How can we understand the Indian game market and game content in India?
This can be said to be a very difficult problem when viewed from Japan’s perspective as India is a rapidly developing large country. Participating in IGDC would be an excellent option as an answer.
In this article, we will provide an overview of IGDC, a gaming exhibition held in Hyderabad, India, and some tips for participating.
Check out the video from our business trip to India!
What is IGDC?
IGDC stands for “Indian Game Developer Conference” and is literally an event for Indian game developers.
The venue is HICC, an exhibition hall similar to the Tokyo International Forum in Japan. Although the exhibition space is not very large, it is a very convenient facility with well-equipped facilities, cleanliness, and direct connection to the adjacent hotel. In India, it is safe to eat meals at nearby hotels.
Now, regarding the contents of IGDC, it has all the necessary elements for this type of event: exhibition space for game-related companies, meeting areas, various lectures, and a networking party.
As for the language, it is sufficient to be able to speak English, so it can be said that it is an event that is easy for Japanese people to participate in.
The only drawback is that there are almost no direct flights from Japan to Hyderabad. I changed trains in New Delhi, but the need to change trains was a bit physically demanding.
IGCD situation
Now, let me introduce you to the IGDC.
Exhibition area
The exhibition area is quite compact compared to Tokyo Game Show in Japan, and is about the size of a large indie game event.
However, it can be said that a place where such a large number of game-related booths gather together in India is valuable.
At the previous Indian Game Shows I attended, there were almost no booths of game development or publishing companies, but at IGDC, I was able to come into contact with a fairly large number of Indian game-related companies.
Networking
As for networking, there are dedicated matching sites and apps that allow you to exchange messages and arrange appointments.
I was also able to have business negotiations with several Indian businesses through this service.
If you have participated in this type of event, you should have no problem making an appointment.
Lecture
I haven’t been able to attend many of the various lectures as I was the speaker this time, but key people from India and other parts of the world have been invited, so if you find a speaker you’re interested in, please attend. We recommend exchanging business cards.
After party
The party was also officially held in the courtyard of a hotel adjacent to the venue, and we were able to interact with many people involved in the Indian game.
Tips for participating in IGDC
Now, I would like to share with you some tips on how to prepare when attending IGDC.
The first thing to do is to use Linkedin to make an appointment in advance.
Linkedin may not be used much in Japan, but people in India use it for networking. We recommend creating an account on Linkedin and posting that you will be participating in IGDC. You will receive messages from the people you want to meet, so you can make business appointments even outside the official matching system. You may also approach the person you would like to meet by sending a message.
In addition to Linkedin, we recommend that you also prepare WhatsApp. WhatsApp is an app similar to the Western version of LINE, and can be used by simply registering a phone number. People in India use Telegram or WhatsApp, and WhatsApp seems to be the most popular.
It is more common to give phone numbers and exchange WhatsApp rather than business cards.
IGDC is a recommended event to attend.
When I attended IGDC this time, I was a little surprised to see that there were a fair number of Japanese participants. Up until now, there have been almost no Japanese people attending these types of events, but this may mean that India is attracting attention as a unique market.
I felt that IGDC was the perfect event to get a bird’s-eye view of the Indian game market. This event is easy to participate in, so we recommend it to anyone interested in the Indian game market.
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