Gaming and esports industry in India have become exponentially big in the past few years. As new talents and organizations seek for a better future in the ecosystem, more and more brands are entering the market to become the gamechanger in the ecosystem and push the sector into the next level.
Recently Infinix Mobile, a Hongkong based smartphone company, has partnered with India Today Gaming to present Esports Premier League 2021. Speaking with AnimationXpress, Infinix Mobile CEO Anish Kapoor said, “India is one of the biggest and fastest-growing smartphone markets globally. We are also the fifth largest mobile gaming market across the world, and it is estimated that 44\per cent of India’s smartphone population will be playing games on their devices by 2022 (Inmobi gaming Report, 2021). These numbers clearly show that mobile gaming is truly here to stay and new-age smartphone companies like ours, need to focus our offerings as per this consumer pool.”
Their partnership with Esports Premier League 2021 will give them the opportunity to engage with the millennial and Gen Z population of mobile gamers in the country. Apart from that they also want to introduce their products which are packed with gaming technology for a rich gaming experience. “For instance, our recently launched products like the HOT series and now NOTE series, not only come with first-in-the-segment features but also have been designed keeping in mind the needs and struggles of young gamers. We would like to be known as the go to brand which delivers affordable smartphones that offer powerful flagship level features,” he added.
According to Inmobi report 2020, more than 80 per cent of the gamers are committed to gaming in India and they are also spending considerable hours playing games. India is becoming a favourable market for investors. The reasons are many; from internet penetration in rural India, to the rising number of women gamers and so on. With their budget smartphone devices with high-end features, Infinix wants to tap and drive the budding talents and first-time gamers to pursue their passion.
Since 90 per cent of online gamers in India consider mobile phones as their preferred device, and Infinix aims to work to offer good user experience and viable career option where users could earn through participating in esports national tournaments like Esports Premier League (ESPL) and also aims to tap the potential to represent India at a global level in the coming time.
“Our motive is to empower aspiring gamers with value for money devices that can help them rise to fame and create a legacy in the world of esports. Our newly launched NOTE series and partnership with ESPL initiatives are just a few of the key steps we have taken in order to bring our users a unique gaming experience along with the thrill of the city-based franchise model for the first time in India,” he added.
For ESPL Free Fire tournament India in 2021, with prize money of whopping Rs 25 lakhs, Infinix also owns a team that will be participating in the tournament, and they are looking forward to the exciting game nights and fun experiences with ESPL in India.
Commenting on the gaming-centric features that buyers can expect on the Infinix NOTE 10 Series, he shared, “The NOTE 10 series comes with multiple upgrades and innovations specifically designed to give a high-octane gaming experience to our consumers. The devices are supported by our indigenous Dar-link game boost technology which enhances the gaming interaction and visual experience in heavy-duty games like Call of Duty, Free Fire, Battlegrounds, Asphalt 9: Legends, etc. by preventing screen tearing, ensuring natural colour reproduction, elevating the performance of the touch panel, and managing the resource allocation between the game and the chipset efficiently to prevent heating from long gameplay hours.
Both the smartphones, NOTE 10 and NOTE 10 Pro come with a high refresh rate, for a smooth interaction between the users’ fingers and the screen. They both have a 180Hz touch sampling rate that allows faster screen response for a better gaming experience. To further ensure an uninterrupted experience in gaming and content consumption, NOTE 10 Pro will be the first in the segment to come with an 8GB RAM/ 256GB internal storage coupled with UFS 2.2 storage technology for better read and write speed and multi-tasking. Since gamers spend a lot of time looking into their screens, the NOTE series phones have displays that are easy on the eyes and have been certified by world-renowned testing firm TUV Rheinland to reduce blue light’s harmful effects. Not to mention the dual stereo sound support for a clean and powerful auditory experience.”
It is true that the easy accessibility of smartphones, technology and data is driving India’s gaming and esports sector. There has been a paradigm shift in the user’s psyche from casual games to online gaming and the increased preference and recognition of games like PUBG Mobile, FreeFire, Counter Strike, and Valorant are an example of it. In fact, online gaming has been one of the many reasons behind India’s enduring economy despite the global pandemic.
Kapoor shared that the value of esports start-ups in India touched $68 million by 2020, and is now expected to grow at 36 per cent CAGR in the next three years. According to Venture Intelligence report 2021, currently there are 400 million Indian gamers, which makes esports one of the preferable markets in India to invest on by the VCs.
Speaking on the investment scene in India, he commented, “The affordability and accessibility of smartphones in India gives a unique edge to the gaming and esports sector which are thriving in the country. Considering that online gamers prefer using smartphones and tools with top-notch performance, we are here to ensure the demands are met while keeping in mind affordability and accessibility. Infinix has been making investments towards improvising the overall experience of its devices for gamers with certain value propositions. We have been putting all our efforts towards our research and development for augmenting the performance of our smartphones.
For instance, we have introduced the revolutionary Dar-Link technology, 180Hz touch sampling rate and a powerful CPU clock speed in all our latest devices to amplify the experience for pro-level gamers to perform better. We are also teaming up with esports and game streaming leagues with an intention of reaching out to the vast community of gaming enthusiasts and even pro-level gamers and contribute to the overall growth of the country’s gaming and esports business.”
According to the Deloitte India Report, by 2021 the country is expected to add 40 million online gamers to emerge as a $2.8-billion-dollar online gaming industry. There are tremendous opportunities lined up for investors to tap the sector as players are no longer relying on consoles or PCs or waiting for the weekend to play a game.
“This genre is progressive in nature and is already trending at a rate of almost 27 per cent per annum. We are pretty sure that it has the propensity of becoming a secondary source of entertainment for Young India which not only is limited to playing but also to viewership. Also, we feel it is the right space in order to communicate our offering to this community as we already have been manufacturing game-ready devices for the mid-range segment that are feature-rich and enhance the users’ gaming experience.”
Kapoor concluded by saying, “We are keeping a watchful eye on the evolution of this genre in India and will keep on exploring innovative ways to promote and leverage upon the mobile-centric esports and competitive gaming ecosystem in our country.”