Hurdles of Indian Gaming Industry

*So Near yet so Far......*


The Indian online gaming industry has reached newer heights heights with
each passing day, with better games in terms of graphics as well as
user-friendliness are being developed. However, there are still various
areas that need to be worked out. These gridlocks are limiting the scope
of online gaming in India. In this post, I will be talking about some of
the obstructions the Indian Online Gaming Industry is facing.


Global experts think that the Indian industry lags behind in quality as
our games are a mere copy of western concepts and ideas. Well, even I
cannot deny from this point, but not all the credits can be given to the
western games. Indian portals too have come up with good and unfeigned
concepts. However, we have had our share of bottlenecks that have
actually prevented good talent from being recognized on a global scale.
Following is a list of the same :



*Consumer related issues:*


• Anti-gaming culture : Contrary to the developed markets, electronic
gaming is not a part of mainstream culture. The Indian mindset lays
utmost importance to the academics as parents don't want their children
to waste their time on online gaming. Gaming is considered as a forlorn
exercise, as people fear their children getting addicted to it and
'wasting their time'.


• Lack of Online BUZZ!: Indians have abundant opportunities to access
games either offline or on cell phones. The 'Pull factor' lags which is
very essential to attract gamers.


*Prominent hurdles:*


Infrastructure: Low penetration of PCs in households, lack of broadband
connectivity and inefficient cyber cafés is a paramount concern and a
significant roadblock that needs to be overcome.


Quality: A quality creation is the USP of the game. A game having a
striking design, programming and other creative efforts are the factors
to make it a hit. One has be perfectly skilled on individual
responsibilities such as decoding, designing and animation. Lack of
quality manpower is posing a great challenge to game development procedure.


Advanced training: Game development is not a preferred choice of
students. The ‘Anti-gaming’ culture in the society can again be
attributed to the disinterest of students in opting for game development
as a serious career option.


Low on finance: The nascent market is attracting tremendous amount of
funding, but only the major developers are getting the bigger chunk of
the pie. Small scale players are literally untouched by the benefit of
venture funding.


Though India has a long way to go in terms of revenue, market and the
number of gamers, a lot needs to be done to pave the way for consistent
growth in this booming industry.

Hit the target to clinch the gold Gold medal

Gunning for Gold,.a game by Games2win, saluting the salvo of India's first ever individual Gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra at the Beijing Olympics. A legitimate tribute to the incredible performance which made the entire nation proud. 'Hit the target to clinch the gold Gold medal', elaborates the better picture and the theme of the game.

Games2win have tried their best to recreate the aura of 10 m Air Rifle Event final at the Beijing Olympics, with all the tension and obvious pressure Abhinav had to face on his way to clinch the medal. The game is visaged in the shooting arena with the rivals trying taking their attempts along with the gamer. Though it hardly affects the gamer's attention while shooting, but the rivalry is maintained. With the rivals named as Qinan Zhu and Henri Hakkinen, it basically gives a realistic kind of an effect. The gamer has ten attempts to hit the bull's eye. The faster you shoot, the better is your score. The maximum number of hits to the bull's eye will ensure that the gamer gets the gold.

The game is very effective and will be appreciated by the gamers as it is quite hard to win. Though me being a good online game shooter found it very easy to hit the bull's ey,e but to shoot it in lesser time was quite difficult. The game is definitely a must play all sports gamers as Games2win.com have really done a good job in framing such a fantastic game. My ratings for the game are as listed below

Graphics- 8/10
Sound- 9/10
Replay chances- 8/10
Controls- 7/10
Storyboard- 9/10
Overall- 8.5/10

Is Singh really the King?

The latest roar on song........ Singh is king, sometimes with a reason and sometime without it. As the movie rises up on the chart buster list, there go all the kings. With the government finally succeeding in saving the vote of no confidence motion, the prime minister turned out to be the real king in the parliament. '*Yes...... he's smarter than our average PM and this time he's truly proven that Singh is King ' *With this propelling punch line, Games2win frames out a new game featuring on the prime minister of India, titled as '*Singh is king.*'

The game is based on the present and omnipresent circumstances of the Indian politics, a jungle of blame game, and features the prime minister of India caught in the midst of all the allegations and debates of the opposition. The gamer needs to pull him out of all the debates and allegations before its too late. National issues such as Inflation, Nuclear deals, Poverty, Protest and other international issues are barriers created by the opposition on the road where they can trap the prime minister but the gamer has to win the battle for Mr. Singh to crown him the real king

The game looks effective but wont turn the gamer on its feet after playing it. It just all about running on a plain track and jump or to skid, when meet by a hurdle. The graphics are ordinary and so is the platform. The sounds are wearing away in the race. My ratings for the game is as listed below.

Graphics- 5/10
Sound-7/10
Replay chances- 4/10
Controls-6/10
Storyboard-4/10
Overall- 5.6/10

All in all, 'Singh is King' is a good effort from Games2win; but running away from problems in the game is definitely not gonna make our Singh the King..............mind it..............!

