3. History
• Computer gaming in India started in the late
90s when video games became mainstream.
• Most of us have grown up on steady diet of 8-
bit games like Mario, Contra, pac-man, Road
Fighter.
10. More of history
• True sense of multiplayer was inviting a friend
to your place and ask him to bring his Ninja
Turtle cartridge and then spend the whole
summer defeating the main boss.
• Power Cut was a big monster
• Gave us best of coders, visionaries,filmmakers
and writers of our generation.
11. A bit of Personal History
It would be short…
12. Computer in the neighborhood
Yes, everybody has been through this phase. This is
probably the best example of Have-have not
mentality of us, mortals.
My cousin brother got a computer and I was full of
envy. But he was noble enough to let me have my
hand at it.
When people of my age were learning drawing or
guitar, I was figuring out ways to complete a level in
Lion King, Aladdin or Wolf 3D.
13. Computer in the neighbourhood-2
• 3D was a luxury. Best of the times were those
when we settled our quarrels over a duel of
split-screen racings in Need for Speed 2 .
• Alan Border Cricket was a rage. Some kids had
mastered the way to hit six on every ball and
they broke world records every day.
14. • We were the kids whom you would find in a
dark cornered room punching hysterically on
keyboard.
• We had no extra-curricular , no friends, no
other interest, no luxury but we were HAPPY.
• The only ambition of the life to get defeat the
next boss and move on.
15. Teen years
• First home computer at the age of 12 years
old.
• P III with 128 MB RAM. Still played future
titles too.
• Thus, I entered the world of modern games
and everything changed.
21. Teen years-2
• Life was defined by Half-Life, Max
Payne,Quake , Age of Empires, RTCW,
Command & Conquer etc.
• Source of games: local CD-wallah selling them
for 100 bucks.
• Once skipped a chance to go with a crush
because of Spiderman game.
22. Last part
• Slowly I got interested in the internal mechanics of the
games.
• Discovered changing a few filenames/properties can have
differences in the way game works.
• Started modding levels for Half-Life. Then somebody told
that a tool can make new weapons and enemies for Quake.
That was Gmax (discontinued variant of 3DS Max).
• I learnt 3d modelling for that. I was also making some flash
games but didn’t like to continue.
• So by the time I reached class 10th, I was playing more than
ever, modding levels for games, fiddling with 3DS Max and
Maya and some Flash games here and there.
23. Real last part
• THEN
• THEN Board Exams happened. And I left
everything to just mug.
• By mistake, I did good that my parents
thought a whole IITJEE course of life for me.
• That never took off but I got drifted and it
took me a while to get re-aligned. Last 6 years
are still in blur.
25. The aim of this talk is to let people know
what we, the old-age gamers, perceive the
games and how India and India-ness is portrayed
in the games.
And how we can change that with a little effort.
35. The easy approach other developers do is to
take an BBC documentary of India and model an
Indian town like that.
Examples :
India level in NOLF 2 Link
Call of Duty : MW 3 India level Link
36. This is the same way as Hollywood does things.
Whenever they have to show India, they show Taj
Mahal and the slums. This is our image recognized
by the World.
Avengers Hulk scene
37. This shows how much the West
knows of India and its culture!
(Read NONE)
38. • I am a HARDCORE gamer.
• That means, not too much interested in mobile
games.
• But one cannot deny the rise of the Indian mobile
gaming industry.
• I sometimes, find later that the mobile game I am
playing is made by an Indian studio.
It makes me feel amazed by the talent of these
studios and frustrated to think that
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE INDIAN ELEMENT IN
THE GAME.
Confessions
39. There isn’t enough market to develop India-themed
games.
• Wrong! The Indian game market is now sizable enough.
If you include casual gamers then it is even bigger.
Western people don’t want to play Indian games.
• Wrong! It is same as saying only Japanese enjoy Ninja
movies. The enthusiasm for India and Indian games is
overwhelming these days.The success of Kickstarter
project for Unrest: India based RPG can be used as an
example.
Indians don’t pay for the games.
• Earlier, even westerners were not paying THAT MUCH
for mobile games. Put a good title and a digestable price
along with easy mode of payment and THEY WILL BUY YOUR
GAMES.
43. HOW TO FIX THIS ?
• Have a India centric content
• Or, have Indian elements in the game
• Or, even if you are making a traditional mario
or space wars like game, still you can make it
India- themed.
Let me give you an example.
44. EXAMPLE
• I saw an Indian company making a 2D mobile
game in which a guy on the skateboard has to
avoid obstacles and reach the finish line with
best timings.
• Good concept.
How to make an Indian version ?
45. Add Laxman’s common man to a scene where he has to catch a running bus
avoiding the potholes and other vehicles. DONE!
EXAMPLE
47. Epilogue
• One can make some great games based on
India.
• There is so much potential here for
innovation.
• Developers have to come up if they want to
change the perception.
• Last but no the least, here’s a concept from
Unrest: An uncoventional RPG made by an
Indian gaming studio.
49. Last slide
• Not every game on India has been mentioned.
• Many small studios are making India specific
games but they are not as good in quality as
western themed games.
• Apologies to mobile game developers
• Thanks for your time.
