The next stop for the gaming buff: Bollywood act

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It’s moment of truth for Star Plus

: Mangal Pandey must breach the security of his British batallion. How he does it, is the puzzle, which the avid game buff will have to solve, once the computer game designed on the 1857 revolution hero releases along with the much awaited Aamir Khan celluloid venture, ‘The Rising’ later this year.

This is just one example of what the future of gaming could be in India in just a couple of years from now.

“Mobile gaming is the in thing for India, due to higher penetration of handset users and low cost involved. Moreover, computer games based on known characters are very much in vogue in India,” says CEO of Maya Entertainment, Rajesh Thakuria, who is involved in producing the Mangal Pandey game and whose company also does special effects for Mumbai filmdom.

Mr Thakuria says that the quantum jump in computer and internet users in India has popularised computer games, which don’t require added paraphernalia.

“Hi-end games require use of boxes, which cost around Rs 10,000-12,000 and are beyond the reach of the niche gaming community, which includes youngsters aged 12-25 years,” says Biren Ghose, CEO of Animation Bridge, a Mumbai-based software developer for national and international animation channels.

Computer games are essentially of two types. For instance, you have those which are based on original ideas or characters. Take for example, Maya Entertainment’s creation, Captain Vyom, a character on which a teleserial was directed by Ketan Mehta, who incidentally owns the company. Subsequently, a game was designed around the character. Then, there are games, which are programmed and designed through licensed game engines, like on the comic character Hulk.

As for popularity in India, experts argue that the second category “rocks”. The games, based on licensed engines, are likely to expand their base even further in the future, they add.

According to Deepak Garg, who sells computer games in Delhi’s Nehru Place market (a hub for computer accessories and games), DOS-based games used to be quite popular earlier. But now with the advent of the internet, they are fading into oblivion. Rather, action and adventure-oriented games are more in demand. “Our clients include young students as well as people much older. Also, there is a demand for educational games,” he says. But the market for educational games is still evolving, he adds.