‘State of India Gaming Report 2022’ was released by Lumikai and Amazon Web Services recently which brought about a number of new revelations. The report highlights that the Indian e-sports industry grew to $40 million in 2022, however, it is expected to reach $140 million in 2027 at a healthy CAGR of 32 per cent. Whereas, it was also revealed that the number of e-sports players in India grew 4x from 0.15 million in 2021 to 0.6 million in 2022. The number of e-sports players in India is furthermore expected to grow 2.5x over the next five years reaching 1.5 million by 2027.
India’s e-sports industry accelerates
The report highlights that 64 per cent of paying gamers make in-app purchases. 50 per cent of Indian gamers surveyed during the research were between the ages of 18-30. interestingly, the report suggests that women on average spend more time per week playing games. Women were recorded playing games for 11.2 hours per week, whereas, men were recorded playing for 10.2 hours per week.
There is a hunger for India-based content as a whole in the country. We love films and books which are rooted in Indian culture. Similarly, the demand for Indian-themed games has also come forward. The report suggests that 82 per cent of gamers are interested in playing games based on Indian themes like Ramayana. Whereas, 79 per cent of gamers are interested in playing games based on Indian themes and 78 per cent of gamers are interested in playing games around Indian celebrities.
The report surveyed over 2,2240 smartphone users across multiple geographic and demographics. The report reveals that the majority of e-sports players in the Indian market play on their smartphones with a whopping 98 per cent. 56 per cent of the gamers surveyed were based in non-metros. making money, killing time, and socialising were some of the top reasons for people to indulge in gaming.
When it comes to gaming, there is hardly any doubt that DotA is one of, if not the most influential and lucrative game of all time. Since its inception, it has amassed a large and loyal following of millions of players. Despite DotA being a free-to-play game, its community ensures that its creator, Valve, is heartily remunerated. Be it via skin grabs or tournament passes, but player transactions have admittedly been one of the significant sources of funding for DotA 2 prize pools. But how did it go from being a simple mod to an international sensation? Well, it’s quite a journey!
The Origins:
DotA is one of the most successful games of all time. Its creators, Valve, are responsible for the game’s meteoric rise. At the same time, while Valve is responsible for the success of DotA, it’s important to note that this game was initially built by the community. The Aeon of Strife mod is an excellent example of tracing DotA’s roots back to the beginning. It was built on top of Blizzards popular real-time strategy game, Warcraft. It was eventually ported to newer versions of the game. This game is where the basics of MOBA were born. Unlike the modern version, it lets players control their units and has a custom map. This game was a co-op affair, played against AI teams. It featured a three-lane system, which allowed players to creep towards a foe’s base without much difficulty.
Created by modder Kyle “Eul” Sommer, the mod was quite akin to modern-day DotA. Five players would compete against five others on a map with three lanes, destroying the opposition base, with creeps running down each lane. Each unique playable character had different abilities and progression. The basics of DotA were born here.
The Rise:
Despite the mod’s popularity and not realising that he had developed what would become one of the most financially successful genres ever, Eul stepped away from developing DotA shortly after launching it. He did try to create a sequel, but it never really took off, and his involvement in DotA eventually fizzled out (later, he ultimately signed away all of his ownership of DotA to Valve).
As many tried – and mostly failed – to create other versions of DotA, it became clear that it would be DotA: Allstars, developed mainly by another modder, Steve “Guinsoo” Feak, that would be the main version of DotA in the future. Allstars is, for the most part, what people mean when they refer to the original DotA. The version played for years on the pro circuit and ultimately what set the base for DotA 2.
After a couple of years, Guinsoo, along with Steve “Pendragon” Mescon, who built the DotA community hubs, would go on to Riot Games and make League of Legends (another hugely popular MOBA with many similarities to DotA), leaving control of DotA: Allstars with IceFrog, the mysterious developer who would go on to become the single most influential person in the history of DotA.
The Ice Frog Era:
IceFrog didn’t come in and change everything, but he did become the primary person responsible for balance and new content, shaping the way gamers played DotA. DotA continued to be a massively successful game with no support from any significant developers or publishers. The entirely fan-made game became one of the biggest esports in the world, with major tournaments and thousands of dollars up for grabs. But with the launch of League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, it became clear that the MOBA genre would become a big deal, and DotA needed backing to stay relevant. That is where Valve came in.
In 2009 IceFrog revealed he had joined Valve and worked on a project with them, which everyone under the sun instantly realised would be MOBA. But it wasn’t until 2010 that we first got official word of DotA 2. Valve revealed the game and that it would be released in beta form in 2011 but gave some press access to the game earlier – and early signs were positive. Outside of a controversial trademark filing for the term ‘DotA’, which sparked years of legal battles, DotA 2’s development went reasonably quiet for a good few months.
