- Plan to help UK universities build their off-campus sites in Telangana to educate more people about gaming, IT Secretary for Telangana, Jayesh Ranjan says
- Nearly 30 top gaming companies across the world make their presence felt at the event
The 11th edition of the India Game Developer Conference took off with great zest at HICC, Novotel in the city with the gamer community across several countries, developers and global companies in impressive attendance. Held as part of Indiajoy 2019, the country’s premier gaming, media and entertainment event hosted by industry volunteers with support from Government of Telangana, IGDC is set to redefine the way gaming is perceived in the country and nurture a community without barriers. With several talks, workshops, panel discussions, esports tournaments, the two-day conference has everything to ensure an adrenaline rush to its attendees.
Expressing his happiness to witness a great turnout for the event from various parts of the globe, Rajesh Rao, Chairman of IGDC, had said, “This is a conference that has been put together by the gaming industry- for the people, by the people. Over 25-30 top gaming companies, who have changed the face of the industry, have made this event one-of-a-kind. This is a not-for-profit event and we’re glad to be receiving great support from sponsors and gaming enthusiasts from various corners of the globe. "
Discussing the initiatives by the Telangana government to cater to the interests of the gaming industry, IT Secretary for the State, Jayesh Ranjan at the keynote session had added, “The Indian Game Developer Conference has enriched the appeal of Indiajoy 2019. The edition has grown bigger from time to time and the Telangana government has been making concentrated efforts to promote the gaming sector consistently. The Image Tower, that we plan to construct by the end of 2020, promises to redefine the gaming industry in the country, where we provide excellent infrastructure and a welcoming business-friendly environment that would encourage investment."
In an attempt to widen the horizons of the industry and gaming enthusiasts in the State, he had mentioned that the Government is in talks with a few top universities in the UK to setup their off-campus sites in the city. “There is a great need to come up with world-class educational institutions in the State to foster budding gaming enthusiasts. A Centre of Excellence for the gaming, animation and VFX is in the offing. We plan to make IGDC an annual series in the city and hope to provide a rewarding and a rich experience for everyone who’s part of it - gamers, developers, companies.”
Unreal Engine ahead of its launch in the country hoped to educate more people about gaming. The brain behind one of the biggest success stories in the gaming space in recent times, Tencent Games too made its presence felt at the event. Sharing insights into their journey in the country, Anish Aravind, General Manager of Tencent Games India stated, “Setting shop in India was a big moment for us. From winning Google Play’s Golden Joystick Awards, witnessing 400 million downloads, 50 million daily active users to being in the top 10 downloaded apps on Google and Apple store for long, we have become India’s favourite game.”
The balance of right marketing, effective localising of a game that has a global appeal, teaming with Bollywood and enabling partnerships with the likes of Oppo, Vivo, Hotstar, Sony LIV, Voot and Flipkart have taken us forward, he had added. “Gaming tournaments, esports initiatives have helped the gaming culture grow at a rapid pace. This is the right time to create games and be a gamer,” he had mentioned.
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