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Esports finally being added as a medal event at the 19th Asian Games is a monumental step forward for the industry in India and South Asia. Market leaders are hopeful that it will catapult the growth of the scene in the region and feel that it will soon be regarded as highly as any other traditional sporting event.
In a conversation with Abhishek Mallick of Sportskeeda Esports, Mukesh Kumar Chaudhary, RAPOO Country Head, India & SAARC talked about the impact that the upcoming Asian Games will have on the scene. He opened up about the importance of reliable gaming peripherals in esports, RAPOO’s future plans for the region, and the growth that the Indian video game and esports industry has seen because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mukesh Kumar Chaudhary, RAPOO Country Head, India & SAARC on the growth of Indian esports
Q. What are your thoughts on the Indian video game and esports market as it stands today? What do you feel about the type of growth that it has had in recent years?
Mukesh: In the ever-evolving gaming market, esports has emerged as a booming industry. While the pandemic had a major role to play in the vertical’s growth, it is due to digital adoption that the sector has upscaled significantly.
With its fragmented landscape and digital platform, the esports sector holds potential for a host of monetization opportunities. Amongst the entertainment formats, gaming specifically has been gradually gaining prominence, and in this segment, video games and esports have been growing exponentially at a global level.
However, the Indian market is yet to be fully tapped and receive the recognition it deserves. The video game and esports markets have gradually increased in popularity over the years, with people spending more time at home during the pandemic and looking for new ways to socialize and stay entertained.
Q. What are your personal projections as to where the Indian and South Asian video games and content creation industry will be in the next five years?
Mukesh: The growth of the video game and content creation market will create more career opportunities for passionate individuals. Over the next five years, it is estimated that growth and engagement for the gaming industry will be high and the future seems bright.
According to reports, there are over 200 million active players who play competitively, and this number is also growing exponentially year after year.
With modern technologies continuously advancing and the growth of esports being exponential, more and more broadcasting services such as YouTube and Twitch have paved the way for people to sit and watch their favorite esports players and teams.
Q. Talk to us about the growing importance and desire for gaming peripherals like mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, and gaming headsets in India. What would you say are some of the contributing factors that are leading to this ever-growing demand?
Mukesh: The most important thing for PC gamers — in addition to a gaming PC — is the right set of gaming peripherals.
The keyboard is central to your gaming experience, so it is important to pick the right one. Mechanical keyboards are the most popular choice when it comes to gaming. They are popular for various reasons, such as being a lot sturdier than membrane keyboards, and more importantly, more responsive and more comfortable to use. When playing a competitive title, you need to have all the edge that you can get over your opponent.
With good surround sound, you have a higher chance of accurately pinpointing your enemy’s location and acting immediately. All this is possible with the best gaming headsets, which can provide a surround sound environment and enable you to distinguish and detect the direction of the sound clearly.
There are quite a few factors to consider when choosing a gaming mouse. Depending on the type of game you play, considerations like DPI (dots per inch), weight, switch, sensor type, skates, and even the material of the cable can all make a difference in how your mouse performs.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when outdoor games almost disappeared, the emerging esports played an important role by providing a platform for getting entertained at your home, because of which, using advanced gaming peripherals made the online gaming experience feel like playing in the real world.
Furthermore, an increasing number of youths across the world are adopting gaming as a profession, which is a major factor that is contributing to the growth of the ever-growing demand for gaming peripherals.
Q. What would you say are some of the holes that RAPOO is looking to fill with its verticals in the market of gaming peripherals?
Mukesh: RAPOO as a brand has always delivered stylish and innovative experiences when it comes to wireless peripheral products. The brand has successfully benchmarked several products in the market, including wireless keyboards, mice, gaming headsets, webcams, and more. These out-of-the-box products aim to surpass industry standards with every new innovation while maintaining the signature reliability of all our products.
For example, some of the recent launches include the launch of gaming peripherals like the VT30 gaming mouse. RAPOO's VT30 features a high-resolution 6200 DPI optical scanner/tracking engine for the finest pointer movements on the screen.
Using dedicated buttons, one can adjust the cursor’s movement in real-time with up to seven modes (up to 220 inches/second) to match your requirements, be it gaming or designing. The RAPOO VT30 also features eight high-precision tactile buttons. Each button is tested and guaranteed for 30 million clicks.
At present, we are focusing more on multimode involvement in our devices for complicated cross-platform use and meeting multi-tasking requirements.
Q. What are the current trends when it comes to gaming peripherals? What are the Indian gamers today looking to opt into when it comes to the field of both competitive esports and content creation?
Mukesh: The gaming accessories market is expected to grow over the forecast period, with continuous enhancements in gaming content.
The rapidly-evolving technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are fueling the growth of the gaming peripherals market across the globe. Major gaming console manufacturers have realized the potentiality of AR and are leading the change. AR can free gamers from "their world" and usher them into the real world to play.
Home consoles will primarily dominate the market as console gaming is in the transition to on-demand visual content, and this transition has already begun. The launch of new gaming content with high graphic requirements is also driving the market.
The growth of esports has also upsurged the demand for advanced gaming keyboards, mice and gamepads. For example, when choosing a mouse, it is important to know what your requirements are.
Some gaming mice have the option to add weights to the mouse to change the way they behave. More weights can make the mouse a little more stable, and this can be a trait some players will want while gaming. Some others want very lightweight mice that can be flung across the mousepad with little effort.
