HYDERABAD: The culture of gaming is still at an evolutionary stage and to consider it as a profession in India when compared to other European countries is still a tough call to make, say gamers and experts in the industry. From a cash price disparity that demarcates the e-sports tournaments across the ‘developing countries and developed countries’, to the lack of encouragement, many gamers are anxious about breaking the silence about their virtual identity as a gamer.
Anait Mirzojan, an Estonian gamer based in India who recently turned professional and is an expert in Players Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG), an online battle royale game, exclaimed that though she has been gaming for the last two decades, expressing the same to their parents is still a difficult task. “My parents still do not know that I have turned into a professional gamer. I still do not know what they are going to say if I pursue it fulltime,” said Anait, who is part of Global eSports, a gaming community.
Dheeraj, an intermediate student from Hyderabad, said though his father introduced him to gaming and the architectural part of developing it, there is still a huge gap to bridge when it comes to gamers across the world and India.
Vamsi Krishna, Head Consumer Marketing South Asia, Nvidia Graphics, said that the community of gaming is growing but there is always a disparity between India and other countries that affect the prize money awarded which will soon end. “The difference is bound to exist between developing countries and developed countries, especially, at the gaming front considering that the shift has just begun. The prize money will vary because the sponsors are looking at a smaller market in India compared to other countries,” said Vamsi.
However, he looks at an untapped business model in the form of e-gaming cafes that has a huge growth opportunity in India. “For those who want to switch from active gaming, e gaming-cafe is a huge market to tap,” observed Vamsi.