The 3D mobile gaming is poised to be the next big thing on the Indian gaming scene. While companies like Mauj Telecom and 7Seas Technologies are gearing up to launch a bouquet of 3D mobile games, others like Hungama Mobile are seriously considering entering this high-growth arena.
"3D mobile games and multi-player games on mobile are going to be the next trend in India and Indian companies are working towards this by relating the games with Bollywood celebrities. We recently signed an agreement with Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra for a 3D mobile game - Neetu The Alien Killer - which is slated for a release in early July. Besides, we have lined up four other games in racing, puzzle and action that are set to be launched next month through aggregators and retail distributors," says L Maruti Sanker, managing director of Hyderabad-based 7Seas Technologies.
According to Manish Malik, general manager (gaming), Hungama Mobile, 3D games are limited by game size and in the current market conditions, it will take a year or two before 3D really sets in. "Globally, top quality 3D games are gaining acceptance across the board. Besides, touch screen phones such as iPhone will redefine the gaming experience.
Also in the pipeline are the Google Android and the N Gage phones with Wi-Fi capability, which will give mobile gaming the boost it needs. FPS (first person shooting) and one vs one combat games are doing well in this segment. Mobile entertainment is in our DNA and we are now seriously exploring the market for 3D games," he says.
It is estimated that by 2010, two-thirds of the human race will be using a mobile phone. In India, there are nearly 260 million mobile subscribers. There are 1,000-odd handsets that support 3D games and almost 400 handsets are launched every year, which itself becomes a potential base to tap to maximise returns, he adds.
The global mobile games business is pegged at $2.2 billion and the Indian mobile gaming market is forecast to exceed $193 million (over Rs 800 crore) by 2010.
Manoj Dawane, chief executive officer of People Infocom, which provides mobile content and applications under 'Mauj Telecom' brand, says the future of mobile gaming industry is bright and touch screen technology, 3G networks, faster processors on handsets, cameras and motion sensors would push 3D mobile-gaming business forward creatively in a big way in the coming days.
"Launching games is an ongoing process at Mauj with a production turnover of approximately 20 new titles a year including multiplayer games over Bluetooth and camera-based games to name a few of the technically advanced features.
Our present portfolio already has a bouquet of 3D games spanning across genres like racing, FPS and sports. We are well set to storm the world with a bunch of exciting 3D games on mobile in the near future," Dawane says.
Sanker, however, feels that though mobile porting will be an evergreen business, it is a constraint for mobile game developers as different handsets have different issues. "We currently do the mobile porting in-house. We would be looking at outsourcing this activity to mobile porting companies for a long-term association," he says.
"At Mauj, we understand the significance of porting and its role in the whole development cycle. We are equipped to create ports of any given application or game to support more than 400 handset variants in the market today," Dawane adds.
