The Big Game Plan

Gaming isn’t just for those socially awkward geeks anymore. Everybody’s playing, and many for money... we’re talking a LOT of money

Games are another form of entertainment and cultural expression. You can hunt down a civilisation, you can explore continents... there’s so much you can do

A 2011 Grant Thornton report predicts that the gaming market in the country is estimated to grow from R900 crore in 2010 to touch

R2,125 crore in 2013. The urban Indian is getting hooked on to gaming like never before. “Games are another form of entertainment, a form of cultural expression – especially for the younger generation. You can hunt down a civilisation, you can explore continents... there’s so much you can do,” says Sathe.

And there’s something for everyone. First-person shooters for action-lovers, real-time strategy for planners, role-playing for daydreamers, and sports games for those who love the outdoors.

Or you could be a casual gamer. It could be blowing up those nasty green pigs in Angrybirds, or living the good life as an avatar in Thesims. According to an Internet and Mobile Association of India report, 41.2 per cent of the total active Internet users in 2010 were gamers.

It’s not much, but it’s a start. The gamer is no longer the good-for-nothing bum or the weird geek, he or she could be training to be the next big cyber athlete – rich, famous and successful.