Digital gaming is projected to become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Let’s take a look at trends that you have contributed to this significant growth.
Impact of the Pandemic in Numbers:
The global pandemic has had an impact on gaming. Pre-pandemic, users spent an average of 2.5 hours gaming. Post-pandemic, though, those numbers have nearly doubled, with users now spending about 4.1 hours playing. The participation among the younger demographic stood at 51 percent as more 25-year-old users started playing more. Moreover, most of the gamers playing real money games are 36 and older.
Online Reviews
The emergence of reputable review sites has also made it easier for players to find secure places to play. A trusted review site helps gamers find the trending games and play seamlessly. More importantly, these platforms are pivotal in finding the best online casino for Indian players.
A Robust Past
Before the world was hit by a global pandemic, India already witnessed the tremendous growth of the gaming market. With higher-than-ever user engagement stats and a growing population of gamers, India has become one of the largest online player bases, second only to China, with 400 million gamers in the country.
A Bright Future
The online gaming market in India is at INR 136 billion at the moment. That estimate is projected to grow by 21 percent in the next five years, with expectations to hit the mark of nearly INR 290 billion. As long as people love games, the gaming industry will find a way to help them indulge. That also means that players can expect gaming platforms and sites to make it even easier for gamers to use their services. For instance, gaming platforms are utilizing new technologies to engage new games. These also include freebies and promos to encourage more users.
Gaming Is Mainstream
Online gaming has become more and more popular in India, with users participating from second and third-tier cities. Also, there is a rising number of female players. And with the stigma attached to playing games casually disappearing, more and more people are attracted to gaming as a pastime or source of entertainment. That’s likely another reason for the increase of female gamers, with women accounting for 45 percent of the mobile gaming audience in India.
Esports Popularity
Esports is another popular sub-segment. Currently, there are about 10 to 15 million viewers, and that number is set to grow even more in the future. With the number of new players increasing, esports will certainly receive even more spotlight. As a result,the revenue will increase, too. If growth continues at the current rate, it won’t be long before the industry reaches INR 5.7 billion.
New Trends by Popular Games
Ludo King and PUBG—both popular games in the country—have led to many of the changes in the gaming market. Now renamed Battlegrounds Mobile India, it introduced the concept of multiplayer mobile games in the Indian market. This had a tremendous effect on the streaming ecosystem in the country. Ludo King, on the other hand, turned gaming into mainstream entertainment. It also became an alternative to social media platforms and channels since players could meet, communicate, and spend time together playing the game.
Local Languages
The increasing number of gamers in the country has also spurred a growth in the number of game developers, as companies are trying to come up with casual mobile games to snatch a larger portion of the gaming market in India. This has led to the production of locally made games. These home-grown apps use local languages, a move that further boosts their popularity and use in the market. With more games that cater to local markets, there’s a higher rate of adoption.
Smartphone Users
These days, people can’t go anywhere without their smartphones. As a result, the ease of access has led to an increase of the gaming population. With smartphone improvements, mobile games are set to follow suit. And with more than 500 million smartphone users in India, there’s no shortage of demand. Projections also point out that the number might increase to 842 million by 2024. With evolving smartphone technologies and features, though, it won’t be a surprise if the next batch of smartphones leads to another surge in the gaming population.
