this direction.”

He appreciated the great effort made by Garuda Aerospace, India’s largest drone manufacturing facility. While visiting the facility, the minister witnessed the advanced tools and manufacturing process of Garuda Kisan Drones, which PM Modi had inaugurated earlier this year. He expressed his happiness regarding the achievement made by the facility in such a short time. Engineers in the facility explained to the minister in detail the workings of the advanced ‘Make in India’ drones.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to promote the use of technology in the agriculture sector in order to increase farm production. It is envisaged that these drones will help in streamlining the use of pesticides in farms, which will further improve the profitability of our farmers.

In May this year, PM Modi inaugurated India’s biggest drone festival, Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022, where he interacted with Kisan drone pilots. Promotion of drone technology is another medium for advancing our commitment to good governance and ease of living.

He also said that drone technology is essential for various fields, from defence to agriculture, health, and entertainment. India is also moving towards creating a strong drone manufacturing ecosystem in the country through schemes like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI), he added.

He said that the Modi government strives to boost the demand for cutting-edge drone technology and services in a three-pronged approach. The new Drone Rules of 2021 are an effective policy that provides incentives in the form of PLI for drones and drone components, as well as creating indigenous demand, with 12 ministries of the central government tasked with carrying it out.

Stating that India will require at least one lakh pilots in 2023, he said that each pilot will earn at least Rs 50–80 thousand a month. If you take the conservative average, even Rs 50,000 × 1 lakh youth × 12 months = Rs 6,000 crore a year worth employment could be created in the drone sector, he said.

Apart from this, industries and government agencies that use drones will also be impacted. He appreciated Garuda Aerospace’s plan to make one lakh ‘Made in India’ drones in the next two years.

Garuda’s Drone Skilling and Training Conference, which is to be conducted in 775 districts across the country, hopes to reach 10 lakh youth. With an aim to train one lakh youth to significantly impact not just the drone ecosystem or generate employment for youth, but hopes to create a massive impact in agriculture, mining, government departments & other industries.

While noting that the country currently has over 200 drone start-ups, the minister stated that this number will grow in order to create lakhs of new job opportunities for the youth.

Effective policies, incentives to industry, and “ease of doing business” are providing the much-needed impetus to the drone sector, which shows huge potential in India, he said. “Aligned to PM Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ I am confident that the growing innovation and cutting-edge drone technology ecosystem will ensure a self-reliant and self-sustainable New India in the Amrit Kaal.”

The minister also operated a drone to mark the inauguration of the first Drone Skilling & Training Conference. The minister awarded the certificates to the students who completed the drone pilot training.

Mumbai: At a session at AnimationXpress’ dentsu MGEN Summit that looked at how brands can tell stories through gaming as a medium, several points were made. One is that lots of work needs to be done for brands to use gaming effectively in a digital marketer’s strategy. While there are some examples, like Reliance Games’ use of ‘Little Singham,’ there are few. But at the same time, advertisers and agencies have to do a better job when it comes to leveraging games to tell stories. Also, because one has a highly immersed audience, one should look at gaming as a marketing medium and not an advertising medium. Gaming does allow for hyper-segmentation of the audience. It is up to brands to improve their storytelling on gaming platforms.

The speakers were Nestle India marketing manager Soumya Bhatia, Indicold founder Kartik Jalan, InMobi director products & business systems Vijay Vishnu, Carat India vice president Megha Nair, and Reliance Games senior vice president Ninad Chhaya. The moderator was AnimationXpress.com founder, CEO & editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

Chhaya admitted that his company is failing when it comes to persuading brands and agencies to invest in gaming. Globally, gaming has been massive, and revenues are much higher than those from movies and music combined. His company was one of the first companies to start gaming. Now there is an effort being made to create awareness among brands and marketers. The good news is that brands and marketers are becoming more aware of the power of gaming. The challenge for him is that Indian marketers are still catching up with web 2.0 in terms of social media. A paradigm shift needs to happen to move from eyeballs to minds. That is what gaming delivers. He added that gaming is part of a digital marketer’s strategy and is not a checkbox on innovation.

Bhatia conceded that gaming will unlock a demographic that currently web 2.0 is doing. However, in the future, since the media mix is going to change, web 2.0 will not unlock this demographic. But the challenge is that marketing is a science. Every medium solves a marketing problem. What gaming will unlock for brands is not clear yet. What do brands say? Understanding the language is a challenge. That is not the case on TV or with social media, where brands know what to say and how to say it. She disagreed with Chhaya and said that gaming is still a checkbox because there are restrictions and limitations on what it can do for brands.

Nair said that brands understand where consumers are going. It is not fair to suggest that agencies are not doing much about gaming as a media vehicle. Following the pandemic, there is a greater awareness of the importance of understanding consumers, both male and female. So gaming is not part of a checkbox. She stressed that it is part of the media mix at dentsu. There are multiple examples at dentsu Gaming where brands have used gaming as a medium effectively. She gave the example of ACCA, which works in the area of financial qualification. A web-based game was created. As a result, a lot of consumers became aware of ACCA, and a lot of them got on board with it.

