The consumer gaming story in India has changed a lot over the past years. With over 400 million millennials, India’s consumer gaming story has changed drastically. As per a recent global research, it is identified that half of the millennials play games on an everyday basis, giving them a channel to unwind and relieve from stress.
Games add to Socializing
The generation strongly believes that games have a significant impact on their lives, whether it is improving their confidence level or enhancing their thinking capabilities. Games are also known to resolve different mental health issues and no doubt all of this make games the favorite of the millennials. Skill games like rummy game, scrabble, and others are high in popularity.
Games has also become one of the favorite ways to interact, make new friends and meet new people with similar interests. Surveys point out that an average gamer makes a minimum of three friends through gaming, either by playing together or in a gaming community. They connect due to the common favorite factors of digital games.
Gaming Platforms
As the gaming industry is getting more mature by the day, one can see millennials putting their gaming efforts in one or two platforms. Around 49% of gamers prefer gaming consoles like the Switch, PS4, Xbox One X. On the other hand, there are 30% who prefer mobiles and around 21% love their PC. However, when we talk about playing fun or quick and small games, it is the mobile gaming that comes out as an absolute winner.
In India, the common trend is to begin playing a new game on the mobile and then after gaining experience, move to gaming consoles. Smartphones are cheaper than the bigger screens and reaches out to a larger audience base. Also, popular and quick games like rummy game download, candy crush app, bahubali download doesn’t need any console. They are app based and can be perfectly enjoyed on the smartphone. This shift from small screen to large screen is further accompanied by a shift in Wallet share of the gamers with around 40% of online gamers being inclined to pay for games.
The rise of e-Sports
This can be said to be the hottest gaming trends for the millennials today. Competitive video gaming is the next big thing in gaming. Even though around 18% players are still undecided, 40% still prefer e-sports as compared to any other sport. One reason for this that millennials have less time on their hands and common sports activities demand a basic schedule to be followed. E-Sports, on the other hand, gives them flexibility and a quick release from their stress levels.
It is estimated that there are two million e-sports enthusiasts and around two million occasional viewers as well. This makes the Indian e-sports audience small as compared to the global stand, but we are steadily reaching there. Premier e-Sports competitions and different Premium Leagues make it big in the country. What is very clear is the open acceptance of gaming as a platform for entertainment and the comfort level of spending on these games.
Games on the cloud
There are over 120 million gamers today and it is expected to cross over 300 million by 2021. What it demands is new forms of game adoption and engagement. In India, most of the games are experienced by budget phones. The new services like Game Streaming and Cloud Gaming may become among the most important options for digital games in the coming time. Further, with the new age technologies offering more locally developed games, the adoption of games is all set to enter the next decade.
Conclusion
Gaming has not only become a quick and preferred form of entertainment but also has a huge positive effect on the lives of the gamers. It boosts confidence, enhances the thinking capabilities and also resolves mental health issues. Gaming is today also the most convenient socialize. You get to interact with people, make friends and meet people with similar interests. Playing online games with keen diligence gives a range of life lessons along with frissons, thrills and of course emotional hues for the everyday blues.
A devoted player engages with a game in multiple ways and looks at all possible outcomes to it. There are lots more to a game than just win, loss or a draw. There is also more than a hit, chase, point or goal. It is about applying your analytical skills, calculating the moves and then playing the game. What sets apart a hard-core player from a casual gamer is the attention to detail and quality of interpretation. An analytical player knows how to capture by its bagful of numbers and yet may not be able to satiate the aesthetic player by the same means. With changing, expectations come new twists and turns that makes the game more packed with punch, and thrill.