Over the past few years, gaming has seen tremendous growth across the world, and India has been no exception, says Vickram Bedi, senior director, Personal Systems, HP India Market. “We are seeing multiple career opportunities in the gaming segment; even women consider gaming as a career option in India,” he tells Sudhir Chowdhary in a recent interview. Excerpts:
What do you think has brought about the shift in perceptions?
According to the HP India Gaming Landscape Study 2022, majority of serious gamers see a career in gaming in India, largely owing to good earnings prospects. Moreover, the career opportunities in gaming are no longer restricted to being a gamer. We are seeing multiple career opportunities such as influencer, streaming, or gaming software developer. With this evolution, India is all set to become a gaming hotspot.
How do you see the industry providing space for all gamers?
Gamers are always keen to upskill to better their game. To further empower India’s gamers, we need to provide a learning and development ecosystem to them. We, at HP, are committed to support gamers in their journey by providing knowledge, tools, and opportunities to upskill and help them become better at their game through OMEN ( HP’s gaming laptop series) community initiatives. With the OMEN community initiatives, we are providing a one-stop destination for gamers to upskill, engage and empower. As part of the community initiatives, we provide gaming videos from pro gamers to learn from and an opportunity to join the OMEN Squad. In addition to this, HP has also onboarded renowned Indian gamers, providing regular content to help aspiring Indian gamers.
Why do you think gaming as a career attracts many women?
Breaking the gender stereotypes, women gamers are on the rise in India. According to the HP study, 56% women gamers consider gaming as a career option, with every two in five women gamers participating in online gaming competitions. When it comes to the gaming genre, women gamers mostly play action/adventure games followed by first-person shooters – which is contrary to societal perceptions. Moreover, women also rely on gaming to relieve stress and to relax. This reflects that gaming has not only filled the void between escapism and boredom but has taken over a larger social context for women in India. As we move forward, we will witness more gender parity among gamers.
Are we witnessing a shift towards PC gaming as compared to mobile gaming?
Today’s gamers need the right experience and technology to get the most out of gaming. Innovative thermal technology and winning horsepower, stunning visuals and larger screens supported with great accessories to bring games to life enhance the overall experience. There’s an extremely high demand for performance, with the latest GPUs and CPUs consuming a lot of power and creating heat. As per our recent gaming study, 39% of mobile gamers are looking to migrate to a PC for gaming – a key reason being PCs provide a better gaming experience.
Based on the user insights, we engineered a new gaming ecosystem with OMEN and Victus laptops and desktops range that not only caters to diverse types of gamers but also lets them improve their level of play. We continue to modernise our products, because gaming will always be at the cusp of innovations as we go forward. No matter what type of gamer —professional, enthusiast, mainstream— HP has the gaming solution for everyone.
