The gaming market is expected to hit $ 4.01 Billion by 2026, with a rampant CAGR of 16.22% estimated during the 2021-2026 period. The casual gaming sector, in particular, is one of the major driving segments. Having one of the world’s biggest populations of youth, India is accelerating towards the world’s leading gaming market. India is estimated as the world’s fifth-largest gaming market, with over 220 million players spending an average of around 42 minutes a day.
Casual gaming is estimated to have over 400 million users in 2021, as per Statista. The penetration of the internet and advancements in game development and UX have contributed significantly towards this growth. Not to mention the impact of the pandemic that made millions of users magnetized to mobile gaming.
Major digital payment platforms like Paytm are also coming up with gaming arms like Paytm First games, which achieved 200% growth during the pandemic. The sheer variety of games ranging from Fantasy Cricket to card games like Rummy and Teen Patti have been accepted with both hands by Indian gamers. In addition, websites like Asiabet are where Indians play online Baccarat for real money from the comfort of their homes. With a wide range of Baccarat variants to choose from, trusted sites that offer attractive bonuses and cash backs, Asiabet is one of the most favorite gaming destinations for Indian gamers.
The plethora of gaming destinations online makes it imperative for game developers to stay updated with the ever-changing trends that rule the industry. Let’s look at three of the major trends that we expect to dominate the Indian gaming market in the near future:
Cross-Platform Approach
There is no doubt about India’s inclination towards embracing mobile games due to the portability and the affordability aspects. The primer report on casual online gaming in India by KPMG showcases the above statement. According to their report, over 17% of the worldwide gaming application downloads happen from India. Gaming companies cannot ignore the stagnation around the mobile gaming segment.
However, major market players are experimenting with a cross-platform approach by introducing a game in PC, Console, and mobile variants. This strategy has worked for many games in recent times. A shared gaming platform is there performing well.
Immersive Games
Since the onset of the pandemic, most Indians complain about the daily routine getting more monotonous than before. This is especially the case with the youth population in the country. To overcome this situation of boredom, people seek an intriguing and intellectual stimulation element in games. This has led to gaming genres like puzzles, mysteries, and other rational thinking categories standing out from the others.
These games provided the much-needed virtual escape for young gamers looking for some thrill in the monotonous schedule. Escape room games are also gaining traction as a means for a fun outing from home, especially now since most of the population are vaccinated. For instance, Breakout’s escape room gaming platform provides a cinematic style of escape room services for gamers.
Sense Of Community
The social aspect of gaming as an additional component of social media platforms is becoming increasingly prominent. Discord and other multi-player gaming platforms are not only about gaming entertainment; instead, players get to meet similar-minded people on such platforms. Game developing companies need to tap this opportunity by introducing features that maximize interaction capabilities between players. The enhanced player interaction is here to stay.
In addition to these three trends, cloud gaming is another segment that Indian players are getting attracted to. This technology allows users to stream top-quality graphic intensive games on their smart handheld devices without investing thousands in high-end gaming PCs and consoles. This factor is also expected to impact the industry’s growth widely.
Concluding Thoughts
The online gaming market is following the global trends in a large country like India as well. People are moving away from desktop games and showing an apparent affinity towards going mobile, especially since the pandemic times. The key focus areas for game developing companies in the near future are intractability, immersion, and cross-platform support. Finally, affordability and user experience mustn’t be ignored in a price-sensitive market looking for high-quality applications at economical rates.