Following the recent ban on South Asia hit mobile shooter game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), gaming groups have already expressed concerns over the effects of the said ban in the long run.
Financial Express reports that the recent ban on BGMI run by Korean developer Krafton Inc has once again highlighted the urgent need to create regulations for the Indian online gaming industry. With over 100 million users in India alone, the immediate ban on the said shooter game can be detrimental to rising Indian gaming and esports communities.
Gaming Industry: Recent Bans Can Negatively Impact Lives of Many
In an interview with Adgully, Trinity Gaming India co-founder Shivam Rao expressed that the ban on BGMI is very unfortunate for the gaming community. Rao adds that these harsh actions from the government can negatively impact the lives and livelihoods of gamers and other esports talents in the industry. This is a sheer reality today in India. Many families depend on careers provided by the rising gaming industry.
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Aside from this, the Trinity Gaming India co-founder also highlighted how marketing partnerships might be affected by the recent developments in the Indian gaming scene. Shivam Rao also shares this statement, "This ban the options for players and gamers reduce drastically. If the ban decision holds, we will probably see a decline in the number of gamers and their communities across India. Meanwhile, this decision comes when India is going to debut in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK. It will certainly impact discussions and participation of gamers and the overall Indian esports ecosystem. While we appreciate policy and regulation and accept the government's decision, we hope that the sentiments of the youth, gamers, and the esports industry overall are managed."
Massive BGMI Viewership Can Be Potential Economy Booster Says Gamers
On social media, there is a growing clamor from gamers and gaming groups about the recent ban on some of the local mobile games in India. Gamers have expressed how unfair it is for the government to ban games instantly without even short notice. Some gamers online plead their case that if BGMI and games alike are banned because of 'data ownership' concerns, the government must also set its eyes on the growing online shopping industry in the country.
Some online protesters mentioned in their posts that banning prominent online games is actually a great loss for the Indian government. Gaming is a flourishing industry in India that attracts a great number of television viewers, second to the country's favorite televised sport, Cricket.
According to data gathered by Indian gaming platforms Loco and Glance Live, BGMI gathered a staggering 53.9 million views between June 24 and July 4 alone. These numbers are actually higher than other international streamed events, like the Australian Open this year.
BGMI has established one of the largest gaming communities in the world in the short time it has been as a mobile game app. Following the PUBG ban, BGMI assisted in organizing a number of regional competitions that featured aspiring local gamers and created professional teams to represent India in international PUBG matches.
Past news here from Gamenguide reports that a Krafton spokesperson had already acknowledged the delisting, and it has already been confirmed that the app is now unavailable to both Android and iOS app stores. This move by the government is motivated by their current laws highlighting data privacy. Recently, only China-based applications have been subjected to the said laws.
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