Meta’s inaugural Gaming Summit in India marks a significant milestone for the tech giant, as it acknowledges the burgeoning gaming industry’s prominence as one of its top three business verticals globally. The event underscores the rising importance of the gaming sector within the Indian market, a trend corroborated by Meta’s commissioned study conducted by GWI.
The study’s key findings shed light on the pervasive nature of gaming culture in India, with nearly half of casual gamers and a staggering 43 percent of real-money gamers hailing from non-metropolitan regions. This statistic highlights the democratization of gaming, transcending geographical boundaries and penetrating even the remotest corners of the country.
Notably, the research revealed that social media platforms, particularly Meta’s offerings, play a pivotal role in the discovery and acquisition of new games. Reels, video advertisements, and influencer marketing emerged as potent drivers, facilitating gamers’ exploration and purchase of novel gaming experiences.
Arun Srinivas, Meta’s director and head of the ads business in India, emphasized the company’s commitment to enabling growth opportunities for gaming businesses at various stages of their journey. He highlighted the Advantage+ suite of automated ads as a driving force behind the growth of gaming brands, underscoring Meta’s strategic focus on this burgeoning vertical.
The Gaming Summit witnessed the participation of India’s most prominent gaming brands, which shed light on the innovative implementation of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to propel their business growth. These industry leaders also shared insights into the top trends shaping the gaming landscape in India, offering a glimpse into the sector’s dynamic evolution.
The Meta GWI study unveiled intriguing insights into the gaming habits of Indian consumers. It revealed that more than three out of four casual and real-money gamers discover and purchase new games through social media platforms, with a staggering 90 percent of these interactions occurring on Meta’s platforms.
Furthermore, the study highlighted the influence of major sporting events and festive periods on gaming preferences. A remarkable 88 percent of consumers indicated a higher likelihood of switching from other real-money games to fantasy sports games during tentpole sporting events such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the World Cup. This finding holds significant implications for the upcoming IPL tournament, suggesting a potential surge in fantasy sports gaming engagement.
Overall, the Meta Gaming Summit and the accompanying study shed light on the intricate interplay between gaming, social media, and consumer behavior in India. As the nation’s tech landscape continues to evolve, the gaming industry’s prominence is poised to soar, positioning Meta as a pivotal player in enabling and catalyzing this growth trajectory.
