In the Gamedev topic on Reddit, users discussed what prevents the Indian video game market from developing and why it is much weaker than the Chinese one. The developers from India themselves expressed their opinion on the topic.
Reason 1: poverty of the population
The most popular opinion is that the population in India is too poor. Players do not allow themselves to spend hard-earned money on video games. Plus, there are few in India who can afford a modern smartphone or gaming hardware. And the slow speed of the Internet in the country also makes its own adjustments.
All this is only part of the truth, says a swaphell user who called himself an Indian developer. According to him, the people of India really do not want to spend money on “children’s entertainment”, and this is how most Indians see games. To a greater extent, this applies to console and PC games, writes swaphell, but the mobile market has a much larger audience.
Reason 2: inability to support the industry
A strong gaming segment could develop in India, swaphell continues, if the industry were supported financially. There is no need to wait for cash injections from the audience, so the gaming market simply has nothing to grow on.
User Atulin expressed the opinion that pay-to-win has become the norm in China, Chinese players spend large sums on loot boxes and the purchase of virtual currency. Another commentator, ohsillybee, pointed out that there are rich investors in China who are willing to finance the virtual entertainment market. Because they know that the vast Chinese audience will be very happy to welcome new titles.
Reason 3: Lack of gaming culture
Game dev in India is less developed than in China, also due to the cultural characteristics of the two countries. The Chinese have been interested in games for centuries, be it chess or mahjong, and with the development of the electronic market, they also have a love for video games. Internet cafes and VR zones are opening in China, and retro halls with arcade machines can still be found in the country.
Nothing like this happens in India. Indians prefer to watch fresh Bollywood movies or do something else, but not to play. Most of them, unlike the Chinese, are not interested in either singleplayer or esports. (While in China, esports is a very popular discipline.)
However, the user of BangaloreMaga recalled that China is more than a decade ahead of India in development. There is a possibility that in 10-15 years the economy will be raised in India, the population will no longer be so poor, and the Indian game dev will have a chance. And there its own game culture will develop.
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