When computers first became personal in India, there were but a few games like Dangerous Dave and Aladdin that one could play for some light entertainment. And in what seems like no time, gaming has moved on from being just leisure to serious business. Games like Call of Duty, DOTA, Counter Strike and FIFA are being played at not just personal and group levels, but are also part of PC gaming tournaments.

The growth in the gaming industry has been a fast and steady one. According to a report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), gamers constitute 41.2% of the total active internet users in India, witnessing a whopping 89% increase from the 2007. And in spite of an onslaught of gaming consoles (both static and portable) and smartphones, PC gaming probably remains the most popular gaming platform.

What the gamer wants

Serious gamers are ready to invest huge amounts of money to customise and optimise their gaming machines. Mohit Singhai, gaming alias I.Aces^Gladi, an avid gamer who spends up to 15 hours a day playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive says that it is essential to have a PC with optimum performance to be able to play these high-end games. “I have the best processor available in the market, the best graphic card that I could find and a big RAM to whet my gaming appetite,” said Mohit. He adds that for the best gaming experience, one also needs a good internet connection and a host of other gaming accessories like gaming mice, keyboards, gamepads and headsets.

And the gaming industry is cashing in on exactly what gamers like Mohit are demanding for. Corsair is one of the companies that supplies high performance products purchased primarily by PC gaming enthusiasts who build their own PCs or buy pre-assembled customized systems. M.A.Mannan, Country Manager, Corsair Memory India said, “Corsair has witnessed phenomenal growth in gaming components in the last few years. Gaming power supplies saw the highest growth with more than 40 percent and a slightly smaller percentage in gaming keyboard, mice, speakers and headsets.”

Processing the gamer

But at the heart of all things gaming, it is the processor that powers the high-end performance and also the gamers’ adrenaline circulation, and CPU manufacturers have stepped up sales and product development to meet the gamers’ demands.

“Intel is stepping on the gas in not only creating the best-in-class CPU for everyday computing tasks, but also in dramatically increasing the performance and capabilities of Intel HD graphics with every generation of chips. By doing this, Intel delivers a product that allows system builders to create products for end users with enhanced capabilities and flexibility to handle virtually any consumer or business experience (Games, Video Playback, Mobility and more),” said Srinivasan Ramaprasad, Country Business Manager - MNC Accounts, Intel South Asia.

And at the same time, CPU contender AMD is targeting the younger gamer in the gaming peripheral war. P Raghuraman, Director, Transaction Business, AMD India explained, “Even as others go overboard, assimilating fancy features with little meaning to everyday practical computing, other than swelling up the MRP, at core of all AMD’s innovations has always been the value offered to its stakeholders. It understands that customers, predominantly youth, is more concerned about tangibles like the quality of graphics, battery life, ability to multi-task, etc.”

He also added that the current market share of India in global gaming industry is only about 0.6 per cent, but the growth rate suggest that India is going to have a significant market share in global gaming industry in coming years. Tier-I and Tier-II cities have been estimated to have highest growth rate in India.

>sabyasachi.b@thehindu.co.in

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