Audio: An Important Variable for Enhancing Indian Mobile Gaming Experiences
Samit Babbar, Head of Product at Moonglabs, a leading mobile game developer from India talk about the importance of audio in video games, and expounds on the role played by brands like Dolby in India.
Editor's Note- As the Indian gaming industry grows larger than ever, attention is slowly driven to the technicalities and nitty-gritties of the art of video game creation. On that note, Samit Babbar, the Head of Products of Moonglabs shares his opinion and understanding of the role and importance of audio in video games. Moonglabs has recently collaborated with the brand of Dolby Atmos for their latest video game, Epic Cricket- Big League. Mr Babbar looks back at his experience and shares with us some of his key takeaways that applies to the entire gaming industry of India.
As the Indian gaming industry grows larger than ever, attention is slowly driven to the technicalities and nitty-gritties of the art of video game creation. On that note, Samit Babbar, the Head of Products of Moonglabs shares his opinion and understanding of the role and importance of audio in video games. Moonglabs has recently collaborated with the brand of Dolby Atmos for their latest video game, Epic Cricket- Big League. Mr Babbar looks back at his experience and shares with us some of his key takeaways that applies to the entire gaming industry of India.
The Indian gaming industry has seen a growth trajectory by leaps and bounds. It is expected that the gaming industry is set to surpass USD five billion by 2025. The last five years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in demand for online gaming, be it consoles, PC, or mobile gaming. The high growth trajectory in the sector is expected due to several factors such as smartphone penetration, affordable internet, and young demography that sees gaming not just as a source of entertainment but also as a potential career in esports.
With this exponential rise, comes the demand for better technological innovations that can give gamers not just an immersive experience while gaming but also an edge over their competition. Indian gamers are cognizant of the benefits of better audio-visual technologies that can enhance their gaming experiences. Also, with innovations in hardware and 5G connectivity becoming a reality in the coming years –online gaming on mobile devices is going to explode.
The gamers of today want immersive experiences from their games and that is where brands like Dolby allow us to bring a whole new level of immersive gameplay to take gamers right into the action with spatial sounds with Dolby Atmos. Its three-dimensional precision game audio will immerse gamers in a more realistic, more intense gaming experience, and even allow them to improve their performance.
Sounds with lifelike details are precisely placed all around, so to make them feel like they are deeper inside the game — reacting faster and more accurately than ever before. So, whether you’re dropping into a busy battlefield or exploring a mysterious cave, understanding what’s around you is critical. Dolby Atmos allows you to pinpoint the precise location of individual sounds and more easily detect key sounds that might otherwise be lost in the mix.
A great audio experience while gaming ensures audience stickiness to a particular game. Some games have adhesive nature and keep the audiences glued to them for many years. While a few ‘click-bait’ games are dumped right after downloading them. Another notable factor is the love for a particular game in a region. For example, Indian consumers have an unconditional affinity toward cricket as a sport. The popularity of the game in India depends on the real-life interests of people. It becomes essential for cricket mobile games to provide quality graphics and visuals.
Supporting the visual appeal of a game, and providing an immersive soundscape, audio technology is becoming important. Even OEMs have realized this and have introduced devices like smartphones, tablets, and even add-on peripherals like Dolby Atmos-enabled headphones to be able to give an enhanced experience to mobile gamers. The free-to-play model (F2P) is also gaining popularity as it allows people to experience the content first and make payments later. Game design, production value, and audio-visual technologies are some of the more important features that creators are focusing on to provide more immersive experiences to the gamers of today.
Gaming is not just a means of entertainment for consumers today. It has also become a means to socialize with friends and family. While most consumers play casual games, but with the advent of Esports, mobile gaming will become mainstream, and more people will join in. More and more developers and publishers are building games that allow the whole community to game together online in real-time. With more technological innovations and OEMs integrating better audio-visual technologies in their devices, richer and more diverse experiences will be possible right from the metaverse to real-time avatar-based interaction in virtual worlds.
The author, Samit Babbar is the Head of Product at Moong Labs, a mobile game developer from India. The latest product from Moong Labs wpuld be Epic Cricket: Big League, a cricket emulating mobile game that was launched last year. You can find out more about Epic Cricket- Big League and Moong Labs here.
As for this article, it is a personal opinion, and India Today Gaming neither endorses, nor disregards it, and is not responsible for the same.
-Edited by Megha Murty