Attracted by cost advantage, abundant talent pool, and potential market, gaming companies abroad are

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eyeing India for complete game development and to tap the huge potential. Recently, social gaming company Zynga, famous for its Farmville and Mafia Wars on Facebook, opened its first and largest centre outside US in Bangalore.

The company’s aim is to hire 100 best brains and tap into India’s potential gaming market. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said India offers some of the world’s most sophisticated and rich technical talent bases.

Harsh Jain, chairman and managing director of Dream11 Gaming, said, “India is not only an emerging market for consumption of games, but also a destination that major international game development studios are eyeing to set up shop in.”

Several benefits, including reduced costs and improved quality, have built confidence among global gaming production houses to outsource their work in India. Companies that outsource their work to the country include biggies like Microsoft, Sony and several smaller game developers.

A UK-based research firm Screen Digest, in its report had predicted that the market for games outsourcing would hit $2.5 billion by 2010. The report further said that 90 per cent of studios are expected to use outsourcing to some degree by 2008. Indian IT trade body Nasscom estimates the Indian gaming industry to reach $830 million and create 10,700 jobs by 2012.

Shan Kadavil, country manager of Zynga said, “Gaming industry in India is still niche. Mobile gaming is picking up and going forward, the industry will lean towards social gaming.”

Prakash Ahuja, CEO of Gameshastra, said, “Social gaming is one area which is going to grow exponentially and 3G will give it the multiplier effect.”

Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) projects the country to become the third largest online market with more than 81 million internet users, behind China and the US by 2013. According to IAMAI, 41 per cent of active internet users in India played online games in 2008, up 89 per cent from the previous year.

Atindriya Bose, country manager at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said that at a casual gaming level, the mobile gaming as well as social network games boast of huge number of followers playing the games free. “This obviously increases the number of people who are experiencing gaming and becoming ready for more advanced and elaborate console gaming,” he added.

Anuj Kacker, global head of Arena Animation said the Indian industry has opened up a host of career avenues for those who have a unique combination of technology and creativity, and are passionate about animation and gaming.