According to a senior government official, India plans to launch its digital games research effort to develop cutting-edge technologies for an immersive gaming experience.
Educational and recreational gaming platforms; a collaborative technical design process housed in SERB Game Labs; and immersive game prototypes with a focus on Indian culture and values are the three vertical R&D areas that will make up the Science and Engineering Research Board’s (SERB) Digital Gaming Research Initiative.
In a tweet, SERB Secretary Sandeep Verma explained how the R&D initiative will bring together academic institutions, startups, and established companies to speed up the creation of cutting-edge R&D concepts for Indian game engines, procedural content generators, design patents/copyrights for gamers, and the creation of games with a focus on community.
Verma argued that the global commercial potential of digital games and simulations was substantial. It will require interdisciplinary study amongst disciplines like engineering, computer science, visual graphics, the fine arts, and the social sciences, he continued, if we want to truly innovate.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading an effort to expand his country’s footprint in the global gambling market. Nirmala Sitharaman, the minister of finance, has announced the formation of a task force to develop the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics industries.
Indus Battle Royale is only one of many upcoming Indian-themed games being developed by American studios; other titles take their cues from ancient Indian artifacts and settings.
In response to the success of battle royale games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Free Fire, players in India developed their own version of the genre called FAUG Fearless and United Guards.
