Hyderabad: The 16th edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) concluded on Friday in Hyderabad. Powered by the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI), the three-day event at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) brought together industry experts and representatives of gaming giants from around the world.
From November 13 to November 15, the expo allowed thousands of attendees to get valuable insights, witness the latest gaming gear in action, and play games to their heart's content. It hosted various panel discussions on topics like generative AI in game development, strategic investments in global gaming, and the status of the Indian gaming market.
Notable speakers at the IGDC included industry leaders, innovators, and industry experts, which included personalities like Jordan Weisman (EAI), Tim Morten (Frost Giant Studios), Bryce Johnson (Microsoft), Keerti Singh (Hitwicket), Roby John (SuperGaming), Sean Sohn (Krafton Inc India), and other personalities associated with companies like Google Play, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Meta, AFK Gaming, Google Cloud India, Nazara, Mayhem Studios, Unreal Engine, and a lot more.
IGDC Awards 2024 - Awards and nominees
The event also presented IGDC Awards, honouring game developers and studios across various categories, which are as follows:
PC/Console Game of the Year
- Brocula
- Fears to Fathom – Woodbury Getaway - RUNNER UP
- Project F
- The Demon’s Exorcism
- The Palace on the Hill - WINNER
Mobile Game of the Year
- Wizard World: Magic Merge
- Dream Cricket 2024 - RUNNER UP
- Once upon a merge - WINNER
- Hospital Rush
- Shri Ram Mandir Game
AR/VR Game of the Year
- Get the Duck
- Hammer Heads - RUNNER UP
- Spacey’s Adventure (Mobile AR)
- Sportsverse - WINNER
- SubmergedVR
Upcoming Game of the Year
- Detective Dotson - RUNNER UP
- Last Day Lockdown
- Where Did My Hair Go?
- Winds of Arcana: Ruination - WINNER
- పల్లెటూరు-Palm Sugar: A Village Story
Student Game of the Year
- Disengage
- Sangam - RUNNER UP
- Shotgun-Tact - WINNER
- Slunkey
- Warbound
International Game Award
- Footgun: Underground
- Hollywood Animal
- TerraScape
- The Star Named EOS - WINNER
- Toy Tactics
Indie Game of the Year
- Hospital Rush
- Fears to Fathom -Woodbury Getaway
- Kamla - RUNNER UP
- The Demon’s Exorcism
- The Palace on the Hill - WINNER
Best in Gameplay
- Dream Cricket 2024
- Fears to Fathom – Woodbury Getaway - WINNER
- Project F
- The Palace on the Hill
Best in Visual Arts
- Once upon a merge - WINNER
- Dream Cricket 2024
- Fears to Fathom – Woodbury Getaway
- The Palace on the Hill
Popular Choice Award
- The Demon's Exorcism - WINNER
Women in Games
Shruti Verma and Laxmi Khanolkar
Hall of Fame
- Rajesh Rao
Indian government's support to the gaming industry
The GDAI was officially launched to unify and promote India's video gaming industry, which despite its growth, faces challenges such as the need for policy support, talent development, and funding. GDAI aims to address these issues and position India as a premier destination for game development.
On the first day of IGDC 2024, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, participated in policy meetings with leaders from the video gaming and interactive entertainment industry. He highlighted the government's understanding of the distinction between video gaming and real money gaming, emphasising the ministry's commitment to fostering high-quality talent in collaboration with the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) to help India become a global leader in gaming.
Jaju noted that the gaming industry holds a significant position in India's media and entertainment sector, offering substantial economic and employment potential. He also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech where he talked about his desire for gamers and game developers from India to become global players. In this context, Jaju mentioned that the union cabinet recently approved the establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, which aims to support skill development and foster a startup ecosystem for the gaming industry, as well as the entire EVGC and XR segments.
The IGDC 2024 began with policy round table meetings involving GDAI board members, gaming company CXOs, ministers, and policymakers to discuss growth initiatives for India's video gaming industry. Key companies like Nazara Technologies, Playsimple, and Super Gaming participated. Special Secretary Neerja Sekhar emphasised the establishment of a premier game development school and gaming courses in top Indian colleges.
State support and other discussions
Additionally, Tamil Nadu and Telangana state governments proposed regional Centres of Excellence for the AVGC sector to foster local research, development, and training in game design and interactive media. The day at IGDC 2024 also featured the signing of MoUs between GDAI and the state governments of Rajasthan and Sikkim. In addition, the Incubator White Paper, outlining a framework for establishing incubators to support IP development and early-stage gaming start-ups, was released by Tamil Nadu IT Minister Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan and Special Secretary of MIB Neerja Sekhar.
The IT Ministers from Telangana and Tamil Nadu emphasized their competitive and collaborative efforts to attract global gaming companies and local talent, aiming to become top destinations for gaming studios through infrastructure, policy support, and talent development initiatives.
The discussions at IGDC 2024 highlighted the need for a unified approach, with the central government coordinating cross-ministry efforts to drive innovation and position India as a global gaming leader. Panel discussions on the second day covered topics such as the government's role in developing gaming talent, the evolution of college programs to meet industry needs, and strategies for growth through analytics and user acquisition, featuring experts from various educational institutions and companies.
