The Role of Regional Languages in Expanding the Gaming Audience in India

Getting the attention of the target audience is key for any business. In card games, for instance, people use local terminologies while discussing Teen Patti and rummy rules. So, a rummy game interface that accommodates local languages will undoubtedly attract more attention. It is even established in surveys that 70% of Indian internet users prefer local content over English.

Gaming platforms are taking the audience’s regional language preference seriously while developing their games and the surrounding infrastructure.

The Regional Scenario in India

As far as the Indian demographic is concerned, it has been observed that as much as 90% of the new internet users chose local content over English. Another report suggested that Indian users opt for twice as much regional language content as they would for English content. In 2019, 30% of the streamed content in India was in regional languages. By next year, it is estimated to be around 50%.

For game developers, it means that widely spoken Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi are prime contenders for game translation. Linguistic localisation can help games to expand their audience in India. This holds true for Indian as well as foreign games.

Games are using local languages to establish a faster connection with Indian gamers. The use of regional language increases the likelihood of a positive response from the gamers. Besides, gaming content creation is a new phenomenon in regional languages. Quality regional gaming material is short in supply, and therefore, developers are looking to get the first mover advantage.

Sooner or later, regional adoption will result in a wider reach. This makes it easier for the companies to expand their market base. By developing games with a regional flavour, developers also get an opportunity to include cultural nuances. This helps them establish a sense of relatability with the gamers, thus establishing loyalty and attracting new users.

The Regional Language Influence

In a country with 22 scheduled languages, localisation is not as plain and simple as it would be in Brazil or Spain, for instance. However, multiple regional languages don’t dilute the importance of any one of them. This is due to the sheer size of the demographics in India.

India is home to over 1.4 billion people, which is roughly a sixth of the world’s population. Over two-thirds of the country’s population is below the age of 35. This is precisely the age group where people are at the best of their tech-savviness. The country already has the second-largest online market in the world.

This large market size means that there are over 528 million Hindi speakers, 97 million Bengali speakers, 83 million Marathi speakers, 81 million Telugu speakers, and 69 million Tamil speakers. Such numbers exceed the population of many internationally known languages. These are all commercially viable market sizes for content creators and game developers. This has inspired many developers to focus on regional language game developments.

Regional Expansion Has Begun

Recently, Hyderabad-based Brahman Studios and Visakhapatnam-based Mono Tusk Studios were reported to be in the development stage of PC games in English and Telugu. These games are developed on local themes. Last year, Pokemon GO launched its game in Hindi. The makers of the game, Niantic, aim to offer the game in other regional languages in the years ahead.

There was a lot of buzz recently when Free Fire India initiated a comeback on the Play Store. The Singaporean developers have stirred excitement among Indian gamers by making the game available in regional languages. The adoption of regional languages has so far emerged as a lucrative prospect for Indian and foreign game studios alike.

The use of regional language is not limited to the gameplay alone. Game developers are gradually building an ecosystem that is suitable for gamers who have a regional language preference. Take the rummy game platform RummyCulture, for instance. Their regional language adoption goes beyond rummy rules and gameplay and addresses customer support as well. Their 24X7 helpline provides support in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

Breaking New Grounds 

The diverse linguistic landscape of India presents various interesting propositions to gaming companies. Kerala, with its 85% internet penetration, makes Malayalam language adoption commercially viable. Similarly, the rapid rural digitisation has made Hindi hugely important for all forms of content, including gaming.

As tier II and III markets open up, mobile gaming is breaking new ground. The affordability of free-to-play games and the influx of localised content are already boosting user engagement in these markets. With metro markets approaching saturation, the tastes and preferences of mainland India continue to inspire developers to leverage regional languages.