Nair revealed, “dentsu Gaming is creating opportunities for a lot of brands.” She also pointed out that there need not be a bifurcation in terms of how endemic and non endemic brands can look at this space. “The way it should be looked at is essentially what the objective is. If a brand just wants awareness and eyeballs, then web 2.0 is the place to be. Web 3.0 will increase engagement from a storytelling standpoint. There is so much more that can be done with a connection to the user. The ecosystem needs to be better,” she said.

When asked if, after 20 years in the network, his company has not yet built an ecosystem in which brands can participate, Chhaya responded that the company has built an ecosystem, but perhaps not to the scale that it could be. The challenge is to work with agencies and brands to make an integrated marketing plan. He mentioned doing work with ‘Little Singham,’ which is one of the biggest IPs in the casual gaming space. Hershey’s integrated its Jolly Ranchers Lollipop brand into it. An average game session lasts seven minutes. There are three sessions amounting to 21 minutes. There is time to tell stories. In comparison to a print ad or a 30-second YouTube video of a TV commercial, ‘Little Singham,’ you can see that kids enjoy gaming. So it is leveraged to tell a brand story. There have to be more conversations with brands to tell them that this is 21 minutes of a kid’s mindshare. He also stressed that gaming is not just about eyeballs. Kids play the game day in and day out. 

One tie-up that the United Nations Environment Programme did with Little Singham was to create awareness about plastic pollution. Kids were being educated not to dispose of plastic bottles in a careless manner. So there is a need for brands, agencies, and gaming companies to work together to come up with unique storytelling ideas.

At the session, it was noted that while brands want eyeballs and ROI, they have to realise that gamers are a very immersed audience. Compared to that, when one watches a news channel, one’s attention is dispersed. When the pandemic set in, gaming was integrated by InMobi on Glance’s feed. The result was a 2X growth in engagement on the platform. Bhatia made the point that in gaming, one needs to look at it as a marketer, not an advertiser. “You have a consumer who may be immersed for 21 minutes in a day. The aim is to engage with the audience in a way that brings my brand alive,” she emphasised.

Gaming, she noted, allows the opportunity for brands to build a lasting relationship with consumers. It is about having consumers interact with one’s brand. The session also noted that gaming has to be looked at with a different mindset by brands and agencies.

Another point made during the session was that the personality of the game itself is important. There are many categories of games, like first-person shooter games. For instance, there is Candycrush, but not every brand wants to have the same personality as Candycrush. Brands must approach games as if they were a platform, or even a celebrity. Why does a brand engage a Bollywood star for an endorsement deal? It is because that star has a certain personality, and the brand shares those personality traits. The same approach should be adopted for gaming. Go for gaming if a game fits the brand. Do not force yourself to fit. A brand needs to add value for the game’s users, the panellists concluded.

Mumbai: In a presentation at the MGEN Summit, which was organised by Animation Xpress and explored the areas of the metaverse, games, esports, and NFT, densu’s director of global solutions Jamie McConville noted that virtual identities are connecting ageing brands with younger audiences. Virtual identities enable brands to show up in unexpected places. But for a virtual identity to work, the brand must decide what its true purpose is. Otherwise, it will remain a novelty. It is important for virtual identities to be authentic and truthful.

She noted that individuals have had virtual identities for a long time. “It is something that we use without thinking about it. However, for business, it has been a bit of a slow journey.” She noted that only recently have businesses started to take virtual identities more seriously. “Now is the time for businesses to get started. But you have to remember that the people you are talking to are veterans in this space.” She added that there is a huge opportunity for brands to get more personal in terms of how they express themselves digitally. Right now, brands present themselves as the same, and there is not much personality to them in the digital world. Often, it is just a logo.

“There is more of an authentic way in terms of how brands can talk to audiences. Through a virtual identity, there is a great opportunity for brands to personify themselves, and they can be a human brand everywhere they are. That doesn’t mean they have to be the same everywhere they go.”

Virtual identities are one tool that can be used. She gave the example of luxury brands and financial products that use it. This helps ageing brands in these categories connect with younger audiences. In South Korea, Shinhan Insurance uses “Rozy,” a virtual influencer. The aim is to appeal to gen-z. Another issue is that brands show up on social media in a predictable manner. They also tend to be risk averse. A brand, by definition, should be unique. Again, virtual identities give brands new ways to do that and allow them to show up in unexpected ways. For instance, the American fast food chain Wendy’s teamed up with Fortnite for a game called Food Fight. They went inside the game and attacked Team Burger’s freezers. This went viral. It was both fun and authentic, as Wendy’s does not do frozen beef. They were not trying to force it.

