In his Independence Day speech this year, PM Modi hoped that Indian game developers can make a mark on the global scene. This was not without reason. Indian gaming offers a unique landscape. From media choices to playing durations, from game formats to variations, this uniqueness offers a ripe Make in India opportunity. Be it playing rummy on a popular rummy app or shuffling their favourite cricket players in a fantasy league game, there is Indianness to gaming here.
But has the average indie game developer managed to capitalise on this opportunity? Global gaming giants like Xbox are keen to harness the potential of these indie developers. Its India Lead for global expansion, Arjun Varma, has even hinted at including more Indian games in their Xbox Game Pass.
However, the road to recognition for the Indian indie game developer is not without challenges.
High on Skill, Low on Resource
Independent businesses in any industry have to operate within their limited resources. This is a major challenge in a vocation like game development. Games developed with cutting-edge technology and high-quality sound and graphics have a better chance of success. However, it requires a budget that only big gaming studios can afford.
Developing a game can cost you anything between ₹50 lakhs to ₹3 crores. Games remain in the development stage for one to three years. High cost and high gestation period are paid off when the game is selected by a streaming platform like Sony or Steam. If the game makes it, it can command a subscription fee of ₹500 to ₹1500. If not, the struggle continues as the game relies on effective marketing.
Crowded with Competition
In India, Hyderabad has a growing indie game scene, with around 20 to 30 firms engaged in the development of independent games. Across the country, there are more than 1,500 developers and more than 300 companies, many of whom are into indie games. Making a breakthrough product can be a challenge amidst the competition. Making things difficult is the sweeping popularity of the global AAA gaming titles.
If an indie game doesn’t end up on a streaming platform, its struggles will continue for a longer spell. An indie game developer may not have access to the marketing resources and teams that big studios have. They rely on gaming forums, social media and online venues and events to reach out to the gamers and gather a fan following.
Indie game developers must note that getting into a streaming platform is not the end of challenges either. It is a crowded marketplace with thousands of players vying for gamer’s attention. For instance, on Steam, there are over 13,000 gaming titles, out of which nearly 99% are indie games. They share the spoils out of the 48% of the revenue generated in the platform. AA and AAA games, on the other hand, command 52% revenue despite representing a little over 1% of the games present on the platform.
Balancing Skill and Timeline
While India is home to hundreds of skilled game developers, developing a game requires a fine balance. High skill can lead to good quality, but adhering to the timeline is just as important. While big studios can afford a delay in the game development, it can lead to dire financial consequences for indie developers.
With finances as a looming backdrop, indie game developers in India decide on feasible game mechanics, the size of the development team, and the extent of trial and error they can afford. And then conclude the initial debugging and optimisation within the project timeline. All of these call for a meticulously planned game development lifecycle.
Indie Infrastructure and Efforts in India
The skill development and infrastructural initiatives undertaken by the Indian government stand to benefit the Indian gaming industry as well. Initiatives like the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) policies are expected to empower aspiring Indian AAA game developers as well as indie developers.
Regional initiatives like the “IMAGE”, a centre of entrepreneurship for gaming, animation, VFX, computer vision, and AI startups, have also helped indie gamers. IMAGE has confirmed that it has more than 40 indie game startups operating under the centre. Besides, initiatives like the Krafton India Gaming Incubator have shown that impressive Indian indie games like Spice Secrets and Sojourn Past can be given a platform to excel.
Going back to the uniqueness of the Indian gaming market, the success of certain real money games is an indication of the scope available to indie developers. The preference of Indian gamers for games like rummy has led to the success of apps like RummyCulture and many other real money gaming platforms.
Continued Optimism
Industry watchers maintain their optimism when it comes to the potential of Indian indie game developers and studios. Success stories like Asura and Raji, the rise of crowdfunding in gaming and the cultural relevance of indie games can push Indian indie games to higher ground.
