All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) CEO Roland Landers recently spoke with Business Standard about the exponential growth of online gaming, as well as the challenges facing the industry. There is an “ambiguity of perception” among the public due to a lack of information on the online gaming sector. A main challenge facing the industry right now is its rapidly growing popularity in India, despite its challenges. AGF CEO Roland Landers recently spoke about the exponential growth going on in the Indian gaming sector, as well as the challenges the industry faces. An interview with AnimationXpress revealed that online gaming and streaming have seen a boom, including user engagement three times as high, and more traffic in mobile games than ever before.
Public perception of the online gaming sector has been clouded by a lack of information. Despite India’s growing popularity, that is still one of the main problems for the industry right now. Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), spoke recently about the explosive growth that online gaming is currently experiencing, as well as some of the challenges the growth sector faces. According to Landers, “Online gaming and streaming have seen a new era, with games being played online three times as much, and mobile gaming platforms reporting three times more traffic and three times as many users.”
What to expect in 2021 from online gaming?
In 2017, Landers expects the sector to become more interactive, immersive and social through a shift towards more affordable Cloud gaming services and enhanced augmented reality and virtual reality. He notes that “many indigenous game developers are building titles in multiple local languages for customized content.” Roland Landers, CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), recently spoke about the exponential growth that online gaming is currently experiencing and the challenges the industry faces. The industry will see a rise in smartphone penetration with cheaper, faster data access as well as a digital ecosystem for payments.
Insufficient information on the online gaming sector has resulted in an “ambiguity of perception” among the public. That’s one of the challenges that the industry is facing right now, despite its rapidly growing popularity in India. With mass availability of affordable mobile phones and high-speed internet penetration, combined with affordable data plans, India has become the world’s largest mobile game download market, according to SensorTower, with 7.3 billion downloads and 18 percent market share.
During the ongoing Coronavirus lockdown, mobile gaming revenue grew from $62 billion to S90 billion, an increase mainly driven by engagement. esports and mobile cricket betting at 10Cric, along with casual entertainment games on the Spinsvilla platform that have real money game components, have also contributed to Indian gaming industry growth.
New industries, verticals, or sectors always encounter challenges prior to their introduction to the market. A lack of adequate information in relation to the online gaming sector has always led to perception ambiguity on the part of the general public when it comes to online gaming.
A self-regulatory model is currently in place in the gaming industry, which incorporates the necessary checks and balances to ensure sufficient protection for gamers and responsible gaming. This sector, if regulated, could bring economic growth, employment and boost investment trends.
This sector has slowly gained due attention among Indian gaming enthusiasts over the years. By self-regulating and adhering to the Skill Games Charter, AIGF has been at the forefront of ensuring that best practices are followed by agencies serving its stakeholders. Providing uniformity to AIGF’s self-regulation mechanism requires strengthening and recognition.
In the gaming industry, ambiguity of perception is being addressed
It is still perceived in an ambiguous way by the public, which is due to a lack of information available about the sector, Landers states. Gambling’s legal position is also not helped by this. There is a need to overhaul the legal status of the gambling industry in India, so regulations will become more uniform across state lines. However, Landers pointed out that the gaming industry is working hard to garner the necessary attention for the sector, noting that “at present, this industry uses a self-regulatory model, which enables sufficient checks and balances in order to ensure sufficient protection for gamers.” This sunrise sector will generate employment, attract investments, and boost the economy.”
Through industry reports, knowledge papers, conferences, and events, the All-India Gaming Federation (AIGF) creates awareness amongst relevant stakeholders in the gaming industry. Creating awareness of the economic and social benefits of online skill-based games has always been a top priority for AIGF and its advisory board members since AIGF’s creation in 2016.