MC Interview | Black Panther does Mortal Kombat: Comic Con and The Arena create a unique gaming experience

Attendees at Comic-Con, Bengaluru

Comic Con has long been considered a confluence of pop culture and comics. So it makes sense to add gaming to that list too. Nothing brings the crowds together like a good game.

A collaboration between Comic Con India and The Esports club, The Arena provides a dedicated gaming space for attendees to kick back and relax. The zone hosts a variety of top-end gaming hardware from the likes of Asus, Lenovo, Dell, and more.

With over 45,000 attendees at the Bengaluru Comic Con, The Arena drew plenty of eyeballs and footfalls. There were meet-and-greets with popular content creators and even daily tournaments for games like Mortal Kombat 11 and FIFA 23.

We sat down with Vamsi Krishna, Founder of Esports Club, to chat about The Arena and the future of gaming.

Vamsi Krishna, founder of the Esports Club

Partnering with Comic Con

"The partnership with Comic Con India started in 2019 with the first edition of The Arena at Bengaluru Comic Con,’’ said Krishna. "Comic Con provides the perfect opportunity for a dedicated gaming space since there is a lot of overlap between the audiences," he added.

Gaming resides at the intersection between pop culture and trends, attracting people from both sides of the fence and giving them a meeting ground. "The response has been overwhelming," said Krishna.

As for the audience, "70-80 percent of the audience are casual gamers. For many of them, The Arena provides a chance to relax and have fun,’’ said Krishna.

For the more competitive, The Arena organises daily tournaments with cash prizes of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. The games range from popular multiplayer shooters like Valorant to fighting games like Street Fighter V or Mortal Kombat 11.

"We also showcase the latest in AAA gaming, using top-of-the-line hardware from the likes of Dell, Asus, AMD, Microsoft, and Lenovo," adds Krishna. In gaming, AAA signifies high-budget, blockbuster games produced by marquee publishers.

Attendees line up at Comic Con in Bengaluru

The Arena

The Bengaluru Comic Con had dedicated 80,000 square feet of space to The Arena. Besides gaming, The Arena also hosted a variety of hardware partners, giving them a chance to showcase their products.

"Our priority has always been to support the Indian gaming community. At the Arena, brands and gamers can engage and experience cutting-edge technology and games," added Krishna.

People trying out different games at The Arena, Comic Con, Bengaluru

The Indian gaming audience

Asked if The Arena can be seen as a gateway to serious gaming, Krishna said that about 80 percent of the crowd was casual gamers. Some just came to watch.

"Gaming appeals to both the young and old. Our audience ranges from 10 to 40 or even 50-year-olds. Most are casual gamers who see it as an opportunity to relax. But then we also have serious ones that compete in tournaments. It's a nice balance of the two," he adds.

"One of my favourite moments from Comic Con was watching a parent bond with his child over a game. We believe we hold the right appeal for this intersection of the audience," he explained.

With India still a mobile-first country, it is natural that mobile gamers make up the majority of the market. We asked Krishna if he thinks that makes it difficult for PC or console games to find a footing.

"India is indeed a mobile-forward country. But over the last couple of years, we have seen an increase in the number of PCs at homes," he said.

On whether Indians would invest in an expensive PC rather than a console, Krishna added, "We are very value-minded people. For parents, the PC represents a great learning tool for the children that can also run AAA gaming titles. The console can only do one of those things."

A mix of young and old at Comic Con, Bengaluru

The Indian gaming industry

It's no surprise that the pandemic hit the gaming industry hard. From hardware delays to entire development processes being changed, it was a tough couple of years for the industry.

It also provided a unique opportunity. With millions of people stuck at home during quarantine, many turned to games for leisure and entertainment.

"There was an increase in demand for gaming hardware during that period. Many people turned to games for comfort," says Krishna.

As a growing gaming market, it is estimated that India already accounts for nearly half a billion gamers. One-fourth of these are paying users, per a report by Business Today. "India is the fastest-growing market for gaming in Asia,’’ adds Krishna.

Post-pandemic, the future looks brighter. The Indian gaming market is estimated to quadruple to almost $8.6 billion by 2027. It does beg the question though, why haven't we seen a AAA release from an Indian studio yet?

Krishna clarifies that game development is not his area of expertise, but says, "It's simply a matter of time. We are still new to game development, but we have made great strides. Several Indian studios already work for big publishers like EA, and some like Ubisoft have opened up offices here. I don't think a big-budget AAA game is out of our reach. It's just a question of when."