In a move that could lead to lowering the cost of producing console games in the country, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has entered into advanced stages of talks with international middleware solution providers with London-based Qubesoft and California headquartered Emergent Game Technologies to negotiate lower India specific rates. In a related move that could benefit small and independent game developers in the country SCE has decided to dole out game developers kits on loan.
?We are ready to provide cost prohibitive developers kits on a loan basis to game developers. For a developer, the development kit constitutes a significant part of initial investment,? confirmed Atindriya Bose, country manager, SCE, India. Internationally the subscription model (developers kit on a rental basis) is very popular. He added, ?If game developers come up with interesting content, intellectual property, story line, our company is willing to give them publishing support as well. That will give them exposure on a global platform.? According to industry experts, this arrangement is a win-win situation for developers and the company. While developers get the support for their venture, the company ensures more games around Playstation 2 (PS2), which may raise its popularity and sales in the country.
Bose said that SCE will partner with Hyderabad-based Aurona Technologies (recently acquired by Pyramid Saimara Group) to develop the first console game based on Indian content on Hanuman for the PS2 platform. Sony is planning to distribute that game in international markets as well. ?One of the biggest challenges the Indian gaming industry is facing is its inability to develop a game from start to finish. Of the entire value chain it is mainly the ?testing? function that gets offshored to India,? felt Bose. The development cycle of a game is divided into three parts, pre-production, production, and testing. The need of the hour is to integrate the content creators with publishers, developers, and animators. The size of Indian gaming industry is pegged at $125 million.
The industry is expected to touch $300 million by 2009, implying a growth of 78% year-on-year. Sony had, in November, slashed the cost of its PlayStation3 developers kit from $20,000 to $10,250 per unit in the North American, European, and Japanese market. Playstation3 is yet to hit the Indian market.