India Among Top 10 Gaming Countries

Aespite low popularity of esports in India compared to countries such as the rs and rh, the esports industry has a bright future over here, says a report

The online gaming industry in India is a fast-growing business, evolving into competitive sports and professional gaming. With a growing community of active gamers, Gaming & Esports industry in India is likely to witness a boom in the coming years.

Internet-based market research and data analytics firm Yougov’s new white paper, titled ‘Gaming and Esports: The Next Generation’, provides an analysis of the global video games and esports landscape across 24 markets.

Amongst the surveyed markets, India ranks among the top 10 gaming countries in the world. At present, seven out of 10 (71%) people in India claim to be gamers, playing video games or mobile games on any device.

The percentage of gamers in India is at par with US (71%) and Australia (72%), however, it is lower than the proportions in

South East Asian countries.

In India, mobile gamers - playing on a smartphone or tablet clearly outnumber PC or console gamers. Just 12% play on consoles compared to 67% who use a smartphone or tablet. South and South East Asian countries generally have a higher percentage of mobile gamers and a lower share of console gamers. On the other hand, the leading markets for console gamers are Hong Kong (32%), Spain (29%), the

US (28%), the UK (28%), and Australia (27%).

When it comes to category of gamers, India is among the top 10 countries comprising light to regular smartphone gamers- with 82% of its gaming population playing games on their smartphones up to 10 hours a week, and only 16% identified as heavy and intense gamers (playing more than 10 hrs a week).

China and Taiwan have the most dedicated smartphone gamers with 37% and 34%, respectively, of the countries’ mobile gaming population categorised as ‘heavy or intense gamers’. Apart from playing games, for an important subsection of players, watching video games online has become as much of a pastime as gaming itself.

“Our data shows Youtube Gaming is significantly more popular among gamers than any of its competitors in several markets. Awareness is the highest in Vietnam (74%) and Indonesia (72%), followed by Thailand (68%), Philippines (66%) and India (59%). The same is true about engagement with Youtube Gaming, where once again we see South and South East Asian countries taking the lead,” said Yougov.

India ranks fifth globally, in terms of awareness, and third, in terms of engagement with Youtube Gaming. The highly-aware gaming audience seems to be equally engaged with the platform, presenting a huge opportunity for game developers and console manufacturers. Compared to Youtube Gaming, a small percentage have engaged with Twitch or Facebook Gaming (12% each). Twitch is more competitive in western markets such as the US and UK – where awareness for the platform is higher than that for Youtube Gaming.

When it comes to esports, familiarity in

India is low - at 31%. The greatest familiarity comes from consumers in East Asia, with seven in 10 people in China (72%), Taiwan (71%) and Hong Kong (70%) describing it correctly as ‘competitive video gaming, primarily in the form of organised/ professional events’.

Large proportions in South East Asia also seem familiar with the term, although European countries’ familiarity with esports varies considerably. Despite low familiarity, engagement with esports in India is much higher than in the highly aware markets such as the US, the UK, and several European countries. This suggests Indians are more likely to embrace these competitions, once they know more about them, hinting at a bright future for esports in the country.

Talking about the whitepaper, Nicole Pike, Global Sector Head of Esports & Gaming at Yougov, said, “This year the global video gaming industry has captured the attention of brands, marketers, and investors on a large scale. But this year has also highlighted just how quickly things can change in the gaming ecosystem, making it difficult for advertis e r s a n d sponsors to know if, when and how to spend wisely – and for gaming companies to determine how much more growth is on the horizon.” ■