3G时代的到来，给电子游戏产业创造了无限商机，因为如果得到3G高速数据传送等技术支持，手机游戏由单人Java游戏向多人社交游戏转变的实现也已经近在咫尺。随着高端、价格适中的智能手机的激增，手机游戏这一话题正在印度掀起阵阵波澜。

Around 7-9 million mobile subscribers are added every month in india

印度一份VAS（移动增值服务）报告表明，印度手机游戏产业营收已达54.1亿卢比，占VAS营收总额的4.56%（印度VAS营收总额为1186亿卢比）。市场调研公司Frost & Sullivan预测，到2014年，印度手机游戏产业营收将达310亿卢比。

Indiagames公司的首席运营官萨米尔.邦格拉（Samir Bangara）在6月份作出的估计则相对保守，他认为印度今年手机游戏营收总额应该在25亿左右，“不过3G服务真正上市后，手机游戏产业必会以更快的速度增值，现在全国已经有了4000万移动互联网用户，而且这一数字今后还将呈几何倍数增长。”

还有其他行业判断印度游戏产业的营收总额到2013年将达100亿卢比，尽管预测结果不一，但都无一例外地认同手机游戏市场潜力无限这一说法。

Arena Animation公司的全球总裁安鲁齐.卡克（Anuj Kacker）表示，印度每月都有超过300万手机游戏用户，“手机和掌机游戏几乎占据整个游戏市场份额的75%，每天都有10万人次左右的下载量，每年也有超过3600万的下载量。”

NASSCOM（印度国家软件与服务公司协会）的一份报告显示，GSM（全球移动通信系统）移动运营商掌握了印度75%的手机游戏市场份额。另外，印度最受欢迎的游戏以板球、好莱坞、动作类等游戏为主，每月新增的移动用户在700至900万之间，GPRS手机普及率约35%；游戏玩家在所有手机用户中目前仅占1.25%至1.5%之间，相对庞大的手机用户基数而言，这一数据仍然还有无限增长空间。

目前，诺基亚已推出了Ngage手机游戏平台，其他手机制造商也正扎堆向游戏市场进军，一些电信运营商也不甘袖手旁观，甚至向客户提供免费的GPRS通路服务。手机游戏来了，广告植入和游戏订购等商业运营模式也必将成为趋势。神话故事将成为手机游戏的重要开发题材之一，至于广告游戏以及游戏开始前的视频广告，也不可能对这块巨大的3G蛋糕无动于衷。

Dun & Bradstreet公司的数码市场营销总经理钱德拉谢卡尔.孟哈斯卡（Chandrashekhar Mhaskar）表示，“免费游戏和广告赞助模式越来越受到青睐，这表明用户可以先免费体验游戏的前几关，然后再决定是否要付费下载，或者直接通过广告赞助，让游戏对用户完全免费开放。”

《词汇大师》（Wordmaster）、《德州扑克》（Texas）、《My Gang》、《The Great Indian Parking Wars》、《Galcon》以及其他体育、动作类游戏一直是印度玩家最爱不释手的产品，但手机娱乐公司Nazara Technologies的首席执行官尼蒂什.米特赛（Nitish Mittersain）对此则另有看法，“板球类游戏一直是我们最热销的产品，著名板球运动员Virender Sehwag对此功不可没，他的许多粉丝都会下载板球游戏，玩家每天泡在这些游戏上的时间约在30至40分钟左右。”

一些老牌游戏在手机平台推出的周边产品也大受欢迎，由《Happydent White》衍生出的一款赛车游戏就是此类典范。Perfetti Van Melle India公司的总经理桑尼尔.苏勒伽（Sameer Suneja）在6月份该款游戏初次登台时表示，“这款游戏在15至30岁的用户群中非常有影响力，这一群体也恰好是Happydent锁定的目标用户，品牌价值、品牌信息的力量在这款游戏中得到了深刻体现。”

有关方面预测，3G手机用户可能会比普通手机用户多花3到4倍的时间耗在手机游戏上，游戏产业也已瞅准了时机，准备将这一商机的利润最大化，据Nazara Technologies公司的米特赛透露，该公司目前正与运营商MTNL公司进行营收对半分成的业务合作。

lbibo是印度第一家推出手机社交游戏的公司，已经具备开发多人在线手机游戏的实力，只待3G网络正式运营，他们就可开足马力推出3G手机游戏成品。该公司的游戏开发者目前正全力设计可与多数手机设备兼容、运行性能优越的手机游戏。lbibo的代表作之一即《The Great Indian Parking Wars》，目前正与Aircel公司就该款游戏进行相关手机业务合作；另外，Reliance ADAG旗下的JumpGames公司也正开发与苹果iPhone兼容的手机游戏。

