From myth to market, gaming beckons India

The global press has recently taken notice of a newly released game titled ‘Black Myth: Wukong’. This game has taken the world by storm and even pushed the popular gaming platform Steam to reach its highest concurrent user count of 37 million. What makes this new release more intriguing is its entirely Chinese origin.

The game has been developed and published by Shenzhen-based company Game Science, and is inspired by one of the four great novels of Chinese literature, Journey to the West, a 16th century story about a monk travelling to India in search of the Buddhist sutras. It is no wonder then that Black Myth: Wukong is now widely being hailed as the first Chinese blockbuster game, and a flag-bearer for global Chinese soft power. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a vision for India in design and gaming where it would surpass current Chinese achievements. He noted that a large market had developed in the field of gaming, but this was mostly controlled by foreign players.

However, India itself has a rich heritage, legacy and sufficient game design talent which can be leveraged to develop excellent games for the world and gain a larger foothold in the global market. This ambitious vision of the Prime Minister to ‘design in India’ resonates with a multitude of Indian game developers and passionate youth looking to explore opportunities within the sector. Already, India is home to the world’s second largest gaming user base of 442 million. This has been enabled by the strong national focus on affordable smartphones and wide coverage of cheap, high-speed internet connectivity. The country is also blessed with enormous cultural heritage, replete with mesmerizing myths and legends that carry deep meaning.

These aspects clearly signal the convincing domestic potential to create multiple gaming intellectual properties which may rival the likes of Black Myth: Wukong. Beyond the significant commercial value Indian gaming could provide for Digital India, it can also carry intangible benefits by augmenting Viksit Bharat’s soft power globally and exposing new global audiences to our unique cultural lens. The Prime Minister’s ambition does not disregard the significant challenges lying in the path of India’s gaming story. He rightly observed that the sector continues to be dominated by foreign gaming products. Presently, Indian games corner less than 1 per cent of global gaming revenues. Realizing the Prime Minister’s vision requires both motivation and an enabling environment for highquality design and development to take place.

However, the tide is beginning to turn in favour of designed-in-India games. Indian startups, fueled by the energy and creativity of the country’s youth, are emerging as key players in this transformation. The country now houses a large number of gaming studios and publishers. Young developers are also leveraging new-age technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to create immersive gaming experiences that resonate with global audiences. These innovations are not just enhancing gameplay but are also allowing Indian developers to infuse games, including AAA titles, with rich cultural narratives, offering players a taste of India’s diverse mythology and heritage. One such Indian developer, Nodding Heads Games developed the critically acclaimed title ‘Raji: An Ancient Epic’ which showed that Indian stories can be told with the same quality and visual appeal as any international game.

The Prime Minister himself play-tested this game during his interactions with Indian gamers earlier this year. These successes are not isolated incidents but part of a larger trend where Indian developers are coming together to share resources and knowledge to create content that resonates both domestically and globally. To truly disrupt the global gaming market, Indian developers will need more than just talent and ambition. The Indian government can give wings to developers by creating a supportive environment through policies and investments that aid creative incubation. Already, multiple Indian State Governments are releasing new policies for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector, and proposals are under consideration to increase foreign direct investment in gaming. Further, the integration of gaming and design-related subjects into school-level educational curriculum can help nurture the next generation of Indian game developers from an early age, ensuring a steady pipeline of talent.

Indian game developers can also contribute to this ecosystem by offering their expertise and mentorship to creative young students. While the journey towards making India a global gaming hub is challenging, it is by no means impossible. The convergence of young talent, technological innovation, and government support has the potential to disrupt the global gaming narrative. With the right focus, India can indeed create its own successful AAA titles, which not only captivate the world but also brandish their ‘Made in India’ tags proudly. (The writer is a lawyer and Founding Member, Vijaybhoomi University.)

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