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Tag: national centre of excellence

  • 88 Pictures launches its gaming division – 88 Games

    88 Pictures launches its gaming division – 88 Games

    Mumbai: 88 Pictures, an animation and VFX studio from India, has launched a new gaming division, 88 Games, entering the game development sector with a focus on high-quality indie games for PC and console audiences. 88 Games aims to blend visual quality with storytelling inspired by India’s rich history and culture.

    Known for its animation work on shows like Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Gremlins: Secret of Mogwai, Transformers: The Earth Spark, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, and Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, 88 Pictures has made a mark in international markets. With 88 Games, the studio builds on its storytelling legacy to offer interactive experiences that entertain, educate, and inspire.

    Led by industry veterans Milind D Shinde and Shiben Bhattacharjee, the team includes experienced professionals from global studios, all dedicated to creating games that showcase India’s cultural heritage.

    88 Games founder & CEO Milind D Shinde said, “88 Games represents the next step in our journey at 88 Pictures. Our team is dedicated to producing premium games that are not only visually stunning but also deeply rooted in our cultural identity. India, being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, has legends, stories, cultures, and art that have existed for thousands of years, forming a unique kaleidoscope that needs to be showcased to the world. It is an exciting challenge to translate the heritage of India into this new medium, with our mission to narrate stories based on this immense cultural capital through video games for the global audience.”

    88 Games plans to introduce titles that will give global gamers a unique glimpse into India’s folklore and history. Through intricately crafted art styles and immersive sound design, each game will present an authentic, engaging experience, drawing from classic Indian tales, legends, and mythological characters.

    “At 88 Games, we see storytelling as a powerful bridge between cultures. Our mission is to create games that entertain while connecting players to India’s rich history and mythology. As India’s gaming market rapidly expands, there remains a significant gap in the availability of high-quality PC and console games that showcase the country’s unique cultural identity. 88 Games aims to fill that void, by providing an exceptional gameplay experience to immerse and contribute to the growth of the video gaming industry,” stated 88 Games’ game director Shiben Bhattacharjee.

    88 Games has three games in development, with its first title—launching on Xbox and PlayStation—set for a reveal at the India Game Developers Conference (IGDC) 2024.

    According to Lumikai’s recent Levelling Up: State of India Interactive Media & Gaming Research FY’24 report, India’s Animation/VFX industry was valued at $1.6 billion in FY 24. The gaming market also grew by 23 million new players, reaching a total of 590 million gamers and projected to exceed $9.2 billion by FY 29, with a 20 per cent five-year CAGR.

    The union cabinet, under prime minister Narendra Modi, recently approved the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for AVGC-XR (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality). PM Modi also encouraged Indian game developers to make an international impact in his Independence Day address.

    With 88 Pictures’ animation and VFX expertise, the launch of 88 Games is expected to further boost India’s role in the global AVGC-XR and gaming sectors.

  • Union cabinet clears AVGC National Centre of Excellence

    Union cabinet clears AVGC National Centre of Excellence

    MUMBAI: The Modi-led central government is putting its might behind the AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics &XR ) component of the media & entertainment sector. It has followed up its announcement a couple of weeks ago about the setting up of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE)  in Mumbai by getting the plan cleared by the  union cabinet.

    The NCoE is planned to be set up as a section 8 company under the Companies Act 2013 with equity participation from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & industry  (Ficci) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian government. More than  Rs 500 crore is to be pumped into the centre by the government, possibly through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). .

    Provisionally named the Indian Institute for Immersive Creators (IIIC), the center aims to revolutionise the AVGC sector and foster innovation in immersive technologies. It is planned  to be modelled after the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with a sharp focus on creating content for India and the world.

    A press release issued by the ministry of information &  broadcasting on 29 September said that the idea is to create “a world class talent pool in India to cater to the Indian as well as global entertainment industry and make India a global hub for AVGC.”

    With rapidly evolving technology and increasing internet penetration all across the country, coupled with one of the cheapest data rates, the usage of AVGC-XR globally is poised to grow at an exponential pace.  This is bound to create abundant opportunities, particularly through the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE).

    Some of its key objectives are:

    * Focusing on creating Indian IP
    * Leveraging India’s cultural heritage in new age
    * Create a multiplier effect in the industry
    * An industry led initiative, in partnership with state and academia
    * Integrated focus on education, skilling industry, development, innovation
    * Hub and spoke model of development to be followed
    * IIIC as the hub and several centers as its spokes dedicated innovation and research fund to promote start-up ecosystem.

    The NCoE is being planned to provide a fertile platform for immersive tech – including virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 3D modelling, animation, comics and gaming – by offering cutting-edge training and integrate India’s rich cultural heritage with modern technology, fostering the creation of indigenous intellectual property (IP) and building the future of India’s digital creative economy.
    The target is to create an estimated 500,00 jobs,  with students gaining  practical experience through industry-driven courses, ensuring they are job-ready upon graduation. Those graduating will be provided with internships while start-ups will be mentored.  

    It may be recalled that union minister of finance & corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the 2022-23 budget that an AVGC task force would to created. The NCoE is one of the recommendations of the task force.