Online games- The Indian Apex.

In my last blog, I reviewd a silly game . In this edition, I will emphasize on the Indian venture in online gaming. India and Online games, is now not a strange combination. With the number of Indian gamers upsurging day by day, online gaming flourishes the Indian market with pace. Internet cafe culture and broadband penetration are the two leading factors which have created Renaissance in the Indian market.

Internet cafes were the first to introduce the culture as internet connection was beyond the reach of common people, due to the high price rates. From the oldest version of
Narrowband Dialup, users have witnessed an era of changes. Broadband DSL, ADSL, Fiber (Cable) and now finally to Wi-fi and WiMax has proven that there is no limit of speed and connectivity.

Net games have come a long way from being an easy pastime to that of becoming a multi-dimensional, competitive gaming society with cutting-edge technology. What you see and face in the real life, you can have on on your computer system in the form of games. Online games culture has developed a social networking chain in India. In short span of time, online games have covered up eminence space.

With the demand and popularity of online games increasing , the Indian Software market has opened up for new softwares, adamant to make the game more customized and exciting. N what else we need !!!

Indyarocks and its Halloween Ride.

Well, initially I was pretty apprehensive whether to review games featured at Indyarocks or not. It's pretty evident that Indyarocks positions itself as a social networking platform, so reviewing games featured in a social network will rob the exclusivity of my blog. However, in India you really can't ignore social networking platforms because they claim a fair share of the casual gaming bandwagon. So, I really can't deprive Indyarocks it's well deserved right of being featured on my blog. Apparently, they have also partnered with the aka 'Fx labs' to develop casual games and create a gaming community

(Wizard goes for a change. Gives up his broom and grabs a car)

On a wider note while playing at Indyarocks I feel pretty nostalgic . Since, they feature flash games which takes me back to my childhood when digital games started with contra and ended at F1 Racing. Their game Halloween Ride fits somewhere in this category. This one scene game is pretty decent. Based on the tried and tested storyboard of an old witch and a wizard race through other monsters on the road.

Although at a first glance it looks like an ordinary racing game but a more detailed look
game reveals that this one has been around us since early 90s, it has one car which moves in either direction and some obstacles are set up which drink up your fuel and
quite obviously, you have to save your fuel to clear a level.

(It's me enjoying a wizard's ride)

The sketches have been done pretty well but the interest in the game. The concept of a Halloween wizard riding a car is new and cute but the racing excitement might have executed in a better manner.

Overall, my verdict goes as follows. An average one.

Graphics- 5/10
Sound-7/10
Replay chances- 4/10
Controls-6/10
Storyboard-6/10
Overall- 5.6/10

IAMAI reveals- Why do Mortals play games?

This question has been intriguing me since I started playing. Well I play only to win. I am a serious kinda freak, who loves to take challenges. No matter, how big or small the challenge is, I try to tame it, but success is tough to replicate. Guess what? Recently I came across an IAMAI (Internet & Mobile Association) report and they had a category of gamers. I was surprised, they made absolute sense. According to them I am a subjugator, who loves to master everything. But I differ when they say that such people love to show off. I don’t! ;-)

(My type: Subjugators settle for nothing but the victory)

There was another alien category of ‘Networker’ . But they are a type of people that I don’t like. In the garb of gaming they nudge in as loners looking for a bonding. I mean a decent friendship is digestible, but a relationship in a multiplayer game? A big NO NO!

The third category is of ‘Escapist’ I mean the losers who can’t face the realities of life, so they chicken away in games. I think they are the most intelligent of the lot! What a great way to forget your reality for a while? I mean there’s no harm in it, provided you come out of the world of guns and cars.

Lastly there are ‘Learners’, I didn’t understand this category. The report simply stated: Their main purpose to game is to explore different environments and conditions with a motive to learn something from their experience and then progress and excel in it. Their main aim to hone their skills everything possible………. I mean sharpening their skills by the means of gaming, looking for new surroundings. Sounds a bit impractical! Isn’t it way to overboard?

(Any Questions? Drop in a comment)

Horror House Dress up-- another horrible game by Games2win

Horror House Dress up...... a rueful endeavor by games2win. It has been a long time since we have come across a quality squib from games2win. Horror House Dress up is another poor concept. The game not even worth playing once. All you have to do is to dress up the ghost and the atmosphere in order to make it fearsome.

(Draculla desperately trying to put up a scary act)

(Draculla created by me. You bet it can't even scare a child)

How can you make it scary? By picking the objects and clothes of your choices. Imagine yourself being scared and petrified by a ghost dressed up by you. Doesn't it sound funny? The creepy special effects and graphics will not even make a child cry, forget about the hardcore gamers. Seriously games2win needs to think about their standard of games and raise them, in order to maintain their reputation. C'mon Buck up! You can do much better.

My rating for this game is:

Graphics- 2/10

Sound- 1.5/10

Replay Value- 0/10

Storyboard-0/10

Storyboard- 0/10

Overall- 0.13/10