6 minute read
Indian Gaming League: Up And At ‘Em
WORDS BY MRINAL GURJARE
When we speak of gaming in India, how can we not mention Indian Gaming League (IGL)? IGL was birthed by passionate gamers who felt that Indian gaming enthusiasts needed a platform to showcase their talent. This idea turned into reality when IGL was launched.
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IGL is a platform where you will find a mixed bag of gamers. If you are a newbie dipping your toes in gaming, then there is a lot for you to learn and earn from IGL. And if you are a professional, then you can expand your horizons and compete with other pros on this platform.
Entertainment companies are investing jaw-dropping amounts in gaming firms like IGL. We at Gutshot wanted to know more about this phenomenon and also the dynamics of what a thriving gaming operator looks at while doing business in an ambitious market. We spoke to Yash Pariani, CEO, IGL to get a deeper understanding of this industry which witnesses cutthroat competition.
Why are digital entertainment firms investing heavily in the gaming industry?
Gaming is growing at an exponential rate especially
in India due to the growth of mobile gaming. As a result, like any other sport, it’s not just the number of players that are growing but also the number of viewers. As the gaming industry is slowly making inroads in the entertainment industry, it has attracted investments from the same.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the online entertainment industry was one of the few industries to experience growth as people were seeking ways to pass their time while being isolated at home. Gaming was something that was always loved by young adults but till the last decade it was a leisure just for the privileged as the gaming setup, i.e. the computer or a console would almost cost a fortune.
However with the growth of mobile gaming, it’s now available for the masses and has become a major source of entertainment for a large percentage of the population. I am sure we will see a number of digital entertainment firms entering this segment.
pact the gaming space overall?
The investment will help us develop the overall esports ecosystem in India. Currently, India lags behind even when compared to its Asian counterparts. This is largely because esports aren’t taken as a serious profession in India.
We aim to create a platform, wherein the players can get returns on the time invested in the form or prize pool or incentives. This will be a stepping stone towards changing the perception that gaming has and will encourage the players to continue with the hard work which will eventually help in the development of the gaming industry.
How will Hindustan Talkies and Hungama’s investment in IGL imIGL reportedly stated that it has grown its user base by over 3X in the last 12 months and has hosted over 3,000 gaming tournaments in 2020. What is your aim for 2021?
We have experienced great growth, both in terms of users and the number of tournaments played in the past 12 months. At the start of 2020, we were hosting around 3-4 tournaments per day which is now al-
most over 15 tournaments per day.
We plan to increase it further every week and by the end of 2021, we aim to build a complete platform for gaming wherein, it’s
not just the professional players who come to compete but also for the aspiring players and casual gamers looking to start their career. We are even aiming to be the highest viewed gaming platform as I think esports viewership will be on par with the sports viewership by the end of the decade.
A report by Maple Capital Advisor revealed that the gaming sector attracted USD 544 Million in investments between August 2020 and January 2021. Your comment.
Definitely online gaming was one of the very few industries to grow during the COVID-19 lockdown. As most of the entertainment industry, like, sports or movies were stalled. Online gaming became a primary source of entertainment for many.
Naturally, with a larger population investing their time into gaming, a number of global conglomerates like Amazon and Reliance have also recently hosted events.
Tell us about the launch of Indian Gaming League Championship Cup Season 1.
IGL Championship Cup Season 1 is IGL’s inaugural championship which will last about 40 days and has a total prize pool of INR 2.5 Lakh across the five most popular games in India. It also has a INR 1.5 Lakh prize pool for the viewers through a number of giveaways on the live stream.
The qualifier rounds started in the second week of March and will be played upto the end of the first week of April. The most exciting part starts in the second week of April when all the top qualified teams will be a part of some high intensity action in the final week of the championship. On account of Women’s Day on 8 March, we unveiled Call of Duty Mobile: Women’s Cup which is one of the most prestigious female-only events in India.
We hope to see the gaming industry grow by leaps and bounds. As for Indian Gaming League, there is no stopping this gaming firm. With an influx of investments from digital entertainment companies, all eyes are on IGL to see how the company fulfils its aim of having a dream run in the gaming industry.
MOBILE GAMING: MOVING ONWARDS & UPWARDS
WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE
The Indian mobile gaming market was pegged at USD 1.2 Billion for the year 2020. This colossal figure points towards the growth opportunities available for the industry. The mobile gaming industry has come under the spotlight as international firms are now looking to invest in Indian mobile gaming companies. Factors like internet penetration in the country, number of gamers (326 Million) and average revenue per user has led to the future CAGR of the mobile gaming market to stand at 6.1% for the period 2020-2025. This gives us hope that India will make a prominent mark on the global mobile gaming industry.
As per a report by KPMG, the gaming industry is expected to see a jump from INR 43.8 Billion to INR 118.8 Billion by the year 2023. This translates to a growth rate of 22.1%. Currently, all eyes are on the 5G rollout in the country. This is particularly important as the latest rollout will improve mobile gaming speeds and will make it all the more seamless to engage in those high on action games on your mobile phones.
If estimates are to be believed then over 2.2 Billion people utilized their mobile phones for gaming over the last 10 years. Chipset technology is keeping up by enabling mobile devices to go head-to-head with the likes of Xbox and PlayStation. This advancement will also bring a lot of cheer to the operators in the business as it directly impacts the firm’s net income. More media brands will likely venture into the mobile gaming arena given the positive outlook that’s been observed.
Another aspect of the gaming industry is the spectators it attracts. Mobile gaming isn’t considered to be a spectator sport but this perspective is changing steadily. Multiple industry reports suggest that by 2021, the number of spectators between 18-25 years will surpass the total number of active gamers in the country. If these estimates stand true then India will soon hold a bigger ground in the global mobile gaming market.
