HYDERABAD: The 15th Edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), held recently in the city, witnessed an impressive convergence of over 4,000 gaming enthusiasts from across the globe.
This annual event, which has become a prominent feature in the gaming industry, provided an exciting platform for game developers, publishers, and investors to come together and explore the latest developments in the world of gaming.
One of the highlights of the event was the IGDC Expo, where over 100 gaming companies showcased their offerings, creating a vibrant atmosphere for gaming enthusiasts. With over 200 gaming expert speakers from 20 countries, the three-day conference featured more than 125 hyperactive sessions, including panel discussions, talks, and workshops covering various aspects of gaming technology, design, and production.
The IGDC 2023 started with the launch of the ‘Lumikai State of India Gaming Report F723,’ which highlighted the Indian gaming market’s potential, projecting a valuation of $7.5 billion by FY28. The second day was marked by the highly anticipated IGDC Awards 2023. “Sojourn Past,” a game developed by the Nagaland-based startup ReDimension Games, claimed the “Upcoming Game of the Year Award.” In addition, “Indus” by SuperGaming received the “Most Popular Game Award.”
Day three of the conference focused on the rapidly emerging esports sector, featuring engaging panel discussions and talks that shed light on the latest developments and trends in the field. Rajesh Rao, Chairman of IGDC, emphasised the growth of the Indian gaming industry in the global markets. “Driven by a robust and favourable ecosystem, the gaming industry is now seeing rapid growth, especially the Indian gaming market which is becoming one of the largest gaming markets in the world. The Lumikai State of India Gaming Report released at IGDC 2023 interestingly points out that a fascinating dimension to this gaming boom is the substantial participation of women, constituting an impressive 41% of the total gaming community. What’s even more captivating is that 66% of gamers hail from non-metro regions, underscoring the democratisation of gaming experiences across the country,” he said.
Speaking with CE, Keerti Singh, Co-founder & VP-Growth, Hitwicket said that Hyderabad has been a centre for gaming in India, “and more so when mobile and video gaming was not a mainstream industry in the country. With more awareness around mobile gaming, the gaming studios in Hyderabad are now getting more visibility than before. Some of the globally acclaimed entertainment successes like Baahubali and RRR have come from the Telangana movie industry and I am sure some of the best mobile games globally from India will come out from Hyderabad.”
On being asked what she thinks of the increasing number of women in the industry, she said, “Mobile Gaming has taken the world by storm as it is an age, gender and socio-economic-status-agnostic industry. Recently, in Hitwicket, we had a month-long tournament and the winner was a 21-year-old girl from Vijayawada, who had beaten a 33-year-old IT professional from Lahore in a nail-biting, last-ball win. Women gamers are a market of their own and some of the biggest gaming titles could be the ones that are inclusive in their targeting of men and women.”
Adding to this, Paavan Nanda, co-founder, WinZo games, said, “India’s rich cultural diversity and talent pool offers a fertile ground for game concepts, game development and expansion of game economy.”