Kerala gets ready for a gaming surge

The game is on, says the government of Kerala. At the recently held Sports Summit in Trivandrum, the government declared that it is joining hands with two private organisations to launch a Kerala Esports Apex to promote the gaming sector in the state.

The legal status of the Apex was not very clear, but media reports said the government, along with NoScope Gaming and Beta Group, “will focus on nurturing and fostering the esports culture in Kerala at the grassroots level”.

The Esports Apex announcement came a few days after Kerala Startup Mission released a draft policy that proposed a 20-acre park in Trivandrum as a centre of excellence for digital creativity, including the gaming sector.

The draft policy, set to be released for public consultation soon, spans 67 pages and covers animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality sectors. So, anyone interested in these fields can provide their inputs, but be warned that you have to chew through a generous layer of fat to get to the meat.

“The gaming industry is at the core of the AVGC [animation, visual effects, gaming, and comic] sector and drives growth across its entire ecosystem,” states the draft policy.

The gaming market size in India is estimated to be 3.49 billion US dollars in 2024, with expectations to reach 7.24 billion by 2029, according to the market research firm Mordor Intelligence. Meanwhile, the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) predicts it will hit 8.6 billion by 2027.

The online gaming community in India has been steadily growing over the last decade and experienced a significant boom during the Covid lockdown period. In terms of total downloads, India surpassed China in 2023, becoming the primary consumer of mobile games.

India’s presence in the gaming industry is not just marked by the number of gamers but also by the emergence of games from Indian developers with a local flavour, now visible in the Google Play store. Currently, there are 17,211 games published by Indian distributors.

Another interesting feature is the rise of female gamers in India. According to a Think with Google report, approximately 18 percent of Indian gamers are now female. This surge has led to an increase in women-themed designs, visuals, and lead characters, as reported by IBEF.

While there is no verifiable data about the gaming sector in Kerala, a cursory look into the scene suggests that the pan-India trend is replicated here as well. Popular among the players are Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Grand Theft Auto, Valorant, Fifa, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

Regular online contests for these games attract thousands of youngsters, and a LAN (local area network) event held in Kochi in 2023 garnered the attention of some noted global stars. The event was modelled on IPL Cricket, with teams bidding for players and engaging in competitive battles.

Amal Arjun, CEO of the All Kerala Esports Federation (AKEF), states that as the organisers of the LAN event, they were overwhelmed with the response.

“Even though we had been holding smaller local events and online events from 2020, the Kochi crowd just blew us away. Despite the show starting late due to some glitches, people stayed around, and when the final was over at 2am, apart from the crowd, around 2,000 people were watching the action online,” says Amal.

AKEF has been on the scene since 2019, and Amal says that the gaming community has been growing across the state. He says that more people now realise that it can be a viable career option.

The rewards come not just as prize money, but many players stream their games live on platforms like Twitch and later create YouTube content out of it.

The thriving gaming activity has given rise to celebrities such as Kaztro, whose videos garner millions of views. The 24-year-old, whose real name is Muhammed Ramees and hails from Pattambi, Palakkad, has become a superstar and a notable influencer.

He boasts 1.4 million subscribers on social media and has secured lucrative deals with gaming companies. Last year, he achieved the status of one of the youngest owners of a Mercedes Benz E350D, valued at almost 1 crore rupees.

Figures like him, along with other gaming superstars in Kerala such as Eagle and Viper, are followed by hundreds of thousands of fans and mobbed like movie stars when they appear at promotional events. Female stars like Queen Bee and Susan also command a sizeable following on social media.

The gaming community in Kerala comprises not only students and professional gamers but a government school teacher and an IT engineer are also among popular stars.

Those in the gaming community say that the popularity on social media has become a source of income for lesser-known players as well, helping many who are not from affluent families.

In an all-India survey held last year by tech major HP, more than 45 percent of serious gamers claimed they make about 6 lakh to 12 lakh rupees per annum.

The study, which surveyed 3,000 gamers and 500 parents from 15 Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, found that 40 percent of the parents surveyed have a favourable attitude towards gaming as a career option.

The gaming industry employs around 1,50,000 people in India, including 30,000 developers and programmers, according to the KSUM draft policy. It also mentions some game creators who are already based in Kerala. “A skilled and tech-savvy workforce, coupled with comparatively lower operational costs, makes Kerala an attractive location for gaming studios,” it says.

