The gaming industry in India has soared exponentially over the years. According to a report, India in 2020 had a market size of $1.2 billion. This puts the country in the sixth position in the race of the global mobile gaming market. Only China, the US, Japan, South Korea and the UK are ahead of India in this.
With such a huge market potential for the gaming sector in India, the expectations are quite high. It is expected that India is going to leapfrog the leaders to be among the top three countries in terms of gaming market size.
Tracing the Development of the Origin of the Mobile Game in India
The start of the 21st century brought one of the most basic but adored mobile games called Snake. This is a black and white game where a snake eats on the points to grow bigger and bigger and rule the mobile gaming section in India for a long time.
Games like cricket and pinball soon followed with colour screen mobile phones. But the most radical change was brought in the year 2008 when Apple launched the App Store. With the App Store, mobile users access a dynamic range of mobile games they had not experienced until then.
With the App Store and Google Pay Store, the entire dynamics of mobile gaming changed.
Google soon followed the cue and brought its Android arena with Google Play Store. The mid-range smartphone industry hit off immediately. Games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Temple Run etc., became instant hits. It did not go amiss with the mobile gaming companies that India has huge potential for the mobile gaming market. Since then, we have witnessed high-end graphic games like Need for Speed, PUBG, Call of Duty etc.
Games with Real Money Involved
Another major turn in the gaming industry in India took place with the arrival of online transactions and payment methods. With so many payment gateways operating in the country now, along with a much more enhanced online banking facility, games could now include monetary transactions.
Poker is no longer about knowing how to play bluff, but you can also earn money now. Just like poker, there are several online cards and table games where you can earn money. The system of e-payments has also brought in options where a player can purchase bonus points and utility tools in the game.
With money involved in the Indian online gaming industry, it is no wonder that the gaming market size keeps on growing continuously.
State of the Mobile Gaming Sector in India
Google Play Store hosts around 5,400 gaming publishers, which is 3% of total game publishers. This data alone testifies to the fact that the gaming industry is reaching a whole new level in India. The feat becomes even more incredible when you realise that India has the second-large market size for smartphones.
Although India stands at the second position in terms of the smartphone market, its market penetration was still 36.7% in 2019. This clearly manifests the scope Indian smartphones and gaming markets have. With a better marketing strategy and an approach where mobile gaming can be made accessible to even the lower strata of society, the Indian gaming sector can take another economic boost in the coming years.
Contributive Factors
Numerous factors have led India to a mobile gaming market size of $1.2 billion. We are focusing here on the ones that have made an apparent impact on the mobile gaming sector.
Young Population
With 65% of the Indian population below the age of 35 years, the demand for games could not be downplayed. PC and console games were the dominant force in the gaming sector, but smartphones have taken the gaming market by storm. With innovative gaming and high accessibility, youth is more driven to mobile games in India now.
Mid-Range Smartphones
It is a simple equation that flagship smartphones cannot dominate the market in a country where the average population is the youth. This is the reason why almost all the smartphone companies, with a few exceptions, have focused on mid-range smartphones. The wider availability of smartphones has made people aware of how to play bluff in poker, make a perfect shot in 8 Ball Pool and the rules to follow in Call of Duty.
Games-driven Mobile Market
Mobile phone companies have understood the potential of games in India. So, to boost their sales, they are powering their mid-range phones with high-end gaming processors and RAMs. Being able to play high-definition graphic games has the USP of mid-range smartphones. That’s why, from Samsung to Xiaomi to OnePlus, all the top brands use gaming performance as their most significant selling point.
Smartphones have become quite common now, and the gaming market is so huge. The gaming companies also put out detailed guidelines in their games to make the gameplay easy for you. For instance, you can learn how to play bluff and other valuable lessons if you love playing card games. The $1.2billion Indian gaming industry is the next big thing to look out for with these facilities available.