If you are a mobile gamer or an e-sports fan from pre-covid times, you must have heard about Mortal, Thug, and much bigger names. They are famous players who have been streaming their gaming capabilities on their channel for a while now. These players are a part of an e-sports team named Soul and 8Bit respectively who compete in high-profile tournaments. Lokesh Jain, popularly known as 8Bit Goldy, is a co-founder of both teams.
Goldy tells us about how gamers make money and how this model is sustained in India. If you are a budding gamer, you shouldn’t miss the latest episode of MSP Tech Pods. You can click on the play button available on the top of this article, and listen to the entire podcast.
How Do Gaming Houses Make Money?
To sustain a business, it’s important to monetise it. When asked how gamers or gaming houses make money, Goldy told us that content is the key which sells. They can always monetise their creators. It is not hard to monetise, all a gamer needs is good management. He further shares that currently e-sport players, irrespective of the game they play, are earning per international standards. An average BGMI player is earning Rs 1.5 lakh in India each month. Foreign players are earning double or triple this amount. However, he also stated that gaming houses have to burn money to grow in tournaments and their team needs to perform to make it profitable.
What Happened To the Gaming Community After the BGMI Ban?
The whole gaming community is aware of the fact that PUBG Mobile/BGMI was banned twice in India. In 2020, the government banned PUBG Mobile whereas in 2022, the same game with another name, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was banned in the country. However, the game made its return in India early this year.
Speaking on the ban, Goldy told us during the first ban in 2020, the viewership dropped however the brands came out in support of them. The major audience shifted to streamers who were playing other games like Minecraft, GTA V, etc.
But the second ban in 2022 turned out to be worse for them. When BGMI was banned, everyone including brands, the audience backed out. Every streamer was affected during that time. Although the game has returned a few months back, the entire ecosystem still hasn’t recovered.
How is Mobile Gaming Expected to Grow in India?
In recent years, mobile gaming in India has touched new records. We asked Goldy how he has seen this journey and what new changes he expects to see. Research mentions that the gaming market in India is expected to grow from $2 billion in 2022 to $5 billion in 2027. This technically means that the Indian gaming market is one of the fastest-growing markets worldwide.
Another report mentions that the number of gamers will rise from 420 million in 2022 to 500 million in 2025.
He stated that the number of gamers is rising in India and it can grow to 800 million by 2027. The number of women gamers has been increasing in the country. Earlier, it used to be 14 to 20 but now it is usually between 18 to 35. Even the parents are now coming forward and considering letting their kids try a career in this industry. Goldy says that once the PC brands start investing in the gaming industry in India, the community here would be comparable to the international market.
8Bit’s Lokesh Jain aka Goldy’s statement on the MSP Tech Pods convinces that the Indian gaming industry has a bright future ahead. It will be beneficial not just for the gamers but also for the brands that are looking to place themselves in the industry.
