Loading ...
In between conceited guffaws and outstanding fits of mockery divided between “serial entrepreneur”, “significant online gaming presence” and “expert speak” for so little as a coffee mug associated with FX Labs, I came upon this misshapen fool’s gold nugget. Hm. Quaint. If you bother to actually go through all of brotha Reddi’s drivel, chances are you’ll come up with much less subtle and infinitely more scathing remarks on what is ultimately an opinion on what constitutes a selling game in India (undertones of “And we know how to do it, beetches” included).
Looks like Sony’s partnership with Pyramid Saimira and Aurona Technologies was only just the beginning. Turns out, Sony’s got themselves hooked up with a total of 13 Indian-based development studios… And they’re all going to produce exclusive and budget-priced titles for the Playstation 2, aimed for both the local and international market. Some of which might even have Eye Toy support!
According to Zeno Colaco, vice president (publisher and developer relations), ‘PS2 users will get the best out of their machines with games based on our motion-sensing technology.’
Globally, Sony is expected to launch 150 titles for PS2 alone. The 2008 FICCI report on Indian Media and Entertainment Industry reveals that the local gaming industry garnered Rs 270 crore (Rs 2.7 billion) at the end of 2007 - up 32 per cent from Rs 205 crore (Rs 2.05 billion) in 2006.
With an already estimated userbase of 325,000 units in India (and still growing), Sony’s initiative becomes a bit more clearer. What remains to be seen is if these locally-developed games can rise to the call and meet with international expectations. Doubt it! But hot dog, now I’m curious to see what companies like Indiagames have in store for us. Sitar Hero, anyone? Bring it on.
Thanks to Sam Turismo 5: Prologue for the heads-up. He knows how to get my hood poppin’, if you know what I mean.
(Source: Business Standard)
To all the nay-sayers who think there ain’t no way the gaming situation here can ever improve on our home turf, well, you may be right! But one thing’s for sure, it can only continue growing and that’s largely thanks to the efforts of companies like Microsoft and Sony. According to Rajesh Jain (Executive Director of KPMG), “The main drivers for the growth of the gaming industry in India would be seeding initiatives by the players, marketing, and pricing of the games – which is an important aspect in India.” Currently India’s gaming industry is worth about $30 million right now, and that’s even including the grey market.
Jain further adds, “At the end of the day, the prices at which the games are brought is important” but also mentions that it’s not the “cost of the box” which matters, but the “cost of recurring games.” We already know Microsoft has been doing a heck of a lot of work to drive their message (with booze, no less); and thanks to the 54% decrease of the import duty imposed on game titles, you can expect to find products quite comparable or even a bit cheaper than what you would you normally find in other countries (although currently, this mostly applies to those published by Microsoft Games Studio). Even for games that haven’t even been released yet, Microsoft will sell them for approximately Rs. 1,895. Same goes for recently released PC games: you’ll find S.T.A.L.K.E.R and BioShock for less than Rs. 700. Quite the admission price!
Source: MetroNow (Click below to read what other companies had to say)