Infogrames Angles For The Home Segment
Infogrames Multimedia, the world's third largest multimedia software title producer whose latest product, the `V-Rally' (virtual reality) CD-ROM game, has sold over one million copies worldwide, is all set to tap Indian home computer users with a variety of CD-ROM packages by setting up a subsidiary in India.
Infogrames, Europes largest CD-ROM maker based in Leon, France, is also planning to use its Indian operations for covering the south east Asian market as part of its expansion plan.
In the first phase, the $300 million multimedia company plans an initial investment of Rs two crore for setting up a CD-ROM assembling factory in India.
Christian Aroule, zone export manager, India and south east Asia, Infogrames, said the company has drawn a three-phased plan for India.
As the first step, the company has set up a liaison office in Bangalore to market and distribute Infogrames' CD-ROM titles in the country. In the second stage, the company plans to duplicate multimedia titles by setting up an assembling factory. Later, it plans to apply to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) within a year's time for setting up a full-fledged subsidiary.
The proposed subsidiary will take up software programming and development. According to Aroule, the proposed subsidiary is likely to be set up either in Bangalore or Hyderabad.
The company has already tied-up with the Bangalore-based Red Duck for marketing its titles in India.
Out of its current list of titles, about 70 are being targeted at Indian home computer users.
The multimedia major will be targeting around four million Indian home computer users in a year's time including the repetitive buyers.
Inforgrames set up a subsidiary in China three months ago. The company has so far set up subsidiaries in the USA, Brazil and other countries.
Its multimedia CD-ROM titles are released in major languages like English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese etc.,
The company has around 300 titles to its credit till now.
"Since we've already set up a subsidiary in China, we don't want another one, besides India, in Asia. The Indian operation will look after the entire south east Asian market, especially Thailand, where CD-ROM titles have a good market," Aroule said.
Infogrames plans to price its CD-ROM titles at Rs 1200 for the Indian market which will be one-third its original prices, he added. Besides games, educative titles are also planned for the Indian market.
Among its over 1000 employees, Infogrames has around 300 software engineers engaged exclusively for producing various software multimedia titles every year.
ALLAI COMPANIES, LAN VIABHAV