IF YOU are a mobile gaming enthusiast, there is reason for you to cheer. Because soon, you might be able to go head-to-head with some of the best gamers in the country in a championship format. Based on the Indian Premier League (IPL) model, the Indian Mobile Gaming League (IMGL) is looking to revolutionise the mobile gaming experience in India. A league for the masses, the IMGL could even make it possible for players to represent the country on the global stage. All you need is a valid mobile number to enrol and register—the IMGL platform is integrated with an SMS gateway to manage customer connections, while its mobile app is available on Android and iOS.
The inaugural edition of the IMGL, which will start on March 28, will have eight teams: Delhi Warriors, Mumbai Stars, Chennai Supermen, Jaipur Maharajas, Hyderabad Nizams, Bengaluru Technocrats, Lucknow Nizams and Patna Emperors. The winner of the league, which will be played over two seasons, could bag a prize money of R1 crore.
In India, almost all major sports, be it cricket, football, tennis, kabaddi or badminton, have a strong professional league. It was time mobile gaming had one too, says Deepak Choudhry, founder, IMGL. Also, unlike other leagues, the focus of the IMGL was on allowing the common man to participate. “There was something or the other always happening in sports like football, cricket and tennis. But in all these leagues, the common man could just watch, not play. In fact, I would see my daughter playing video games everyday. One day, she told me that if ever there was a mobile gaming competition, she would surely win it. I thought why not form a league where the common man can play?” says Choudhry.
For season one, the IMGL will go with its in-house designed game, The Adventures of Nara, in which Nara, a modern-age superhero, is involved in a chase to prevent a masked terrorist from detonating a bomb. Season two is still in the works. “For season one, the game that we’ve chosen is not a complete 3D one, as not everyone has a high-end phone in India,” says Choudhry.
With India’s smartphone market booming and people consuming a considerable amount of content, the prospects look bright for the IMGL. “We’ll have a real advantage, as one out of two people in India use a smartphone these days,” says Choudhry. Originally an engineer, he worked in the automobile industry before venturing into mobile gaming. “This segment is going to go beyond people’s expectations and perform well in India.”
While the inaugural edition will be held in India, the IMGL is hoping to get other gaming leagues around the world onboard as well. There are also plans to conduct a ‘Universal Mobile Gaming League’ in 2017 in which Indian players will compete with players from around the globe. “We have so many world-famous players from cricket, etc. We want to show that India’s mobile gamers are heroes too,” says Choudhry.