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Levelling Up: State of India Interactive Media & Gaming Research FY'24
The Indian interactive media and gaming market reached a valuation of $3.8 billion in FY24, representing a significant 30% share of the country’s broader $12.5 billion new media sector.
- The Indian interactive media and gaming market reached a $3.8 billion valuation in FY24 and is projected to grow at a 20% CAGR to exceed $9.2 billion by FY29.
- In-app purchase revenue grew 41% year-on-year, with the midcore segment serving as a primary growth driver after experiencing a 53% increase.
- India’s gaming population has reached 590 million, including 148 million paying users who now spend an average of 13 hours per week gaming, a 30% increase from previous metrics.
Week in Mobile Games E34 - Subscription without upsell is death! And IDFA changes are good now?
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a period of structural recalibration, marked by a shift away from unsustainable growth models toward long-term value creation.
- Netflix has closed its internal 'Team Blue' triple-A studio and terminated contracts with senior hires, signaling a shift in its high-end gaming strategy.
- Apple's IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) privacy changes, while criticized for their implementation, are increasingly viewed by some industry developers as a catalyst for greater creativity and more sustainable player engagement models.
- Subscription-based gaming models risk failure without robust upsell mechanisms, as the lack of new content incentives can lead to player churn and diminished perceived value compared to games-as-a-service.
Dream Sports and the Future of Cricket
Dream Sports operates as a mission-driven conglomerate designed to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree sports experience through a portfolio of specialized business units.
- Dream Sports leverages a corporate startup model to manage a 250-million-user ecosystem, aiming to capture a share of the $20 billion global sports video game market.
- Dream Game Studios is targeting the 2.5 billion global cricket fan base by filling the market gap for AAA-quality, realistic mobile experiences instead of traditional arcade-style titles.
- The flagship title, Dream Cricket, has achieved over 6 million organic downloads by focusing on hyper-realistic visuals, high-performance technology, and custom roster-building meta-games.
Inside Nostra's Game-Changing Lock Screen Experiences
Nostra transforms mobile game distribution by integrating instant, snackable gaming experiences directly into the Glance lock screen.
- Nostra, a platform integrated with Glance, delivers snackable, instant gaming experiences directly to mobile lock screens, currently supporting over 500 games and reaching 100 million monthly active users.
- The platform drives high engagement by targeting casual gamers who prefer short, 10-minute sessions, resulting in an average daily engagement of 20 minutes per user.
- Studio Felicity utilized Nostra to scale its operations, achieving over 1 million monthly active users with a lean team of three people and publishing more than 10 games on the platform within one year.
Inside Xigma Games: The Indie Studio Making Waves in Bangalore!
Xigma Games, a Bangalore-based independent studio, provides a case study in the evolution of the Indian game development ecosystem.
- Founded in 2016, Bangalore-based Xigma Games has operated for nine years as a bootstrapped studio, evolving from small-scale premium titles like 'The Bonfire' series to their current large-scale, free-to-play 4X strategy game, 'Metal Haven'.
- The studio maintains a lean, cross-functional team of nine employees, utilizing a product-driven culture that balances creative freedom with sustainable development practices to avoid burnout.
- Xigma Games’ growth trajectory demonstrates a scalable model for Indian indie studios, moving from an initial $10,000 prize-funded start to developing complex, globally competitive mobile strategy titles.
Hypernova Studio Tour - Building Mobile GTA for India (A Game Dev Story)
Hypernova Interactive, a Bangalore-based independent studio, is currently focused on the development of Mayanagri, an open-world mobile title designed specifically for the Indian market.
- Hypernova Interactive is developing 'Mayanagri,' an open-world mobile game tailored for the Indian market by incorporating localized cultural elements like Hindi music and Bollywood-inspired marketing.
- The studio operates with a lean team of approximately 30 professionals and has produced 52 games over its eight-year history.
