Sony plans more regional language games

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, which controls 80 per cent of the gaming market in India, is betting big on regional language games development, and will introduce at least six new regional language games this year.

According to Atindriya Bose, country manager - playstation, Sony Computer Entertainment, “Regional language games are not in terms of language because most gamers are already proficient in English. Regional language games that we would create are in terms of characters, scenery and stories.”

“We introduced the first regional language game ‘Hanuman’ on March 25, this year. Hanuman saw 10,000 units being sold to the trade on day one of its launch. Usually, a good international title would see 3,000-4,000 units sale on the first day. This proved the potential of regional games,” Bose said.

“Again, initially we had set a target of selling 30,000 units of the Hanuman game in the first year of its launch, but now we have revised it to 50,000 going by its demand. Any international title would sell close to 15,000 units in one year,” Bose said.

Hanuman was developed by the Hyderabad-based Aurona Technologies.

“Bangalore-based Candela Software is developing two quiz-based education games which would help students prepare for competetive exams. Another Hyderabad-based company Gameshastra is developing four games on Indian rural tradition, like ‘gili danda’, ‘kabbadi’, among others,” Bose informed.

The company is also looking at developing Indian games surrounding mythology, and adventure games depicting the Mumbai underworld, among other plans.

All these would be retailed at Rs 499.

Currently, the company earns 43 per cent of its revenues from Playstation 2 (priced at Rs 5,990), around 40 per cent from Playstation Portable (priced a Rs 9,490), and the remaining from Playstation 3 (priced at Rs 25,990).

“In 2008-09, the company grew by 300 per cent and this year too we are expecting similar growth on the back of regional language games. We are looking at Hindi, Tamil, Telegu, Bengali and Punjabi. We already have games in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish,” Bose said.