Bangalore, August 29 2016: Yes, there are such things as serious games -- though that sounds like a contradiction in terms! Also called applied games, they are designed for a purpose other than pure entertainment. Typically, serious games are meant to train, educate or promote -- in sectors such as education, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, travel and logistics.
In recognition of its business potential, NASSCOM has formed a special interest group or SIG -- under the aegis of its Gaming Forum -- and is hosting its first-ever industry get-together on Applied Games in Mumbai, on August 31. The event will see presentation of use cases of games in life-sciences; research & behavioral science methods applied in games and emerging technologies like Virtual Reality, Holograms & Artificial Intelligence that can be used in games for enterprises. The meeting is hosted by TCS at its Mumbai office. Now, you can play -- in office time -- and be paid for it!
Gaming means business in other ways too. According to the latest FICCI-KPMG report, the gaming industry in India is growing at a brisk 14.3 percent and will be a Rs 45 billion market by 2019.
Earlier this month, a nonprofit All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) was formed in Mumbai. It will bring together all stakeholders including games operators, players, games developers and payment gateways.