Playing games online has been one of the most popular activities in the world for some time now.
This has led to the emergence of a strong online gaming culture that many Indian gamers enjoy, but how is this hobby evolving?
Access to More Games and Better Internet Connectivity
One of the key improvements for Indian gamers in recent times has been the way that internet coverage has exploded. From just 4% in 2007, the internet penetration rate in the country had risen to almost 50% by 2022. While this still leaves many Indians without access to the internet, it has allowed plenty more of them to try online gaming for the first time and enjoy the culture that comes with it.
The switch to 5G internet has greatly boosted the gaming industry here. In fact, the impressive figures recently revealed by authorities confirm that India has had the fastest 5G rollout on the planet, With the two telcos involved aggressively reaching the 4-lakh level in just 15 months, over 100 million Indians in the major cities have started to enjoy free 5G connectivity.
This ease of going online has to be considered together with the way that so many new games are being launched regularly. The gaming market is booming on a worldwide basis, and this has led to new titles being released regularly. 2024 will see a host of keenly-awaited games including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tekken 8, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Many of these games give players the chance to compete online or at least discuss them with other gamers and stream others playing.
Gambling and How Popular Indian Card Games Have Gone Online
Gaming culture has also reached the gambling industry, as table games and slots have gone online in recent years. This has given people the chance to play in various ways in an online casino for real money. With these sites divided into slots - known as pokies or fruit machines in some places - and table games, there are numerous ways of playing to discover.
Themed slots like Wolf Saga, Lotus Charm, and A Night with Cleo show how these games are now tailored to meet the tastes of virtually every type of player.
It’s also worth taking a look at how this trend has led to many diverse new games going online. Among them, classic Indian card games such as Teen Patti and Andar Bahar have now reached a far wider audience than ever before. These casinos give us a safe, reputable place to try old and new games as part of a vibrant gaming community.
The Impact of Esports
There’s no denying the impact that the emergence of esports has had on the gaming community. To better understand this, we need to consider how gaming was often a solitary pursuit in the early days. While multiplayer games have been around since the 1970s in one form or another, the emergence of online playing has meant that online communities are thriving, and people can play with others anywhere in the world.
As part of this, competitive gaming has proved to be a successful industry that’s growing year on year. Players can watch the pro teams in major events over live streams or can hone their skills until they reach a level where they can take part in esports events themselves.
The list of the top Indian esports teams includes names such as Team S8ul, Enigma Gaming, and Godlike Esports, with each focusing on one or more of the popular games that form the competitive gaming industry.
More Games with Indian Themes and Settings
As the Indian gaming market continues to grow, the question is whether we can look forward to more games coming from here. Are Indian game developers going to make a global impact with new titles set here or that have some sort of uniquely Indian feel to them? Since India has the world’s third-biggest box office total, it’s easy to imagine that this booming movie industry could lead to themed, branded games being created but many other aspects of the culture could make the basis for attractive games.
The good news is that there are plenty of developers working here, including Creatiosoft, Logic Simplified, and GameAnax. In addition, many popular franchises like Tomb Raider and Assassin’s Creed have instalments set here, with some of the best games trying to transmit the country’s rich culture and heritage. However, perhaps the chance to become more immersed in the country’s culture while playing is one of the elements that is most likely to improve in the next few years.
With millions of Indians starting to get connected using 5G and a strong gaming community building up, we can expect to see increased interest in people going online to play games that appeal to them and make them feel part of a community.
Content Produced by Indian Clicks, LLC
