While the Internet vies with TV channels to become your starting place to get the latest on the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament, it’s the ubiquitous mobile phone that could beat them all in the form of an all-day multi-purpose resource for IPL trivia, free gifts and some gaming too.
The IPL event, which kicked off last weekend, has unleashed a plethora of mobile-based games that have been launched by various companies.
Leading the charge is Indiagames, which believes that cricket-crazy Indians can definitely take mobile content consumption to dizzying levels. The firm’s CEO Vishal Gondal acknowledges as much.
“Cricket has always been number one as far as mobile games are concerned, even without the IPL,” he points out.
To cash in on the growing popularity of the IPL tournament, his company has launched a special game for Apple iPhone users – titled ‘T20 Super Sixes’ – to draw in cricket buffs all over the globe. The cost of downloading the game is 99 cents (about Rs 50) and the company believes it would find takers in the US and European markets.
“We want our game to cultivate a global following,” adds Gondal. For its Indian audiences, Indiagames has tied up with mobile makers like Nokia for a game, priced at Rs 25, developed on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team.
Even Paradox Studios’ chief marketing officer Salil Bhargava is confident that the mobile gaming business stands to get a huge boost this season. Anticipating a frenzied approach to IPL-based mobile games, the company has tied up with Zapak, an online gaming portal, for a mobile game based on KKR’s team.
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It has also worked out easy payment options to encourage first-time users. For a one-time download, users will have to pay Rs 40.
“If they don’t want to spend that upfront, then we are also offering a pay-per-play model where users pay just Rs 5 to play the game once,” explains Bhargava. There are some hidden conditions like, for a one-time download, users can play the game for a maximum of 10 times.
Nazara Technologies too has launched games based on teams like the Delhi Daredevils and the Deccan Chargers. The games will be available at Rs 10 and will allow users to play them up to three times. For unlimited game downloads, a cellphone user’s pocket would be lighter by Rs 99.
| GAMES THEY ARE PLAYING | ||
| Company | Content | Price (per download) |
| Indiagames | T20 Super Sixes game (for iPhone/iPod) | $1 (Rs 50 approx) |
| Indiagames | T20 game (for all phones) | Rs 25 |
| Jump Games | Kolkata Knight Riders game | Rs 40 (for 10gameplays) |
| Nazara | Games on Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers | Rs 99 |
| Telecom operators like Vodafone, Airtel and among others | Premium SMS updates game trivia and value-added services | Rs 3 to 6 (per SMS) |
| Mig33 | Dedicated mobile zones for teams | Premium rates applicable |
| TeliBrahma | Exclusive to Royal Challengers team. Real time match linked information like forecast of the match pitch report, team composition, video clips, trivia streamed via Bluetooth (at stadiums) | |
Bhargava recalls that, even during the recently-concluded India-New Zealand series, Paradox Studios had launched a game around Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma, which received a great response. As for Indiatimes’ Gondal, the bet is on the number of downloads which, he believes, can run into millions.
It’s not just games, as companies have also broadened their offering by launching thematic value-added services at affordable prices. For instance, cricket quizes, wallpapers and ringtones based on team anthems are up for grabs through an SMS at Rs 3.
Even mobile service providers are offering services like live match scores, MMSes, contests and trivia at premium service charges starting at Rs 6.