The pioneers of storytelling in the Indian gaming industry – BBC News

India may not be the first country that comes to mind when someone talks about video games, but it is one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

Most play on mobile phones and tablets, and fans will tell you that the industry is best known for fantasy sports games that let you create imaginary teams based on real players.

Despite concerns about gambling and possible addiction, they are big business.

The country’s three biggest video game startups – Game 24X7, Dream11 and Mobile Premier League – all offer some sort of fantasy sports experience and are valued at well over $1 billion.

But there is hope that a series of story-driven games making waves around the world can inspire a new wave of creativity and investment.

At the recent Summer Game Fest (SGF) – an annual showcase of new and upcoming titles held in Los Angeles and viewed by millions – audiences saw previews of a number of story-rich titles from South Asian teams.

One of these was Detective Dotson from Gujarat-based Masala Games, about a failed Bollywood actor turned detective.

Industry veteran Shalin Shodhan is behind the game and tells BBC Asian Network that this focus on unique stories “goes against the trend” in the Indian games industry.

He wants video games to become an “interactive cultural export” but says he finds it difficult to create new intellectual property.

“There’s really nothing in the market that can create stories about India,” he says, despite the strength of some of the country’s other cultural industries.

“When you think about how much intellectual property there is in India in film, it’s really surprising to think that there is nothing indigenous as an original entertainment property in games,” he says.

“It’s almost like the Indian public has accepted that we’re only going to play games from outside.”

Another game shown at SGF was The Palace on the Hill – a slice-of-life farming sim set in rural India.

Mala Sen, from developer Niku Games, says games like this and Detective Dotson are what “India needed”.

“We know there are a lot of people in India who want games where the characters and settings are relatable to them,” she says.

Games developed by South Asian teams from Western countries have received critical acclaim and commercial success in recent years.

Venba, a cooking simulation that told the story of a migrant family reconnecting with their heritage through food, became the first game of its kind to take home a Bafta Game Award this year.

Canada-based Visai Games, which developed the title, was unveiled at SGF as one of the first beneficiaries of a new fund set up by Among Us developer Innersloth to boost fellow indie developers.

That goes to their new, untitled project based on old Tamil legends.

Another title funded by the program was Project Dosa, from developer Outerloop, in which players control giant robots, cook Indian food and fight lawyers.

The previous game, Thirsty Suitors, was also highly praised and nominated for a Bafta award this year.

Games like these that resonate with players around the world help the perception of the broader industry, says Mumbai-based Indrani Ganguly of Duronto Games.

“People are finally starting to realize that we’re not just a place for outsourcing work,” she says.

“We are moving from India as a tech space to a more creative hub.

“I don’t see a 100% shift, but that is more a matter of mentality.

“People who can make these types of games have always existed, but now there are funding and resource opportunities available to act on these creative visions.”

British-Indian game developer Charu Desodt believes the success of titles like Venba is due to their commitment to authenticity.

“They make me feel very proud,” she says.

“We’re getting to a point where the industry is growing tremendously, both in terms of hours spent gaming, but more importantly in the variety of games.

“If you tell authentic local stories from the heart, then that’s something everyone can relate to.”

Charu says funding for “unique and quirky stories has been an issue”, but recent successes such as Venba and Thirsty Suitors have shown that there is a demand for South Asian stories told by South Asian developers.

Some of the industry’s largest companies are also paying attention.

Last year, Sony launched its India Hero Project with the aim of “identifying and empowering India’s brightest game development talent” through mentorship and funding.

The first wave of games included slice-of-life game Fishbowl, museum exploration game Mukti and rhythm-action game Suri: the Seventh Note, inspired by mythical Indian stories from the Himalayas to Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, French publisher Ubisoft’s Indie Series has supported Thousand Star Studios in creating Aikyam – a Bollywood-inspired fantasy role-playing game set for release this year.