The market interest is there. Over a billion people in the region, and due to it being a former British Colony, English is one of the official languages. Couple that with a fascination with Western culture and entertainment, you would think that they would have moved in earlier.

But as the article demonstrates, games have to be sold for cheap in order to sell. It's a region where piracy is rampant, if not the acceptable norm. I've known people who were newly immigrated and were taken aback by the fact that I'd pay $60 a game (as compared to $2-3).

So it's a big hurdle because it's simply a part of life down there. Cheaper games (that would have better packaging than the ripoffs) could sway people.

Of course, regional games are a great idea too. Made in India for India isn't a bad idea. Sony can afford tagging the games with low price tags due to the low development cost. Quick google research shows me that a typical programmer there can make between $6,000 - $10,000 US a year.

Not only that Amir,

but this article show the power of all regional markets around the world (BRIC, Eastern Europe, so on) and how focused games content (more than games as techinical stuff) can be delivered to them with sucess. India, as also Brazil, has this great problem with piracy, which lowers everyone revenue with games. Other countries still have that too. But China and Indian has billions of people. Most are poor people that can't afford game regurlaly or even once! So other countries too.

But what i am seeing here is something nice to see. Gaming development really done to please local markets, Something that our worldwide global digital distribuition and expensive logistical process done by great Publishers cant afford yet. How it would work? Casual games industry and actual business models? No, it's not working. All marketing and communications efforts are put into a more wide audience, if they are put, indeed.

So i think a possible way may be local games done by local companies to its local markets in a cheap distribution channel, like digital one. But somehow we will need to find out how can we work that distribuition channel to really aim regional markets, which in games is a lot, with less losses possible. With that, we will have to find out how can we create to that and cheaply promote our games. Democratical development may reach local markets and games industry. Like India, or else, like what is done in Japan and Korea already for a long time.

But is has begun to happen in less rich countries, as we can see this exemple in India. I wonder if that is possible in Brazil with piracy reaching 96% of the whole games market. But here our workers are a bit more expensive, but as not as Eastern Europe, and a lot of creative.

I forgot to say:

Thumbs ups for India!

"sold 10,000 units to the trade on day one"

Does that mean Sony shipped 10,000 units to retail or does it mean 10,000 units were sold to consumers on day one (which, if true, is a fantastic figure)?

Interview with Aurona's CEO:
http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Hanuman_Boy_Warrior_Maker_Speaks/551-100483-5
85.html

Game review :
http://tech2.in.com/india/reviews/ps2-games/hanuman-boy-warrior/63912/0