How the creator economy in the gaming industry is getting empowered

The content creator economy is reshaping the gaming industry in India. Many initiatives are being taken by Government of India and the State Governments to promote the AVGC sector, leading to the formation of an AVGC Task Force in April 2022. The share of online gaming in the AVGC sector is projected to rise to 68% by 2026, from 41% in 2019.

Meanwhile, there is also excitement building up for the Government of India’s inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), which will be held in February 2025. To spark the creative fire of game development through hands-on experience, a National level Game Jam will be organized targeting College Students. It is being organized in association with India Game Developer Conference.

In the run-up to Adgully’s marquee event for the gaming and e-sports industry – GAMEXX 2024 – which will be held in Mumbai on November 6, the latest edition of #GullyChat on the X platform, held on October 10, 2024, focussed on the creator economy.

The esteemed participants included:

Rajat Ojha, CEO, Gamitronic
Rohit Agarwal, Founder, Alpha Zegus
Parv Singh (aka Soul Regaltos), Gaming Content Creator
Sumedha Mahajan, Head of Marketing, India, Ampverse DMI

The session commenced with the participants discussing the most effective monetization strategies currently being utilized by game creators and how they are adapting to changes in the gaming landscape.

Sumedha Mahajan pointed out, “Today, there are a plethora of options and features available to enable more monetization avenues for creators. Whether it is live unboxing in a live stream, as we have been seeing, or the advancement of live shopping, or using features like Super Chat or in-platform currency.”

She added, “Apart from that, member-only content and subscription models for their community channels are also picking up really well across social platforms. It leads to unlocking special content for users and incentivizes the creator to go the extra mile for content as well.”

Rohit Agarwal highlighted how gaming creators in India are monetizing in many new ways – such as brand partnerships, live donations and memberships, Super Chats and exclusive perks, merchandise, affiliate marketing commissions, and event collaborations.

According to Rajat Ojha, “Free-to-play with micro-transactions is the solid fundamental of monetizing games today, and the appetite for this is increasing in India. However, in-game ads play the most important part here. We have been hugely successful in bringing brands into games, with around 750 brands integrated into our games.”

He further said, “Battle Passes, DLCs, esports, and digital assets (notoriously called NFTs) are other ways game creators generate revenue. Most of the games are now Games As A Service, which means they are player-centric. Players are not just playing the game, but influencing game development as well. Cross-platform multiplayer is also driving many possibilities, and gamers are coming together, making the space more democratic than ever before. Game developers rely on analytics, so testing various monetization strategies is easier than before. Communities on Discord and Reddit have become the law of the land.”

The discussion then shifted to how platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming contribute to the empowerment of game creators, particularly regarding features that enhance creator visibility and revenue.

Gaming content creator Parv Singh said, “Creators can produce a variety of content, from gameplay videos to other formats, which helps them reach a wider audience and establish a brand. Regular engagement with the community through polls provides insight into the type of content the audience is most interested in seeing.”

Rohit Agarwal added here, “YouTube Gaming has more than 20 million monthly active users, with Super Chats, memberships, and Shorts boosting visibility and earnings. For Twitch, 47% of Indian streamers cite its interactive features (Bits, subscriptions) as key to monetization. Lastly, local apps have seen a 40% increase in user engagement via regional language support and tiered subscription models, boosting the whole ecosystem. With India’s gaming market set to hit $3.9 billion by 2026, these platforms are driving growth!”

Discussing the role of emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and blockchain, in empowering creators within the gaming space, Parv Singh (aka Regaltos) shared, “VR and AR allow creators to offer immersive experiences, whether it is in the form of interactive gameplay on streams or virtual meet-and-greets with fans. These technologies are still evolving, but they have the potential to revolutionize how creators build and monetize their brands.”

The conversation also addressed how the creator economy enables greater diversity of content within the gaming industry, particularly in terms of representation and genre exploration.

Sumedha Mahajan highlighted two significant trends seen emerging in the landscape – the rise of women creators and the rise of regional content creators. “This is not just a supply increase, but is also reflected in the demand from brands,” she added.

Rajat Ojha remarked, “The word itself is the answer: just like every creator is unique, their creations are equally unique, ensuring a humongous diversity of content. Look at games that act like platforms, such as Roblox, Minecraft, Dreams, and our very own #PartyNite, etc.”

He further added, “Other than games as platforms, pure play platforms like Steam and http://itch.io are opening new channels for distributing your own creations. People are bringing their culture and ethnicities and building around it.”

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