An Inside Look At India¡¯s Exploding Video Gaming And E-Sports Market

Video gaming and esports comprise one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Indian economy. To win in this dynamic and nascent market, paying attention to demographics, player experience, and digital foundations will be crucial.

Gaming and esports are poised to replace some of the more static and passive forms of media and entertainment for a generation that grew up in a digital-native world. Given that 50% of India's population is under 30 and that most esports participants fall within this demographic, the industry is looking at an optimistic future. But where is it headed, and how can businesses capitalize on this wave of opportunity? Read on to find out.

Video Gaming And Esports In India

The video gaming industry has evolved rapidly over the last few years due to technological innovations. The expansion of the high-speed mobile network fabric and growing smartphone usage has placed nearly 600 mn Indians in close affinity to mobile gaming. This has led to rapid growth in casual and mobile gaming, and teenagers as well as young adults now see gaming as an integral aspect of their social lives. Likewise, genres like battle royale have gained traction, and esports streaming on OTT has grown hand-in-hand.

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Demographic Factors And Key Trends

At present, most gamers in India fall in the 18-30 age bracket, and 46% are women. However, the industry is rapidly headed for an even gender split. The gamer demographic comprises urban dwellers and their non-urban counterparts, which account for 56% of users. It is worth noting that esports are becoming an increasingly lucrative platform to connect with young audiences.

On the supply side, the industry is rapidly adapting to these trends. Esports startups leverage virtual event management solutions to connect millions of viewers through reliable streams to deliver a charged viewing experience.

On the other hand, cloud and mobile gaming have lowered the entry barrier for gamers. They can now enjoy resource-demanding games with high-quality graphics on low-end devices, and low-latency networking technology has made these experiences smoother over the last couple of years.

Tapping Into The Potential Of Video Gaming And Esports

Today, finding success in the video gaming industry requires more than building a unique storyline or innovative gaming experience. The nexus has shifted from the device to the cloud and the network, which delivers a seamless experience to devices. As such, the industry needs to relook at its technology foundations to succeed in this digital environment.

Cloud Gaming Calls For Modern IT Foundations

Cloud gaming is one of the fastest-growing video gaming sub-segments, expected to log 50% CAGR through 2027. While entry routes into gaming are numerous, it goes without saying that each of them requires a cloud-first strategy and uncompromised cloud connectivity for game developers. Collaborative development and cloud-based content management will form essential aspects of this strategy. Moreover, there is strong support for new entrants from industry leaders. For example, Xbox Cloud offers funding support for indie developers via its ID@Azure program.

Network Performance To Determine Player/Spectator Experience

Another crucial aspect of modern video gaming and esports is the network layer. Latency is one of the key metrics of both the player experience in gaming and viewer experience in esports, businesses must ensure resilient and high-performance network connectivity to keep their users and viewers returning.

Esports event streaming poses more complex network design requirements. Dynamic scalability of network bandwidth is crucial to accommodate thousands of viewers on the go without compromising on the immersiveness of the event. Moreover, gaming and esports also require the activation of social features like voice chat and in-game actions to promote retention. This places further demands on network design to be robust to manage the high traffic.

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Cybersecurity: The Key To Building The Trust Of Gamers

Finally, security is of paramount importance in a cloud-first gaming ecosystem and esports viewership. Considering that 64% of gamers make in-game purchases, gaming businesses store payment details and Personal Identifiable Information (PII) on their servers. These purchases also create value in the form of in-game artefacts.

All of these factors demand sophisticated security measures. Some of the key functions of cybersecurity in gaming will be to prevent theft of in-game artefacts, dilution of in-game currencies caused by hacking, payment information theft prevention, DDoS mitigation, and player data privacy. Security must begin at the physical layer and go up to the network and application layers.

How TTBS Can Help?

Tata Tele Business Services can help businesses in the video gaming and esports industry in several ways.

TTBS has expertise in:

• Cloud computing solutions that can help businesses to deliver high-quality gaming experiences to their users.
• Network solutions that can ensure low latency and high bandwidth for gaming and esports events.
• Advanced cybersecurity solutions that can protect businesses from data breaches and cyberattacks.
• Consulting services that can help businesses to develop and implement the right strategies for cloud gaming, esports, and cybersecurity.

Additionally, TTBS also has a deep understanding of the video gaming and esports industry and can help businesses to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies in the industry.

Innovative Strategies To Keep Up With The Changing Paradigm

As newer generations adopt more active and immersive entertainment media into their lifestyles, India is becoming a booming video gaming and esports market. This rapid growth is driven by digital innovations and advancements in 5G, and artificial and virtual reality (AR & VR) will further accelerate this growth.

To capitalize on this growth, the industry must thoroughly understand the new equation driving the industry. Cloud computing and the network layer are key drivers of user experience in this new paradigm, and cybersecurity is becoming crucial to win the trust of users and incentivize spending. New gaming startups and industry leaders are already devising innovative strategies to adapt to this dynamic ¨C and eventually, every business in this industry will have to readjust to this status quo to stay relevant in the market.