The International:
Then the giant gaming expo Gamescom 2011 rolled around, and Valve decided that the best way to show off DotA 2 to the public was to host a $1.6 million tournament, the largest prize pool ever at an esports tournament time. The small booth in the middle of Gamescom showed off the game not just to those in attendance, who also got invitations to the beta, but the wider world who were all watching the live stream of the competition. It turned out to be a genius move, with thousands of people learning what DotA was and instantly wanting to play the game.
Valve started to invite more and more people to the beta as the months rolled on, and a pro scene began to form. It was small initially, with most online tournaments and prize pools that rarely topped the $25,000 mark.
But it was the start of what would become the most significant pro scene in all of gaming. Before long, a year had passed since the Gamescom reveal, and The International 2 was announced with another $1.6 million prize pool; they held it in Seattle. With a more extensive player base and the public being able to get into the beta if they wanted to, this was when the DotA scene started to take off. The game was also in a much-improved state, and while it still didn’t feature all of the content from DotA, it had a much larger hero pool and was considerably easier to use, making the action even better.
The year between TI2 and TI3 saw massive growth for DotA 2. The game was finally officially released on Steam for everyone to play in mid-2013, resulting in an enormous new player wave. Valve also brought in crowdfunding for the TI prize pool, which boosted the cash on offer by over $1 million. TI3 was a breakout tournament for DotA. The epic grand final between Natus Vincere and Alliance remained the most iconic DotA match in history and was responsible for bringing in thousands of new players.
The Ancients:
DotA continued to rapidly over the next few years, and the tournament scene also continued to evolve. TI remained a massive deal every year, with the crowdfunding drives continuing to bolster the prize pool every year, adding to TI’s long reign as the largest prize pool in esports history. By TI6, the prize pool had broken the $20 million mark, and by TI9, there was more than $30 million on offer.
Valve and IceFrog continued to develop the game, with DotA 2 finally getting the complete roster of heroes from DotA in 2016 and new heroes being added from there on out. Valve later updated DotA 2 to run on its Source 2 engine in the ‘Reborn’ update that completely changed the UI and is one of the most significant updates DotA 2 has ever seen. Since then, the UI and general systems around the game have remained very similar.
Then in 2016, the 7.00 update was released, and it ushered perhaps the most significant shift to the core gameplay of DotA in a decade. Valve overhauled the map, new features added and rebalanced almost everything in the game somehow. It started the trend for a significant game-changing patch to be released in the late stages of each year, but none have quite had the game shifting impact that 7.00 had on DotA.
The Conclusion:
These days the game remains incredibly popular, and the pro scene is still one of the top esports in the world. Millions are given away in prize money every year, and The International continues to be the biggest esports event of the year.
It has been well over 15 years since it first started, but the crazy thing is that if you look back at the first versions of the original mod, you can still tell that at its core, it’s the same game that people are playing today. With no signs of DotA massively slowing down anytime soon, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the game dominate for the next ten years as well.
HP India today announced the inaugural ‘esports Gold Quest’ scholarships at the OMEN FanFest 2020, in support of the rise of PC Gaming culture in India. The ‘esports Gold Quest” scholarship is a program that will provide gamers with the necessary financial support, equipment, skills, and exposure to help them in their quest to compete on the global stage and become future esports stars.
With esports becoming a global phenomenon, HP recognizes the need to provide Indian talent with the right set of tools and guidance to compete at the world stage and bring the country its recognition in esports. The esports Gold Quest scholarships will select three applicants and will offer them an annual scholarship worth Rs 12 lacs each, which will include a full esports kit from OMEN, a monthly salary of 50k and an international training stint.
The scholarship will be open to Indian applicants in the 16 – 20-year age group. The nationwide talent hunt program for selection will roll out in Jan 2021 with final selections in June 2021.
With gaming breaking down boundaries and merging seamlessly with popular culture, a platform was needed to showcase its rise. The OMEN FanFest accomplishes this by bringing together influential figures in the world of esports, contemporary culture and gaming enthusiasts on a common stage, and celebrates PC gaming in a manner never seen before.
Ketan Patel – Managing Director, HP India Market said, “Gaming and esports are among the fastest-growing competitive pursuits in India and globally. It is a stage on which Indian talent has the potential to compete with the best in the globe. As a market leader, we are working towards making the gaming ecosystem more inclusive for everyone, fueling the passion for gaming, and providing a launchpad for budding esports talent in the country. The scholarship program announced today is in line with our philosophy of ‘Play to Progress’ and we hope to see champions at the world stage from India soon.”
As a confluence of gaming and popular culture, the OMEN FanFest will bring together some of the biggest names in the world of esports and entertainment. These include Tirth Mehta, India’s first esports medalist; Ulrich Schulze, SVP, Product Management at ESL; Akshat Rathee, MD & Founder, NODWIN gaming, Abish Mathew- Standup Comic and other enthusiast gamers among many more.
