If 2019 was the year the online gaming went mainstream, 2020 could be the year where it registers phenomenal growth. Online gaming has already gained a strong foothold in the entertainment industry. In 2020, it could well go beyond well-established entertainment industries like Television and radio. No longer, people play games merely for entertainment; for many of them, it’s a profession.
Today’s Indian Online gaming industry is growing at a healthy rate of 22%, and its revenue is expected to touch $1 billion by the end of 2020.
As a lot of games are in the pipeline for release, we can expect a phenomenal increase in the number of players. As the audience prefers games with localized content, more of such games would hit the market this year.
A proper gaming ecosystem will spawn in the year 2020. The gaming ecosystem would consist of gamers across all ages, game developers and designers, investors and marketers working together to come up with cutting edge games.
Here we put together some of the top trends that are likely to define India’s gaming industry in 2020
1. Cloud gaming
service
Gamers have been requesting a cloud-based gaming service for some time. Something equivalent of Netflix or Amazon Prime, where you have thousands of games from different publishers. Tech giants Apple and Google realized the massive potential for a cloud-based gaming service and have started Arcade and Stadia respectively towards the end of 2019. In 2020, we can expect both Arcade and Stadia to shift gears and move up to the next level. Their services are available across multiple platforms – Mobiles, Desktops, Laptops, iPads, and Macs. Launched on a subscription basis model, this service from both the tech giants is all set to rule the gaming world in the upcoming years.
2. Rise of Desi
Games
For the past few years, audiences have been preferring games with localized content. Unlike games with an exotic setting, the audience can get used to localized settings and get immersive gaming experience.
Even the prominent game makers acknowledged that it’s time for localized content in the Indian gaming market.
Games like Indian Rummy, Teen Patti, and Texas Holdem poker, Omaha Poker online, continue to attract the audience through various online poker and rummy sites. These games have the advantage of being popular even during the pre-internet era. For those who are unfamiliar with the rules of these card games, these sites are helping with detailed documents and videos on poker rules, how to play poker, and poker strategies.
Popular movie franchises like Baahubali were adopted in the game format and were hugely popular. Indian game developers are also building games in multiple languages and themes acclimatized to the tastes of the local gaming audience. Content customization will continue to play a vital role in the upcoming year.
3. Fantasy Games
Fantasy games are nothing sort of a revelation in the Indian gaming scene. According to a report by the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), Indian gamers spent an astonishing $ 1.73 billion in sports betting in the year 2018. It is set to increase monumentally in the year 2020. Cricket continues to dominate in this segment as nearly 85% of the users join the competitions on cricket. In the year 2020, gamers are likely to venture into other sports like Kabbadi, Football, and Hockey for better chances to win. As the competition is exceptionally high in cricket, the chances of winning are less and more players are venturing into other sports to increase their chances of a win.
4. AR/VR
Augmented reality and Virtual reality are the hottest things going in the gaming industry now. However, the expensive VR/AR headsets meant that only the elite had access to the games. Industry experts predict that VR/AR games will receive a considerable thrust this year, and the prices of the headsets would become more affordable. Many existing games would likely incorporate VR and IR to give a more immersive gaming experience.
Conclusion
With smartphone revolution, falling data prices and the arrival of 5G technology, more and more people would venture into gaming community and games with improved graphics would hit the market soon.