She also noted that virtual identities are allowing brands to create delightful automated experiences. Virtual identities are also allowing brands to invest in their own character IP. Unicharm in Japan, after years of depending on Disney IP, decided to invest in its own property, Moony Chan, and build it as a character in itself. She also mentioned how virtual identities help to establish characters that are relevant to all local audiences.

She also noted that strategy comes first. Brands need to decide the purpose of the virtual identity. Why are they doing it? Otherwise, it is just a novelty. The brand has to next think about what its star power is. Why should people care about a brand’s virtual identity? Why should people want to interact with a brand’s virtual identity? Don’t fall into gimmicks. Brands must develop personality and characteristics that strengthen the virtual identity. It is also important to ideate at speed.

The way in which a brand can express their virtual identity can take various forms, she noted. There is no right or wrong here. It depends on the audience that the virtual identity is talking to and the message that it is delivering. She also mentioned watchouts. The first point made was that virtual identities often have real people behind them. She gave the example of Capitol Records dropping AI rapper FN Meka from the label after a backlash over cultural appropriation and gross stereotypes. The founders and creators of FN Meka were not black, which led to a row. Also, the rapper’s voice was done by a black artist who got no money or credit for doing so. “Brands can get cancelled for things like this,” she cautioned.

The second warning was brands trying to be too realistic. Being realistic is not necessarily a bad thing, but being too realistic can lead to the virtual identity falling into an uncanny valley. This refers to a computer-generated figure or humanoid robot bearing a near-identical resemblance to a human being. Unfortunately, this arouses a sense of unease or revulsion in the person viewing it. “If people see it as being too real and not quite human, they cannot handle it.”

Conversations that do not fit are the third thing brands should avoid when developing virtual identities. Virtual identities cannot handle some things. “They can handle some conversations. There are some who cannot. Yes, it is a virtual identity, but you still have real impact and real responsibilities.”

Mumbai: Parks Associates has released its updated list of the top 10 US subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services, based on estimated numbers of subscribers through September 2022 from the firm’s OTT Video Market Tracker. The research firm reports that 83 per cent of broadband households have at least one OTT service, with 23 per cent having nine or more OTT subscriptions.

Parks Associates noted that Netflix is not ranked first in the Top 10 US Subscription OTT Video Services for the first time in the report’s history. The firm’s research shows Prime Video has surpassed Netflix in the number of paid subscribers. Also in 2022, Peacock entered the top 10 list for the first time, while Showtime moved off the list.

The others in the top 10 in order are Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, ESPN+, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Peacock, and Starz.

“Streaming services are introducing new content, services, and partnerships that are changing how consumers interact with video. Netflix’s ad-supported plan gives the company a way to win back subscribers who left over high subscription prices. It also gives Netflix a path to creating unique accounts for those who have been content to share passwords with friends and family in the past. It’s an exciting time to track these services, with lots of disruption and change,” said Parks Associates VP of research Jennifer Kent.

Mumbai: The Game Awards, an award show for the gaming industry, will be in its ninth edition in 2022. It has announced the on-ground event at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles in December. Nodwin Gaming, the gaming and esports arm of Nazara Technologies, with streaming partner Disney+ Hotstar, will broadcast the event live in India on 9 December from 6–10 a.m.

Created and produced by Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards felicitate the best-of-the-best in the global gaming fraternity, which encompasses design, development, esports, art, audio, direction, streaming, events, and a lot more. Every year, the industry brings out the best content and products with cutting-edge technology. It is at The Game Awards where the top names in all the verticals are honoured.

“We are honoured to bring The Game Awards yet again to India in partnership with Nodwin Gaming. As a truly global celebration of gaming, we look forward to celebrating the year’s best games and previewing what’s next at this year’s show, which will have a live audience of fans for the first time in three years,” said The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley.

“The Game Awards are a true embodiment of the art form of gaming on the global stage. Nodwin Gaming is proud to have joined hands with TGA to host a stellar event that brings together the gaming and esports communities. The grand celebration of gaming features the best artists and movie stars, in addition to a plethora of categories from the industry itself. Looking forward to sharing and celebrating the love of gaming across the nation,” said Nodwin Gaming MD & co-founder Akshat Rathee.

Nodwin Gaming continues its support for The Game Awards by rebroadcasting the ceremony in India, thereby bringing the global phenomenon to one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world.

Mumbai: At the MGEN Summit organised by Animation Xpress in collaboration with dentsu Gaming on December 2, one of the sessions aimed to decode how the gaming consumers’ behaviour has evolved. The speakers were SuperGaming CEO and co-founder Roby John, CrazyLabs India head of studio Surojit Roy, Carat India director Faraz Sayed, Rooter revenue head Ayush Aggarwal and Yudiz Solutions chairman & director Bharat Patel. The session was moderated by Sony Pictures Networks India associate vice president strategic planning and insights of ad sales Sujai Rajapaul.