The OMEN FanFest will also feature a contest that will offer participants the chance to become the fifth member of the HP OMEN Squad – which brings together people of diverse origins with one unifying goal to merge gaming with mainstream culture. Current members of the OMEN Squad include esports pro gamer Hellranger, professional live streamer Manasvini, gamer and content creator Ocean Sharma and stand-up comic Abish Mathew.
To further enhance the gaming ecosystem, HP is also announcing the ‘OMEN Crib’ – an entire gaming setup designed for the ultimate gameplay experience. The OMEN Crib comprises a dual monitor desk, keyboard, headset, mouse, mousepad, speakers and the OMEN gaming chair – all in a minimalist but stylish package.
Gamers stand a chance to win one OMEN Crib every week through a contest all through December exclusively on Flipkart.
The OMEN FanFest follows the recent unveiling of the brand-new range of OMEN laptops and accessories, updates to OMEN Command Center, and the HP Pavilion gaming 16. The OMEN range offers “First of its kind” hardware technologies in the industry enabling Gameplay experience to the next level and offers unmatched power without any compromise. OMEN and Pavilion PCs, and accessories provide an immersive experience to the gamers helping them stay connected, relaxed, and entertained while at home.
Do you remember those clunky game consoles that were available in the markets and happened to be the dreams of every 90’s kid? People with such possessions and the ones who let you play with them turned out to be your favorite humans at those times. Remember Mario? If you’re a gamer, especially an ardent one, you’d know about the rising trends and the upgrades that tend to come along with them. If you wonder what the future of gaming is in India, this article is for you!
With almost 40% of India’s population actively using the internet, the gaming industry in India is yet to achieve another milestone alongside developing new versions of their game. Every day, versions upgrade and the hunger for a better interface just keeps growing. Whether you like it or not, the online gaming industry is growing along with the Jio Revolution, setting high standards for data utilization throughout the country.
According to a report released by Boutique Investment Bank, Maple Capital Advisors titled ‘Gaming — India Story’, the Indian Online Gaming Industry is expected to grow 41% annually, with market value set to value $3750 million by 2024. India is known as the largest market for app downloads worldwide. As per 2019, India is one of the top five mobile gaming markets in the world. Infact, the industry was estimated to be populated with 300 million gamers.
Easily available, affordable and a different way of connecting with friends during the lockdown, mobile gaming is not just a recreational activity anymore; it has turned into a profitable industry. Studies show that the number of mobile users constitute 85% of the total gaming industry, with PC/Laptop and tablet users standing at 11% & 4% respectively. According to reports by Newzoo, 32% of gamers in India are female.
PUBG Mobile is a sensation among mobile users, spreading globally like a wildfire. As of January 2020, India is known to have 116 million downloads which is 21% of the 555 million PUBG players worldwide. The operators holding tournaments for various games, especially PUBG, has increased by 7 times from 2016 to 2018. These operators hold various esports tournaments and avail it for the public through android devices, who can win cash on the platform. Emerging e-sports organizations in India such as competitive scrims & IGPL sports holding everyday mock-tournaments to War Mania, Villager esports & sportskeedaesports, providing gamers with sophisticated and competitive platforms. E-Sports is the new era, besides Social Media that the world is entering into today.
E-Sports were played as a demonstration sport at Asian Games 2018, where Tirth Mehta from Bhuj, Gujarat won a bronze medal & has been commonly called the first Indian e-sports for Hearthstone. That year, the total prize money was 5.63Cr; both tournaments & nationals combined. PUBG, singly constituted 18% of the total prize with CS:Go & Dota2 constituting 6%. In 2019, the prize money took a huge leap and increased to 180% with different cities (such as Delhi & Mumbai) holding international sports events & giving gamers a way to physically interact with each other rather than just muting one another digitally.
Alongside regular addiction to the game, the number of visits to online gaming websites or apps rose by 29% between February & March this year due to the pandemic; with also an increase in the engagement by 21%.
How many times have you yourself played ludo with your friends during the lockdown? Other games such as Teen patti, Rummy, Candy Crush Saga, Coin master and 8 ball pool which eventually turned out to be the most played games during the pandemic. It’s weird how our way of interacting with each other has changed. The chats have shifted from WhatsApp & Instagram to mere emojis & talking throughout the game.
Surprised? There is more to the industry. It has been estimated that approximately 40,000 employees will be working in the industry by 2022. It’s not just an evolution for your hobbies, but for the corporate world as well. Honestly speaking, with more gamers comes more challenges. However, PUBG was banned in many states across the country such as Gujarat declaring that the game was ‘too addictive and violent’—resulting in students’ arrest when they were caught playing.
To conclude, you can either ignore these trends & keep playing games for fun; or you can get better at them & start playing at national eventsーwho knows you win a prize incredible enough!
