Abstract
This document contains a brief description of the report, table of contents and list of graphs of charts.
1. Description of the report
The Online Games Market in India is an in-depth strategic analysis of the emerging online games market in India. This report reveals insights, projections and core about this important emerging market.
While long dormant, the online games market in India is starting to heat up with a burgeoning Internet cafe culture; increases in Internet users and broadband penetration; and most importantly investment from game operators who are promoting and educating consumers about online games. Pearl Research believes India in 2006 is comparable to China in 2001 when China' s games market started to develop and an online games culture started to form.
The online games market in India is also being driven by key stakeholders with a vested interest in growing the market:
- 1) Users are discovering online games, intrigued by the community aspects, compelling content and the interactive experience.
- 2) Game operators are promoting and marketing online games, educating users and creating awareness. Online games represent a viable business model given India' s high rates of software piracy.
- 3) Internet cafe owners are stocking more games since games are one of the biggest revenue drivers and are a “sticky” activity.
- 4) Publishers who are not yet in India are assessing the market and weighing the risks and rewards of entering this emerging and nascent market.
- 5) Telecoms and PC hardware manufacturers are pushing games to drive broadband and PC penetration. Broadband is being offered as low as $10 a month by some providers.
- 6) Advertisers are looking to attract and appeal to the growing urban and tech-savvy gamer population.
The Indian online games market is especially being closely monitored by Korean publishers who view India as a potential multi-million dollar market with its large, young and urban population hungry for content. In an attempt to capture consumer loyalty and establish brand equity early on, Korean publishers are already creating a beachhead in India with their online games.
While the market has clear potential, Pearl Research will also examine the critical cultural, economic, business and technological inhibitors to growing the market.
Research Highlights
This exclusive research document by Pearl Research provides an analysis of the online games market in India and includes:
- An executive summary highlighting major takeaways and key points
- Socio-economic overview including India' s economic growth
- Analysis of the Indian middle class
- Robust discussion of inhibitors and drivers to market growth
- Internet cafes and their role in the online games market
- Key metrics
- Size of the online games market in India 2006-2010
- Number and growth in Internet users
- Broadband penetration
- PC hardware penetration
- Examination of MMOGs currently in the market
- Online games pricing strategy
- Billing and payment methods
- Language and localization
- Analysis of key market players
- An exclusive matrix comparing China and India' s online games market covering online games history, market size, popular types of content, broadband, Internet trends in addition to major socio-economic indices such as population, per capita GDP, literacy rates and software piracy
- Chindia strategy and the interest of Korean publishers in India
- Conclusions
Table of Contents
I. Executive Summary and Key Takeaways
II. Socio-Economic Overview
- i. Economic growth
- ii. Size of middle class
- iii. Drivers to consumption of lifestyle items
III. Software Piracy
IV. Key Company Profiles
- Sify
- Actozsoft
- Gravity Interactive
- Level Up
- Local publishers
- Trade groups
V. Online Games Market: Drivers of Growth
- i. Online games market overview
- ii. Growth of Internet cafes
- Sify' s iWay Internet cafe chain
- Reliance WebWorld
- ii. Online games market development
- A3
- Ragnarok Online (RO)
- Gunz Online
- Online games pricing strategy
- Billing and payment
- Fragmented Indian market
- Language and localization
- iii. Growth in Internet users and broadband penetration
- Internet
- India internet usage study
- Broadband
- iv. Local content
VI. Inhibitors to Growth
- i. Low PC penetration and older PCs
- ii. Cultural barriers to games and lack of a games history
- iii. Price-sensitive consumers and low per-capita GDP
- iv. Challenging business environment
- v. Lack of experienced online game developers
VII. China vs. India
- i. Differences
- ii. Similarities
VIII. Chindia Strategy
- i. TOM and Indiagames
- ii. Indiagames Games-on-Demand
IX. Conclusion
Table of Figures
- Figure 1: Key Country Metrics
- Figure 2: Households in India (by yearly income bracket)
- Figure 3: Factors contributing to the consumerization of urban India
- Figure 4: Online Games Market Projections 2006 to 2010
- Figure 5: Growth in Internet Cafes 2003 to 2008
- Figure 6: Users at Sify' s iWay chain
- Figure 7: Ad for Sify' s Counter Strike tournament
- Figure 8: Games Available at Sify' s Internet cafes
- Figure 9: Photo of Reliance WebWorld cafes
- Figure 10: Screenshots from A3, operated by Sify Corp.
- Figure 11: Advertisements for free Ragnarok play for a limited time
- Figure 12: Screenshots from Gunz Online
- Figure 13: Ragnarok Pricing in India
- Figure 14: Growth in Internet Users 2004, 2005 and 2008
- Figure 15: Hours Per Week Spent on the Internet
- Figure 16: Internet Subscribers and Broadband Penetration 2004 to 2006
- Figure 17: Market share of major ISPs in India
- Figure 18: Home PC Ownership 2003 to 2007
- Figure 19: Factors to improving India' s economy
- Figure 20: Matrix comparing India and China
- Figure 21: Screenshot of Indiagames' games-on-demand service