3G网络正式上市后，VAS这块蛋糕还将不断膨胀，印度互联网及移动联合协会的副主席马胡尔.古普塔（Mehul Gupta）表示，“3D游戏和MMOG游戏上线，以及手机键盘优化，必将促进VAS市场份额的持续增长。”

Games on the go

The digital gaming industry is looking forward to the mobile 3G rollout with the great enthusiasm. The 3G regime will allow a sharp step-up in mobile gaming from single-player Java downloads to multi-player, social gaming, enabled by high-speed data transfer capabilities. With the fast proliferation of smartphones — affordable and high-end — mobile gaming has already started creating noticeable ripples in India. GPRS-supported mobile phones enable mobile game play. A mobile VAS (value-added services) report says that India’s mobile gaming industry stands at Rs 541 crore, which is 4.56 per cent of the total VAS revenue of Rs 11,860 crore. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the Indian mobile gaming industry will touch Rs 3,100 crore by 2014.

Samir Bangara, COO, Indiagames, had put the size of the mobile gaming industry at a more conservative Rs 250 crore during the June launch of Happydent White’s mobile game, developed by his company. He said, “Post the 3G rollout, the segment is expected to grow at a much faster pace. There are about 40 million mobile internet users in the country, a number that is expected to increase exponentially.”

Other industry estimates put the size of the gaming industry at Rs 1,000 crore by 2013. Though the estimates vary, everyone agrees that mobile gaming is going to be big in the near future.

Anuj Kacker, global head, Arena Animation, said that over three million users in India play mobile games every month. “Mobile and console gaming together contribute nearly 75 per cent of the total gaming market. With around one lakh downloads a day, this adds up to over 36 million downloads a year.”

According to a NASSCOM-Ernst & Young report, the mobile gaming market in India is dominated by GSM mobile operators who enjoy a 75 per cent market share. The top categories of games include cricket, Hollywood and action-based games. Around seven-nine million mobile subscribers are added every month and GPRS penetration (on handset capability) is almost 35 per cent. Mobile gamers account for only about 1.25 -1.5 per cent of the total subscriber base, so the potential for growth is huge.

Nokia has positioned Ngage as a gaming platform on mobiles and many handset manufacturers are bundling games. Some operators also provide free GPRS access. As gaming catches on, ad–supported and subscription models could emerge.

Mythological themes are now being tapped for mobile gaming too. Besides, advergaming is expected to get a boost in the 3G scenario, when a TV commercial can be streamed before a game.

Chandrashekhar Mhaskar, national manager, digital marketing, Dun & Bradstreet, added: “The freemium and ad-funded model has been gaining traction. It involves the consumer either being allowed to play the first few levels of a game free of cost, and then being given the option to download; or the games being available free to the customer and the funds being generated through advertising.”

Games such as Wordmaster, Texas, My Gang, The Great Indian Parking Wars and Galcon, and other sports and action genre are popular with game lovers. But, said Nitish Mittersain, CEO, Nazara Technologies, a mobile entertainment company, “Cricket games have always been among our top sellers. Featuring Virender Sehwag helped us a lot, as many of his fans download the game. Gamers spend about 30 to 40 minutes a day on these games.”

Brands launching games around themselves on the mobile platform has also gained popularity. Happydent White launched a car racing game and features prominently in it.

Sameer Suneja, MD, Perfetti Van Melle India, had said at the time of the game’s launch in June: “Mobile gaming is very popular in the age band of 15-30 years, which is also Happydent’s core target group. The brand values and message are captured skilfully in this three-level game.”

Last year, Vodafone launched its Zoozoo World Cup, a fast-paced cricket game on the mobile platform, with the Zoozoos as the players.

3G phone users are expected to spend at least three-four times more on gaming as compared to normal users. The gaming industry has aggressive plans to exploit the opportunity. “We have already started engaging with the gaming audience and have tied up with MTNL on 50/50 revenue sharing,” said Mittersain.

Ibibo, the first company in India to launch social games on the mobile platform, has already built up significant and unique strengths in the area of multi-player gaming and is ready to roll them out as soon as the 3G networks go operational. Developers are already designing device-agnostic games that are free of handset compatibility hassles and low-end device performance.

Ibibo and games2win.com plan to make all their online games available on the mobile platform. Ibibo has tied up with Aircel for its online game, The Great Indian Parking Wars, and will tap other mobile services too. Reliance ADAG’s JumpGames is working on iPhone-compatible games.

The share of gaming in the VAS pie is expected to increase  post the 3G rollout. “This share would get a further boost with the launch of 3D and MMOG (massively multiplayer online games) mobile games and enhanced QWERTY keyboards to improve the end-user experience,” said Mehul Gupta, associate VP, Internet & Mobile Association of India.（source：hindustantimes）

声明：本文中文为游戏邦翻译，英文原文采用hindustantimes，转载请保留版权信息，谢谢！