One of the things noted was that there has been an evolution in terms of the time spent, in terms of new players coming in. And even in terms of general awareness. That’s something where one has seen an increase in the last two years. Moreover what is now being seen is that people have really taken it as a kind of a career. Therefore one needs to talk about the time that people are consuming specialty gamers which is close to eight and half hours a week from the gaming aspect. On the revenue front millions of dollars are being generated. In this manner a huge shift is happening from a non-gaming arena to a gaming arena. And so people are really coming in nicely. 

The session noted that there is a tremendous scope, not only in India, but also abroad, which has been there since quite some time. 

Moreover the session deciphered that one more aspect that has changed in the last two years is typically the uptake of digital not just to gaming. When one talks about people taking to gaming one has to factor in the depth and width as well. The penetration is increasing as far as the age group that’s coming in. 

The panel was of the opinion that what has helped is that the internet and mobiles have become easily accessible for gamers, especially in the last few years. Gaming is spreading far and wide. Often top players in a game’s leaderboard are from tier II, tier III towns and cities. And in terms of demographics, it’s an interesting mix. Parents play with their children too. So there is a situation where gaming is cutting across demographic and psychographic lines.

Another point made was that the gaming content creation has also become very significant over a period of time. It was also noted that the hyper casual gaming vertical has brought in a completely different audience into gaming. This is the mass market audience, which isn’t considered gamers at all. These people have not grown up on games but the older generation and a seven year old nephew, who’s never touched the game before, but is now coming on to this platform of gaming.

This introduces parents to the gaming sphere. And what that does is it makes them educated about what games are, what their children are doing, and exposes them to this whole other sphere of actual gaming that we see today. The gaming penetration in the 35+ age group has increased a lot which is contrary to the belief that these people are not really into gaming. And the reason for that is the kind of offering gaming brings on board. Board games are helping in this regard and it is not just that those games are now digitised. It is the fact that it helps them get more connected to their set of friends or the people across age groups. 

What helps here is that often the entry barrier is also very limited, that will keep the growth, the momentum of the growth for gaming going on for a very, very long time, said the panel. Smartphones are the area for PC and laptops, you have got everything if you really want to get into hyper casual gaming, you can do that if you want to get into high end PC gaming rigs, you can do that. 

The panel noted that it sees game creation, or development, as you’d like to call it being player first and community driven. There will be a situation where you’re able to iterate and release a slice of your product, get it tested by your most dedicated fans, and iterate and build something even better on that. At the same time, game development is expensive. The costs involved are always rising, there’s always new tech, there’s always technical debt, there’s always a bunch of things you have to worry about. So iteration with the community building with the community is where gaming and getting patient is where it is going to be. 

The process of making games is always rising, becoming harder and harder to make and get games out and release them. The panel emphasised that in the hyper casual games arena one approach that works could be just releasing a trailer. If that trailer doesn’t convert well on clicks and is also a no on performance on the ad networks, then do not go ahead and make the game just for the sake of wanting to make the game. And this can be completely data oriented. This kind of reduces the costs of production, because you don’t make the full game at all. So from 100 trailers you make only a set number of games from them. This way one can kind of address the market in real time.

 

Mumbai: dentsu Gaming has released its report – ‘For the Game’ – in collaboration with Indiantelevision.com. This report delves into the rise of the gaming culture, exploring the prevalence and variety of gaming behaviours, and how the gaming culture and the broader Indian culture influence one another.

According to the dentsu Gaming survey, gaming has steadily crept into the virtual realm, exploding to an unfathomable degree. In fact, we are at a unique juncture where the virtual gaming ecosystem is also dabbling with realism. As gaming as a category expands in length and breadth, so do the gaming behaviors.

The report found out that due to the changes in lifestyle brought on by the epidemic, gaming has become an even more common activity during the last two years.

According to CCSxGWI statistics from the nine global markets they examined in segmentation,  34 per cent of gamers play daily, and 46 per cent  play weekly,  In contrast, 32 per cent  of gamers in India play every day, and 52 per cent  play every week. 

People of all age play video games. Gen Z gamers play an average of 24 per cent per day and 40 per cent weekly, compared to 24 per cent and 38 per cent for millennials. 17 per cent of Gen X gamers play every day, and 35 per cent play once a week. This suggests that the gaming audience is multigenerational and primarily plays once a week. But more crucially, the CCSxGWI data demonstrates that gamers are a diverse population, not a monolithic one. 

In Mumbai, the survey found out that 33 per cent of gamers play every day while 49 per cent play weekly and 12 per cent play monthly or less. In  Delhi, 31 per cent of gamers play every day while 54 per cent play weekly and 11 per cent play monthly or less. In Bengaluru, 34 per cent play every day while 51 per cent play weekly and 10 per cent play monthly or less.

Games span a wide range of genres, from simple mobile games like Wordle to immersive virtual worlds like Roblox and everything in between. Today, gaming includes watching other people play, as evidenced by the success of platforms such as YouTube.

