Get set to full throttle

GAME away, India!
This is what experts of one of the country���s fastest growing entertainment segments are telling our gamers. The market that seems to be recession-proof is expected to see rapid growth through the next couple of years in console, PC gaming, online and the mobile gaming segment.
���Tax rationalisation of the console, backed by organisations like NASSCOM and FICCI, has great potential to boost gaming in India.Game developers and manufacturers can look forward to break even and also make a profit in a few years,��� says Atindriya Bose, country manager, Sony Computer
Entertainment (Europe). Indian gamers may have started late, but they want the latest technology and products, points out Atindriya.
���An untapped market attracts a lot of interest. That���s what has prompted the world���s gaming giants such as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo to set up offices here, and plan marketing and distribution strategies. Publishers like Entertainment Arts also have a substantial presence here,��� he says.
Manish S, an avid gamer, agrees that serious gamers are very clued in. ���More gaming fora, tournaments and expos will be organised next year. The gaming sector can expect more exposure and visibility in terms of advertising, content developing and manufacturing, and a lot more cyberspace with products like Zapak and Games on Demand,��� says Manish.
The year that was
Fifty new titles hit Indian shelves this year. PlayStation 2 unveiled the sequel to Kill Zone. PS3 launched three new titles as well ��� Little Big Planet, Resistance 2 and MotorStorm Pacific Rift. The PS-Portal segment saw the launch of Buzz Brain Bender, a series of extremely simple, fast-paced games. ���Nintendo Wii, which was earlier available only in Delhi and Mumbai, is now in Bangalore. GTA 4, on the PC, is available at Rs 499. Gears of War was officially launched here too,��� says Anip Mehta, owner of Console Gaming Company.
���One of the biggest success stories in 2008 came with the game development conference, Dev Station. International game developers and leading developers of India came together to form new and significant partnerships,��� says Atindriya.
Another similar landmark event that brought gamers from across the country together was the Indian Gaming Summit, held in Mumbai last month, says Sourabh Agarwal, assistant product manager, Steel Series, a gaming peripheral firm. ���There was a time when people were wary of taking up sports professionally. With time, this mindset has changed. Fora like these will change how people view gaming as well,��� says Sourabh.
Watch out for...
���The most significant development waiting to happen next year is the launch of games with Indian content,��� says Atindriya. ���Our game developers will also take concrete steps to Indianise the content. There���s Hanuman ��� Boy Warrior, which will be released in the first quarter. There are also two quiz games hitting the shelves in June. Young gamers can also look forward to playing Game Shastra (set against a rural backdrop), which has games like kite flying and kho-kho,��� he says.
Anip lists out some popular games that avid gamers can experience in 2009: Heavy Rain (PS3); Infamous (PS3); Prototype (on XBOX 360, PS3 and PC); Unchartered 2 ��� Among Thieves; Skate 2; Street Fighter 4; Sear 2 ��� Project Origin; Bionic Commando; In the Halo series, there���s Halo 3 ��� Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (a prequel) and Halo Wars (a strategy game); Grand Tourismo; Bio Shock 2 ��� Sea of Dreams; Call of Duty ��� Modern Warfare 2; Alan Wake; Prey 2; Resident Evil 5; God of Wars 3; Mafia 2; GTA China Town Wars; Afro Samurai; Lord of the Rings ��� Conquest; 50 Cent ��� Blood in the Sand; Final Fantasy XIII (XBox 360 and PS3).
TEJASWINI TIRTA
teju.thirtha@timesgroup.com