The final day of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre
| Photo Credit: X/@GDAI_in
The final day of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) was taken over by youngsters. Participants as young as four years old accompanied by their parents, could be seen exploring various stalls, trying out new games and asking questions, reaffirming the panelists’ opinion of dynamic career prospects in the gaming industry.
The parents looked equally excited holding the joysticks and manoeuvring the characters on the screens installed across the venue, signifying the improved acceptance for gaming in India.
“Gaming plays a significant role in the neurological development of a child and improves cognitive skills. I got my son here so he could enjoy and learn. For a developing country like ours, I see this as a domain with very bright prospects for the future,” said Dr. Lakshmi, a paediatrician from Green Hills in Hyderabad who had arrived with her 6-year-old son Mokshetra.
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Syed Imran, 42, a father of four, visited the IGDC for the third time this year. “My kids are always on their phones playing so many complex games. This place gives me the hope that they are not just playing to kill time. My eldest son is pursuing AI engineering, and the others are still in high school. By the looks of it, they seem to be entering this industry in their career. As parents, we are in full support of it,” he said.
Opposed to the popular belief that ‘gaming is not a serious career’, parents at the venue seemed not only convinced but supportive about their kids taking the unconventional paths.
Demand for gaming in formal education and curriculum
An important concern highlighted by several experts, parents and youth, was the need for grassroots and college programs in gaming in India.
“While the number of institutes offering gaming-related courses has seen a healthy growth in the past few years, a lot more is needed and can be done,” said Shylaja Rao, General Partner of Ventana Ventures.
She also highlighted the vast range of career options available. “When we think of gaming, we only think of development but there are so many other niche areas, including game design, 2D animation, character designing and data analytics with prospective careers. The younger generation must focus on building skills in these domains for a successful career,” she said.
Mahalakshmi, 18, a second-year B.Sc student of Gaming in Government Degree College for Women in Begumpet said, “The industry has traditionally been male-dominated and now has immense scope and opportunities for women. I am particularly interested in game design and my family was very supportive of my decision.”
The institute is among the few in Hyderabad offering a degree program in gaming and 37 women from here were present at the conference on Friday.
Pavani Nageshwaram, mother of 6-year-old son Nandan says she would like to see more interventions at the school level to help children excel in gaming. “As technology evolves, children also have to be on the same page and for that education plays a big role. I am happy to see the increasing focus in schools on practical knowledge, but a lot more can be done. Not many avenues are available for this industry in the education stage,” she stressed.
Syed Osman Hussain, 16, ISCG multimedia college first-year student seconded the opinion. “I think Indian teens should focus and pursue a career in gaming. It’s the second largest industry in the world. There should be more courses related to games and design at the intermediate level as well. I am now pursuing web technology and graphic design.”
Sessions throughout the day highlighted emerging trends in gaming, uncovering revenue streams for esports, building art skills and portfolio for the Indian game industry and much more.
Published – November 16, 2024 10:41 am IST