Furthermore, gaming keyboards are marked with innovations and multiple product launches, intensifying the competition amongst manufacturers and providing gamers with various choices.
The companies are highly focused on providing RGB lighting on gaming keyboards to enhance gamers' gaming experience.
The one thing that both content creators and esports players need are devices with pinpoint accuracy, durability, and made of quality that will last long. Needless to say, all of this ensures that the product is reliable.
The keyboard and mouse are the tools of engagement for esports players and this is where we excel by offering a range of products that suit esports players, be it MMO games, FPS games, or even strategy games.
The same portfolio of products caters to content creators who need input devices that can translate their vision on a machine with comfort, ease, and comfort for a long duration of use.
Q. With esports finally being added as a medal event in the upcoming Asian Games, what developments do you feel South Asia’s video games scene will have as a result? Will it finally be considered as important as traditional sports in the region?
Mukesh: Esports finally being recognized as a medal event in the 19th Asian Games is indeed a monumental step ahead for the South Asian video games scene. Industry leaders have talked about just how historic the inclusion has been while voicing their hopes for a new generation of esports talents to propel the region forward.
Esports is already important and its addition to the upcoming Asian Games just cements that fact. Tournaments like Worlds 2021, The International 10, M3 World Championship, and even Intel Extreme Masters have garnered viewership that rival traditional sports.
In fact, even during the lockdown, we saw esports grow in interest and reach, as people could play from the comfort of their homes.
From the era of LAN parties to playing with friends on different continents, esports is as old as the internet itself. It is a proud moment for all associated with gaming and esports that the Asian Games is adding esports as one of the games played.
Q. In India, mobile has always been the more go-to platform of choice for gamers. While titles like Riot Games’ Valorant did help revive the PC scene, do you feel the gap between the two platforms will diminish over years?
Mukesh: Mobile and PC gaming will always co-exist. Mobile is more accessible because of the price point and every household has more than one, making it an easy entry point for people to experience gaming. Mobile hardware has advanced to offer some visually rich games even on entry-level price point devices. The free-to-play, premium and advert-based model helps developers reach a larger audience.
The PC gamer is more evolved and looks for a slightly more complex experience. Mobile gamers that want a more serious gaming experience will eventually resort to PC gaming. PC gaming is an investment, considering the price of hardware, and the games offer a deeper level of customization and a deeper experience.
So, while games like Valorant may be getting attention today, it is since the days of Dave, Road Rash, Doom, Max Payne, and many more that PC has proven to be the best place to enjoy games. And with MMO and strategy games benefitting from the versatility of the keyboard and mouse, it is still the undistinguished champion for gamers who want the best experience.
Q. Tell us a bit about RAPOO’s latest ventures and tie-ups. What plans does the organization have in improving revenue generation and customer awareness in India?
Mukesh: The RAPOO gaming vertical has gained a lot of popularity in the market, which includes mouse, gaming headsets, keyboards, etc. We are extremely happy with our performance in the Indian market. We have been consistently registering growth year-on-year, both in terms of revenue as well as market penetration. In sync with the same, our network expansion too has contributed to the growth, building a strong channel ecosystem - the perfect blend of both the online and offline market.
Our sales objective for the next fiscal year is well aligned with the growing Indian market and we aim to replicate the growth percentage in double figures. Our mission in India is to present innovative and state-of-the-art technologies to enterprises and retail segments at the right value. We also aim to surpass industry standards with every new innovation while maintaining the signature reliability of all our products.
RAPOO recently announced the collaboration of RAPOO V, its gaming peripherals brand, with Blind Elevate, a division of Blind eSports. With this partnership, the company aims to dig deeper into the esports content creation industry. It also aims to explore and produce more and more creative content in the world of video games.
The computer gaming industry is on the rise at a high speed. Notwithstanding this, innovations and technological advancements have become really challenging with regards to conveying great gaming content. With this partnership, RAPOO desires to bring a superior gaming experience just as incredible substance to both proficient gamers and excited novices.
The RAPOO V regional gaming ambassadors from Blind Elevate are Perfect Gaming Machan, Black Mamba Gaming, Doctor Gaming, and Bhavanth Gamer. With the collaboration in place, RAPOO envisions a better future for itself in the Indian market, being one of the global leaders in gaming products
Q. What is 2022-23 looking like for RAPOO? What developments have you in store for this fiscal year?
Mukesh: RAPOO will likely be worldwide oriented and locally present through accomplices across the map of India. Our plan is to be among the top wireless peripheral brands by 2025. With the essential mission of fulfilling various customer requests by offering various new products, we will concentrate on expanding our business across all verticals in the coming year.
In India, we are in a situation in the industry where "we are now being noticed and not just seen." Our extending product portfolio has seen a positive reaction among buyers and received acknowledgment from the Indian market. We are very hopeful with regard to our endeavors and are working aggressively to become one of the leading brands in the market.
RAPOO has continually given close consideration to the persistent changes in user demand and has provided corresponding solutions. We have plans to cater to a more extensive client base and get fresher items in the market. We likewise plan to grow our multi-line advancement, from the most entry-level wireless products to high-end PC peripherals, and our R&D team is aggressively working on it.
We will strengthen our channel ecosystem and at the same time emphasize on Omni channel showcasing in this way, developing new items and overhauling our present item portfolio.
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