Abstract
Game development and production practices are complex and highly reflected processes—worldwide. This explorative article discusses video game development as a cultural and creative industry in India, including the industry’s history and introducing recent trends which indicate profound transformations—the use and implementation of Indian cultural heritage in game settings. In the rather short history of Indian game development as compared to other countries—a significant number of games made in India first were produced around 2010—the industry has already lived through big changes and challenges. This article aims at introducing Indian game development and argues that especially independent (so-called indie) game studios in their search for their own, region-specific game development and stand-alone characteristics for Indian games increasingly turn to what they perceive as their own cultural heritage, including, for example, elements from history, art (music, dance, dress styles, and others), and architecture.
Highlights
When studying video game development and the industry surrounding it—in worldwide settings as well as with a focus on India—many aspects and diverse research questions may be targeted
We presented a first introduction to and examples for emerging trends in Indian video game development when understood as a creative and cultural industry
While we think that such studies would be very necessary and welcome, the limited scope here did not allow us to discuss the economical, political, or social aspects of Indian game development or to analyze more in-depth extensive case studies of the new trend to implement regional cultural heritage elements
Summary
When studying video game development and the industry surrounding it—in worldwide settings as well as with a focus on India—many aspects and diverse research questions may be targeted. It proceeds to introduce and discuss how currently in India, indie game developers especially increasingly use aspects of regional cultures of India to shape both the form and content of their games Already released games such as Asura (2017), Missing (2016), or Raji (2020) as much as games in their final production phase such as Antariksha Sanchar or Mukti all attest for this new trend in the Indian game industry. While the scenario is changing 8 years down the line in 2021, it must be understood that the same yardsticks for writing the history of gaming in Europe and North America cannot be applied in the Indian context due to the cultural and historical differences Keeping this in mind, a brief note on the history of IT in India and its relation to the games industry is necessary. The following section will go on to explore the stories of such indies and how they incorporate Indian cultural themes in more detail
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