The ecosystem of players is as diverse as the gaming universe itself. However, most existing gaming segmentations in the industry have resulted in groups being identified solely by the device used or the types of games played. Because gaming is so diverse, the players are equally so. However, most existing gaming segmentations in the industry have resulted in groups being identified solely by the device used or the types of games played.

The Boom of Gaming Fandom

In recent years, the transition from physical game copies to online ecosystems has increased the popularity of gaming. Technology platforms have enabled gamers to form vibrant communities and fandoms. The participatory nature of gaming, whether as a player, a viewer, or in any other capacity, is a major draw for people to get into gaming and fandoms. 

According to the CCSxGWI survey, gaming serves as a platform for sense of belonging, community building, and even learning in Indian society. Peer dynamics are important for gamers, with 40 per cent turning to friends for gaming information and content, followed by 27 per cent turning to social media.

According to the survey, 34 per cent believe gaming is a good way to make friends, 32 per cent said gaming is a good way to learn new skills , 24 per cent noted that video games are art and 20 per cent commented that gaming is culturally important.

For brands, the fandom space is an exciting and potentially profitable one – if they can create new forms of reward and access for these highly engaged communities.

Platforms like Discord, Reddit, and Facebook Groups allow gaming fandoms to grow and multiply at such a rapid pace that it has become a dominant form of online culture. Games like Fortnite bring fandoms together not only to play the game, but also to socialise and collect skins and collectibles associated with their favourite movies or sports teams in order to represent their chosen fandoms and subcultures. The success of Fortnite demonstrates the emergence of a new type of social experience dedicated to fandom culture.

The For the Hype segment best captures the concept of gaming fandom. Gamers in this demographic enjoy not only playing but also sharing their enthusiasm with others through online forums, social media, messaging, and blogs. They enjoy discussing their game selections with their gaming buddies. Plays online but also has offline games for the family. In addition to a strong sense of belonging, the ‘For the Hype’ segment believes gaming is a part of their culture rather than just a way to unwind.

Gamers have a wide range of personalities and interests, are often disproportionately passionate about other activities, and are voracious consumers of all forms of media.

Gamers consume a significant amount of time-consuming media. CCSxGWI data show that in a typical week, gamers watch 28 hours of TV (including linear TV and on demand TV), 22.3 hours of internet on any device, 9 hours of social media sites or apps, and 10 hours of online videos (vs. 25, 20, 8, and 10 hours respectively, for the general population). Gamers have a voracious appetite for media. In India, most gamers are avid viewers of television and online videos. Up to 66 per cent of people get their entertainment from OTT platforms and audio OTTs like Spotify and Gaana.

The generous media consumption of gamers, as well as the response from platforms and media networks, creates numerous opportunities for brands while also increasing pressure on them to be consistent across screens, channels, and formats.

This is where fusing gaming data with broader behavioural and media data, such as the CCSxGWI fusion, enables brands to gain game-changing intelligence.

The For the Party segment is made up of avid gamers who also have a variety of other interests. They enjoy travelling, fashion and clothing, and have a diverse media diet that supports their interests, which includes movies, television, and music. However, gaming is a critical component of this mix. 25 per cent usually play on their phones while watching television.

Gaming influence in India

With online gaming apps like Rummy and Teen Patti, gaming’s cultural influence flourished in India. Board games such as Ludo and UNO are also very popular among people of all ages and genders.

Even shows on OTTs such as Clutch, Playground, and Mad House revolve entirely around gaming phenomena. Gaming as a form of entertainment has become so popular that popular youtubers and content creators have begun streaming games as well. Collaborations, gaming skills, and sponsors have accelerated their growth to the point where people have formed clans and fanclubs in their honor.

Esports Popularity 

Riot Games’ League of Legends was watched for over 660 million hours in 2021, a figure that many traditional sports could not even fathom. In 2022, esports had firmly established its grip on sports culture. The industry’s biggest names are eager to attract more advertisers by shifting to a 360-content strategy that includes everything from short reality shows to long-form documentaries. This opens up numerous opportunities for businesses interested in collaborating with sports.

The fan base for esports is also growing as tournaments become larger and more intense.

The demand for updates and content has exploded in recent years, and social media has been a major contributor to this in the country.

Fans (47 per cent) and teams (41 per cent) enjoy following their favourite players and teams for a specific game or genre that they are interested in or play themselves. Esports has also become a spectator sport. It has evolved into a form of entertainment, with 38 per cent of the gamer audience watching it every day and another 49 per cent  watching it at least once a week. A typical gamer spends close to 4 hours per week watching esports.

Gaming-gateway to the metaverse

The gaming community is the ideal focus audience because they are most likely to make up the early majority segment when metaverse technology becomes widely available.

The For the Win segment exemplifies how gaming is influencing culture in general. Gamers in this group are often at the cutting edge of culture, knowing the latest trends before many of their friends and being more likely to own new technology, such as a VR headset.