- To maintain high-fidelity production, the studio utilizes an in-house motion capture facility that allows for an iterative workflow between art, animation, and engineering teams.
India’s Gaming Revolution, Opportunities & Challenges, Vamil Doshi, Nazara.
The Indian gaming market represents a rapidly expanding sector, characterized by a massive user base and significant growth potential for international developers.
- The Indian gaming market reached 568 million gamers in 2023 and is projected to grow from $3.1 billion in FY23 to $7.5 billion by 2028, representing a 20% CAGR.
- India is the world's second-largest market for game downloads, recording 15.4 billion downloads in 2023, with 66% of the gaming population now residing in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
- Monetization is shifting toward mobile casual games, with 25% of Indian gamers now making in-app purchases and the average revenue per paying user (ARPPU) growing 10x between FY19 and FY23.
State of Mobile Gaming in Southeast Asia and India: 2023
The mobile gaming landscape across Southeast Asia and India represents a massive, high-growth ecosystem, currently serving 1.3 billion mobile users and generating 70 billion USD in annual revenue.
- The Southeast Asian and Indian mobile gaming market comprises 1.3 billion users and generates 70 billion USD in annual revenue.
- Mobile gaming titles in the region demonstrate high long-term engagement, with day-30 retention rates reaching 64% on iOS.
- The region is experiencing a significant demographic shift characterized by a rapid increase in female player participation.
2023 Insights Report: Marketing Trends in Indian Mobile Games
The 2023 Insights Report on Marketing Trends in Indian Mobile Games provides a comprehensive analysis of the advertising landscape within the Indian mobile gaming sector.
- The Indian mobile gaming market saw an 86% year-over-year increase in monthly active advertisers during 2023, signaling rapid sector expansion.
- Despite the surge in advertisers, the average volume of monthly ad creatives per advertiser dropped by 51.7%, indicating a shift toward more efficient and targeted production strategies.
- Android dominates the Indian market with 3.4 times more advertisers than iOS, and Android-based advertisers produce an average of 36 more creatives per month than those on iOS.
Reinvent India's Media & Entertainment Sector Is Innovating for the Future
The Indian media and entertainment sector reached a valuation of INR2.32 trillion in 2023, marking an 8.1% growth rate driven primarily by digital media and online gaming.
- The Indian media and entertainment sector reached a valuation of INR2.32 trillion in 2023 and is projected to exceed INR3 trillion by 2026, growing at a 10% CAGR.
- Digital media is expected to overtake television as the dominant industry segment by 2024, supported by a projected expansion to nearly one billion active screens by 2030.
- Online gaming has become the fourth-largest segment, surpassing filmed entertainment despite the implementation of a 28% GST mandate.
Leveling Up: State of India Gaming FY'23
The Indian gaming market demonstrated significant resilience in FY23, reaching a value of $3.1 billion with projections to hit $7.5 billion by FY28 at a 20% CAGR.
- The Indian gaming market reached $3.1 billion in FY23 and is projected to grow at a 20% CAGR to $7.5 billion by FY28.
- The player base grew 12% to 568 million users, with non-metro regions now accounting for 66% of the total demographic.
- While the Real Money Gaming (RMG) sector grew 33% in FY23, future growth is expected to slow due to new GST and TDS regulations, which 60% of users believe will reduce their play frequency.
Female Gamers in Asia
The Asian gaming landscape is experiencing a significant shift driven by the increasing influence of female players, who now represent 35% of the region’s 1.42 billion gamers.
- Female gamers represent 35% of Asia’s 1.42 billion players and are a primary growth driver, with their population increasing by 7.6% year-over-year compared to the 5.0% total market growth rate.
- The female demographic shows high commercial potential, with 84% of players willing to make in-game purchases, specifically favoring items and gacha mechanics.
- Mobile gaming is the dominant platform for female players across China and the Asia-10 markets, which include Japan, Korea, India, and several Southeast Asian nations.