The economic activity associated with gaming extends beyond game creation and the social media endeavours of star players. GeekBoz, a computer shop located on the outskirts of Trivandrum city is an example of this.

Situated in Karakkamandapam outside the city, the shop specialises in crafting PCs tailored for gamers, as the machines used by professionals require more power, high-end graphic cards, and other upgrades.

Prasanth RV, the founder of the shop, mentions that he initiated the business in 2017 and now receives orders from a clientele spread across the country, with a predominant customer base from Kerala.

He notes that the shop receives steady orders for custom-made PCs, which can range anywhere between 50,000 rupees and 7 lakh rupees.

“Some of our customers have travelled all the way from Kasargod to our shop,” he adds.

A Trivandrum-based startup, Game Wagon, introduced the concept of renting game consoles on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Founder Varghese Chacko told The New Indian Express that renting offers a practical option for parents aiming to manage their children’s screen time while still allowing them to enjoy gaming.

Numerous shops now specialise in selling gaming-focused gadgets and furniture, both through online and offline channels. There is also a rise in video makers focused on the gaming scene and YouTubers creating channels tailored for the gaming audience.

With esports set to become a medal event at the coming Paris Olympics, an increasing number of youngsters are likely to be drawn to gaming though only a few popular games will qualify as esports.

In the Asian Games held last year in China, Indian teams made a minimal impression, and difficulties faced by gamers in the country were highlighted in our October 10 newsletter.

While there is growing concern about youngsters becoming addicted to gaming, individuals in the sector argue that the risk is being exaggerated. Gaming stars also actively provide tips to their fans on how to avoid getting addicted, emphasising the importance of discipline and physical fitness for success in gaming.

Various stakeholders suggest that with proper government support, Kerala can make significant strides in esports, given the ample talent and enthusiasm within the state.

In an effort to popularise the game among the general public, Beta Group is planning to organise a virtual tennis tournament in Trivandrum in March. The other organisation involved in the newly formed Apex, NoScope Gaming, says that they are planning a major LAN event in Kerala later this year.

It seems the stage is getting ready for the gamers in Kerala. The success of these plans will hinge on effective guidance, a balanced vision, and a proper strategy. Those taking the helm also should be quick-footed, possess ample muscle, and be adept at spotting dangers lurking around the corners – just like a skilled gamer.

AI scammers zoom ahead

Okay, time for a bit of boasting here. It was almost a year ago, on March 13, 2023, that our newsletter examined the potential impact of AI on cybercrimes, and most of what we predicted is proving to be accurate. Scammers have begun utilising AI to generate text, audio, and video to deceive people into paying them millions. Kerala police now state that they are collaborating with startups to develop AI tools to address this situation.

As time progresses, the ingenuity of scammers is becoming more impressive. Consider the case of a multinational firm based in Hong Kong that paid 200 million HK dollars to scammers. According to the police there, scammers used publicly available video and other footage of employees to create a fake conference call. The SCMP report says that everyone present on the video calls, except the victim, was a fabricated representation of real people. Sounds almost like a Hollywood movie script.

Asianet to launch short video platform

The media landscape has undergone significant transformations since the advent of the internet. The latest trend impacting the media industry is the increasing popularity of short videos. Asianet News Media and Entertainment is now planning to launch its own short video platform, utilising AI to generate content in various languages with just one click. The company has rebranded itself as Asianxt, emphasising its focus on technology, and is seeking to raise 10 to 15 million US dollars.

Chinese carmaker eyes the sky

Traffic in outer space is poised to increase significantly as various companies continue to launch more satellites. In a recent development, Chinese carmaker Geely Holding Group deployed 11 low orbit satellites aimed at providing precise navigation for its driverless cars. Geely anticipates having 72 satellites in orbit by 2025, with plans to increase the number to 240 later. These satellites are equipped with AI remote sensing functions, offering clear high-resolution remote sensing imaging within the range of 1 to 5 meters, reports  Reuters.

AI clock that rhymes in time

Gadgets that use AI are hitting the market every minute, so to speak. The latest addition is a digital clock that displays no numerals but flashes a time-related poetry every minute. Like this: “With hands on the clock. I’ll show you the time. It’s 3:50 PM. as the moments chime.” Or, “With steam that rises, a cup so fine, Nine forty-one, it’s coffee time.” The brain behind this concept is London-based technologist Matt Webb, who initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. Turns out, time is not just money, but it’s a whole poetic performance.