Cover-Credits:
AFK Gaming
Good Morning. It's Monday, June 24. In today’s edition, we recap our recent seminar with PC gaming industry experts, including Shagufta “Xyaa” Iqbal, a seasoned gamer and content creator; Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPower PC India; and Samkit Shah, CEO of Next Level Gaming Cafes.
Additionally, we cover NODWIN Gaming’s latest tournament, offering Indian Valorant teams a coveted slot in VCT Ascension. Read on for more insights and updates from the world of esports and gaming.
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PC Gaming in India: Navigating Challenges and Tapping into a Mobile-First Market
India’s PC gaming industry is striving to gain a foothold in a market overwhelmingly dominated by mobile gamers, as highlighted in a recent webinar hosted by AFK Gaming. Industry experts at the event painted a complex picture of both challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
The webinar featured prominent voices from the gaming community: Shagufta “Xyaa” Iqbal, a seasoned gamer and content creator; Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPower PC India; and Samkit Shah, CEO of Next Level Gaming Cafes. The discussion, moderated by Nishant Patel, co-founder of AFK Gaming, delved into the state of PC gaming in India and its prospects.
Samkit Shah observed a significant demographic shift among gamers visiting gaming cafes post-pandemic, noting an increasing number of older individuals engaging in gaming activities. Vishal Parekh echoed these sentiments, highlighting the evolving gaming habits of older gamers and the rise of intergenerational gaming. Despite these positive trends, high costs remain a significant barrier, with gaming hardware priced 15-30% higher than in developed markets due to import duties and logistical expenses.
The panel also discussed how India’s mobile-first gaming culture could serve as a strategic entry point for expanding the PC gaming market, with targeted marketing initiatives aimed at transitioning mobile gamers to PC gaming for a superior experience.
You can read the full summary of the webinar on our website.
India’s Top Teams Compete for VCT Ascension Slot and $66,000 Prize at NODWIN Gaming Arena
The OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia Split 2 is set to bring fierce competition to the NODWIN Gaming Arena in Delhi from June 25-28. Four of India’s top Valorant teams—Revenant Esports, Velocity Gaming, True Rippers, and Orangutan—will battle it out in the LAN playoffs for a shot at the prestigious VCT Ascension slot and a $66,000 prize pool.
Revenant Esports and Velocity Gaming topped Group A, while True Rippers and Orangutan led Group B during the league stage. Now, these teams will face off in front of a live audience, aiming for the $20,000 champion’s prize.
NODWIN Gaming, in collaboration with Riot Games, orchestrates this crucial event for the South Asian esports scene. “This event represents the pinnacle of VALORANT esports in India,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, highlighting the significance of the playoffs in elevating India’s presence on the global stage.
The tournament, part of the broader OMEN VALORANT Challengers South Asia 2024 series, has already seen significant engagement. Split 1 drew 30,000 offline attendees and 3.2 million online viewers. As the competition heats up, all eyes will be on these top teams, not just for the prize but for the chance to compete internationally. The event will also be streamed live on NODWIN Gaming’s YouTube channel.
Quick Bytes
Farworld Labs Raises $1.75 Million to Launch Mobile-Optimized Web3 Gaming Platform
Farworld Labs has raised $1.75 million to launch its decentralized, mobile-optimized Farcade platform for Web3 game development. Scheduled for release in the third quarter, Farcade will enable developers to create crypto-native games integrated with onchain social media. Co-led by Lemniscap and Variant, with participation from Base Ecosystem Fund and Coinbase Ventures, the funding will support collaborations with top-tier studios. Farcade aims to revolutionize mobile gaming by allowing users to play directly within their social media feeds without downloads, making onchain gaming more accessible and seamlessly integrated into everyday mobile use.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Launches to Mixed Reviews
The long-awaited Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC has arrived, bringing with it some of FromSoftware's toughest encounters. Despite praise for its art direction and world design, the DLC has a "Mixed" review score on Steam. Players cite the high difficulty and aggressive enemy behavior as significant issues, alongside reports of poor PC performance. Despite mixed reviews, the DLC has climbed the ranks to become one of the top three most played games on Steam. While some players relish the challenge, others find it overwhelming, illustrating a divided community response.
Anthropic Launches Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI Model, Rivals OpenAI and Gemini
Anthropic has unveiled its latest AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, positioning it as a direct competitor to OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini. Available for web and iOS users, Claude 3.5 Sonnet claims superior reasoning, understanding, and handwriting recognition capabilities. According to benchmarks, Claude 3.5 Sonnet outperforms its predecessor and rivals in 7 out of 9 tests, particularly excelling in visual reasoning tasks.
Black Clover Streams in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam on Tata Play's Anime Local
Black Clover is now available in Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam on Anime Local, Tata Play's anime channel, airing daily at 7 PM on channel 681. Launched in June, the ad-free Anime Local offers a variety of dubbed anime shows for ₹2 per day, including Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Sergeant Keroro, Ninjaboy Rantaro, and Rotoban. Subscribers can also stream Black Clover and other shows on the Tata Play mobile app. Similarly, Airtel Digital TV’s Anime Booth broadcasts Black Clover in Hindi.
Champions of Champions Tour Launches Dota 2 Circuit with $400K Prize Pool
Online esports tournament organizer Champions of Champions Tour (CCT) announced its entry into the Dota 2 tournament ecosystem with the CCT Dota 2 Circuit. A division of GRID Esports, CCT has previously organized tournaments for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Counter-Strike 2. The inaugural Dota 2 circuit kicks off on June 24, running until July 3, offering a $400,000 prize pool. The season features eight online tournaments, each with 12 invited teams and a $50,000 prize pool.
Did You Know?
Did you know that GTA 5, one of the most expensive video games ever made, had notoriously slow online session loading times until a random coder fixed it? This frustration persisted for eight years until a coder named 't0st' stepped in with a game-changing solution.
Despite being a community member and not part of the official development team, t0st took it upon themselves to investigate the cause of the long wait times. They discovered that the game was bogged down by the need to parse an incredibly long JSON file during the loading process. This file was filled with data that unnecessarily delayed the game's startup.
With a clever bit of coding, t0st managed to streamline this process, cutting the loading time by an impressive 70%. This remarkable achievement didn't just stay within the fan community. Rockstar Games, the developer of GTA 5, took note of t0st's work and officially implemented the fix in a subsequent update, vastly improving the online experience for millions of players.
Quote of the Day
I don't think we build cemeteries for the dead. Sure, it may seem pointless to you, but... How can I describe it? It's so that we can think like this: "We'll never forget you. We'll remember you every time we stand at your grave. And we won't let the fear of death, which each of us knows, stop us from living our lives. Because my friends will remember me when I'm here."- Black Mage no. 288, Final Fantasy IX