According to the CCSxGWI survey, 64 per cent said they know the latest trends before most of their friends, 49 per cent believed gaming is a good way to make friends, 34 per cent said gaming is culturally important, 33 per cent said consider themselves an expert when it comes to new technology and 30 per cent said people come to them for advice before buying things.

Mumbai: With a diverse selection of narratives in various formats, genres, and languages, MX Player has been captivating audiences. The company has built the largest digital entertainment ecosystem in India with one billion-plus app downloads on Android, 300 million monthly active users (MAUs) globally, and 2,00,000 hours of content across 10 languages. With the latest release of the intense crime thriller Dharavi Bank, which has a 9.3 rating on IMDb, MX Player has added further to its extensive library of original series.

As they say, content is king. The man behind this engaging and exciting content, MX Player’s chief content officer Gautam Talwar spoke to Indiantelevision.com about the show and overall expectations of content which goes on MX Player. It’s been five years since Talwar became the captain of the content ship, and he has been handling this position extremely well as the reason behind MX Player’s growth is largely the content they serve to the consumer.

The show Dharavi Bank tells the story of a cop attempting to overthrow a powerful mobster who serves as the de facto government in Mumbai while vividly bringing to life the endless stretch of small, filthy streets, open sewers, and overcrowded cottages of Dharavi in an exciting chase. Dharavi Bank is a complicated tale that goes beyond simply taking down a criminal empire, demonstrating the extent to which one may go for one’s family and responsibility to the country.

In this chat, Talwar spoke about expectations from the show, advantages, regional content, technological disruption, and regulations.

Edited Excerpts

On the USP of MX 

Our distribution network is our greatest asset. The number of people who can watch our content is enormous, which is why I always say there are many people and our theatre is always full. We just need to make sure the film is correct. People are always on board with the platform’s channel. We simply need to keep delivering entertaining and engaging content.

On expectations from the show 

It’s a big show for us; it’s a tentpole show. I’m just hoping it has an impact on the audience. That is significant. We’ve put in a lot of effort to make it realistic. And we have a fantastic cast. It’s very important for us to deliver, as our audience’s expectations are high.

On the duration

We have to determine what people want to see in 2024 because it will take us roughly 18 months to complete it. I’ll only be able to produce a second season of a series in 2024. So, that’s the main idea. Let’s see how this does, and I have no doubt that a second season will be added.

On advantages of casting Bollywood actors 

It’s not an advantage in my opinion. The story necessitates a specific type of cast. I don’t believe it’s OTT vs. Bollywood. We have a very symbiotic relationship with Bollywood, or the Indian film industry. Everyone is welcome. I don’t think it’s this versus that; I just think it’s different. Because a film lasts about an hour and twenty minutes, this web series lasts approximately 400 minutes. As a result, the audience’s commitment is not for an hour and a half. To be honest, getting that commitment from an audience right now is extremely difficult.

Because films aren’t doing well. Getting an audience to pay money and spend an hour and a half with you is becoming increasingly difficult. I imagine the challenge for us is that you want the viewer to watch three movies and pay for them. It’s crucial. It is extremely difficult. Our challenges are different; our challenges are larger; it’s just that we have made progress; if you watch it, you don’t have to go to a theatre; however, taking that commitment from an individual is difficult.

On the crime genre 

We get bored with things far more quickly than we consume them. Consumers do not perceive an excessive amount of crime. They will watch shows as they air. Look at some of our programs, such as Ashram, Bhaukaal, and Matsya Kand. If the content is well-made and has the potential to keep their interest, they will watch. It’s critical to distinguish storytelling even though consumers aren’t explicitly saying they don’t want to see new crime content. There is nowhere else one can go to watch crime. Saavdhan, Crime Patrol, and CID, three television series that ran for 20 years, are the only sources for crime stories.

The customer wants to see a good story; it’s just that it’s not being produced in the volume that India wants to watch.

On the regional content  

We were the first platform to make significant regional investments. Queen is one of the most popular television programmes in Tamil. It was unusual. We purchased Samantar, a Marathi series winner who was among our best across all categories and honours. We spend a lot of money on local content.

Making sure the market is viable is the challenge. What language is it? What story do you want to tell specifically for that market? As far as the regional studies are concerned, these three are seriously important challenges.

On dubbing in Marathi 

We probably don’t do Marathi as well because what we’ve understood from the consumer is that most consumers from North, West, and Eastern India are very comfortable with Hindi, but in South India there is a real challenge to understand.

On the revenue model 

We are a hybrid right now. Right now, we have MX Gold, where we have a subscription, and we also have an AVoD. We are doing long-form shows with a total of 50 episodes. Tu Zakhm Hai is another show we launched, in addition to Roohaniyat. We are catering content to all models be it AVoD or SVoD.

On the challenges

It can be exceedingly challenging to predict the preferences of a generation. It is important to know whether the format is short or long. It’s challenging to keep someone’s interest for 400 minutes when they can scroll for new content in just 15 seconds. Therefore, our challenge is to produce this captivating content for that amount of time and keep viewers’ interest so they want to watch each new episode. That presents a very difficult challenge.

