Games on Salman, Sachin draw crowd at India Gaming Show

Games based on Bollywood and cricket celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Salman Khan have taken centre stage at the first edition of India Gaming Show here, where gaming enthusiasts can make their favourite stars dance to their tunes using the joystick.
At the four-day-event, which is underway at Pragati Maidan here, games like "Being Salman" and "Sachin Saga" are re-kindling the fandom of the generation that has grown up watching Sachin's inimitable straight drives and Salman's antics as he beat up the baddies.
"These games touch your emotions. We have our own memories attached to these stars and players. And that's what we are banking on. In addition, there are also entertaining and competitive games," says Raj Thadani from Playizzon.

'Sachin Saga', a "training module" which lets the gamer play cricket shots under the supervision of the master blaster, will soon be built into a full-fledged game.
'Being Salman' that involves "Shooting" and consists of 50 levels, is inspired by the actor's blockbuster movies like "Dabbang", "Bodyguard" among others.
"These games are synchronized online, which means that you can play with an opponent of your choice. Those putting up good competition are rewarded with signed merchandise of Sachin and Salman," says Raj.

When asked whether these games inspired by Indian celebrities have any takers in foreign countries, he says, "Surprisingly! Such games are downloaded more outside India".

While Sachin's game is popular in Canada, Salman seemed to be a hit in the middle Eastern region, he says, adding that the company is in the process of coming up with games based on actors like Priyanka Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan as well.
However, what seems to be disappointing to the visitors is that the games are compatible only on smart phones and not on any other platform.
"These games are limited to mobiles only, and don't work on console. And a real gamer is always looking for a console game.
"You can't think of competing with games like 'Call of Duty' or 'Street Fighter' by restricting yourself to smart phones," says Ramansh, a gamer and a huge 'Street Fighter' fan.

Commenting on the comparison with other games, Raj says that it is the star quality of his games that lets users identify themselves with the big names.
"Not every person walking the street in India will be knowing about 'Call of Duty', but I wonder if the same can be said about Sachin and Salman," he says.
Other games based on cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were also quite popular at the show that is set to continue till February 5.