On the regulations 

The government has a very sound self-regulation policy. We have a self-regulatory environment, and an excellent legal team. We have a very capable crew that reads through the scripts and episodes. We put the show live online only, and only after receiving clearance from the team. They play a crucial role in every one of our shows; in fact, we check our own work at least twice, once at the screenplay level and again after the show has been produced. Therefore, we are very clear that we are not creating sensationalism. Every scene and frame that we add is done so with great care because we only want to create good, authentic stories.

On the entrance of 5G

The democratisation of the internet in the nation contributed to the growth of OTT, ensuring that it saw its first surge, and 5G actually ensures that the experience is even better. If the user experience with the content improves and becomes richer, the quality of watching will improve, the compression technology will function better, the speeds will increase, the watching will be better, and there won’t be any buffering. The connection and motivation to be with OTT will grow even stronger.

Mumbai: Animation Xpress is bringing one of its most anticipated events of the year which is Metaverse, Gaming, Esports and NFT (MGEN) Summit and Games, Esports & Meta (GEM) Awards. Happening on-ground on 2 December (register here) at The Lalit in Mumbai, the summit will encompass all things gaming, esports, Web3 and metaverse with interesting and insightful sessions including panel discussions and fireside chat.

Animation Xpress had previously organised a virtual edition of Gaming, Esports and More Summit (GEMS) in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic but now it has expanded its horizon from gaming and esports to Web3, metaverse and NFTs. However we shall witness the inaugural of the GEM Awards this year.

The curiosity and interest regarding metaverse, NFTs and Web3 is constantly growing among the people and everyone is trying to understand more about it and want to be involved with it in some or the other capacity. As the gaming industry has a made a shift from a niche to mainstream industry with a growth in gaming, gaming content and IPs, esports, metaverse, NFT, cryptocurrencies and Web3, MGEN Summit and GEM Awards is a platform where the industry stakeholders can put forward their ideas and thoughts to make a way forward and appreciate the existing content.

With 10+ sessions, 10+ advisory members, 50+ award categories MGEN Summit and GEM Awards is expected to be attended by 500-700 people including gaming studios, game developers, game publishers, technology companies, venture capitalists, policymakers, esports tournament organisers and influencers, NFT creators, artists, cosplayers, gaming institutes, students, ad agencies and brands.

The advisory board of MGEN Summit and GEM Awards comprise of Penta Esports CEO and founder Anurag Khurana, SuperGaming communications manager and writer Rishi Alwani, Sharmilee Daru PR and 4WD Gaming founder Sharmilee Daru, Animation Xpress founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, Trinity Gaming India co-founder and CEO Abhishek Aggarwal, Paperboat Design Studios and Occult VFX Studios co-founder and director Aashish Mall, GuardianLink chief technology officer and co-founder Arjun Reddy, Loco founder Anirudh Pandita, Punnaryug Artvision Pvt. Ltd. founder and FICCI AVGC Forum chairman Ashish Kulkarni, GOQii founder and CEO Vishal Gondal and Xfinite chief operating officer Vikram Tanna.

Partners for the MGEN Summit and GEM Awards includes, dentsu Gaming as presenting partner, Rockstar Games as associate partner, Metapolis as technology partner, Zapak and Reliance Games as industry partner and BenQ along with Illusion Reality Studioz as support partner.

The MGEN Summit will begin at 10 am with the welcome note being delivered by Animation Xpress founder, chairman and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and Carat India CEO Anita Kotwani which will be followed by fireside chats and panel discussions. One of the key highlights of the summit would be the launch of the gaming report ‘For The GAME – Data fusion sheds a new light on players’ by one of the largest advertising agency networks in the world – dentsu.

The panel discussions will be based on : ‘Decoding the evolution of the game consumers’ behaviour’, ‘RMG Platforms: The massive growth story & How to enhance the customer experience’, ‘Dawn of the Indian Web 3.0’, ‘Carving the brands’ stories’, ‘Esports’ future: What can we expect?’ and ‘Deep diving into the dazzling world of content creation and live streaming’.

Here’s what the industry experts have to say about MGEN Summit and GEM Awards:

Carat India Vice President Megha Nair said, “We at Dentsu, are super stoked to announce the very first edition of the MGEN Summit 2022- India’s largest Games, Esports, Web 3 summit. It is an absolute honour, and we take great pride in being the pioneers as an agency to branch into Gaming as an exclusive vertical, yet inclusive to our mainstream media/creative services. This only opens doors for our brands to explore the real potential of the gaming world with a holistic approach.”

She went on to say, “Along with our proud partners Animation Xpress, we look forward to unravelling a power-packed summit having great support and presence from our friends at some of the top brands like Intel, Sony Pictures, Nestle, Mastercard, Wings and so on. The event will be no short of industry experts as well! Gear up to draw some great insights from top players like Reliance Games, SuperGaming, CrazyLabs, Rooter, Yudiz, Kwalee, Deltatech Gaming, Wazir X, Fanclash and many more. We aim to draw you closer with our lens on the evolution of Gaming, Esports, Web 3.0, Content and live streaming with fireside chat sessions, panel discussions, real world brand stories and the very icing on the cake – The official release of the Dentsu Gaming report.”

“The very scale of the event defines how serious we are when it comes to the world of gaming. Animation Xpress has been the backbone in turning this vision into an on-ground reality. They have been the powerhouse since inception when it comes to curating events like these and I see them skyrocketing towards bigger success. All in all, I would like to say the first step is always the hardest and we have taken it. In a few years, when we lookback, this summit would have definitely left a mark in the history of Gaming in India,” she added.

SuperGamer communications manager and writer Rishi Alwani says, “There are few publications dedicated to the Indian games industry to the degree AnimationXpress is and it shows from the selection of themes to its speaker list. It’s pretty obvious the team knows the domain, which is heartening when you consider how rare that is to come by. This made supporting MGEN a no-brainer.”

Penta Esports founder and CEO Anurag Khurana mentions, “I am looking forward to the MGEN Summit by AnimationXpress. The discussion topics have a varied range and the speakers are from a diverse set of backgrounds. I am sure it will be enriching for everyone in terms of knowledge sharing and meeting people from the industry under one roof.”

Sharmilee Daru PR and 4WD Gaming founder Sharmilee Daru says, “Given the fast-paced gaming growth in India, we expect to see many new businesses, international brands and secondary gaming support systems entering the space. It is crucial for these companies to effectively deliver their brand ethos and establish themselves in the rapidly growing ecosystem. Events like these help in the mainstreaming of the industry by bringing the community together for meaningful exchange of ideas and valuable collaborations.”

Trinity Gaming India co-founder and CEO Abhishek Aggarwal shares,  “With the second highest population of gamers in the world, the Indian gaming industry is on the cusp of exploding with opportunities for business and the gaming community at large. Going forward, we expect greater focus on the gamer ecosystem which will open doors for new career paths and revenue streams, keeping the creator economy agile.”

Reliance Entertainment – Digital CEO Amit Khanduja comments, “We are very excited to partner with AnimationXpress.com as the Industry Support Partner for the MGEN Summit 2022. As Reliance Games and Zapak Games, we have always strived hard and pushed the envelope when it comes to developing and publishing games that have entertained more than 500 million gamers across the world. As one of the leading players in the gaming industry, both in India and globally, we are committed to growing the gaming ecosystem. With this collaboration with AnimationXpress at the MGEN Summit 2022, we reiterate our mission of putting India as the global gaming destination.”

Illusion Reality Studioz CEO and Contiloe Pictures group CFO Nitin Dadoo says, “Metaverse, today, is no longer a futuristic idea. We are witnessing how the idea of the metaverse is reshaping the world, especially within the entertainment industry. At Illusion Reality Studioz, we intend to become the go-to space for quality animation and VFX, including this space. We have already started creating worlds in the metaverse and while they are in the initial stages, it is a very firm step from our end in that very direction. We’re looking forward to giving people a special preview / experience at MGEN. They are doing a fabulous thing by bringing together the entire new age gaming ecosystem together on one platform and we’re excited to be a part of this community.”

Xfinite chief operating officer Vikram Tanna shares, “Over the past few years, new gaming IPs, platforms, esports tournaments, esports teams, gaming content channels, content creators and more, have triggered gaming to a mainstream entertainment choice for consumers. The sector is poised to become one of the fastest growing verticals of media. Today, we need collective effort from industry leaders, platforms, and consumers to accelerate this growth further.

AnimationXpress.com’s Metaverse, Games, Esports, NFT Summit (MGEN) Summit and Awards is a platform of international repute that has been bringing together domain experts to discuss and drive the growth of the gaming industry. This interaction amongst the best of minds is much needed as we transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 and I am looking forward to learning and contributing in the best way I can.”

Loco founder Anirudh Pandita says, “We are excited to be a part of the MGEN Summit 2022. The summit will bring together some distinguished industry leaders and shed light on important topics such as eSports, metaverse, and NFTs. Today, the gaming community has become a primary source of entertainment for the younger generation, and to provide an unparalleled gaming and entertainment experience, impetus needs to be laid towards innovation from within. At Loco, our product efforts, coupled with our pioneering efforts in building the gaming community in India, has enabled us to become the leading independent game streaming platform globally.”

After the MGEN Summit the event will proceed towards the most happening fragment of the evening, GEM Awards. Another highlight of the evening is the cosplay competition, which will see participation from several cosplayers across Mumbai.

We welcome you all to join us on-ground for MGEN Summit and GEM Awards to get insights into the dynamic gaming and Web3 industry on 2 December at The Lalit, Mumbai.

To register for the summit, click here: https://www.animationxpress.com/mgen-registration/registration.php