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Apr 21, 2024 · 2h 42m · wtf

Ep# 17 | WTF is Gaming in India? | Career, Investment, Entrepreneurship · Nikhil Kamath

Joseph Kim · 41m spoken Animesh Agarwal · 29m spoken Nikhil Kamath · 28m spoken Sean Hyunil Sohn · 20m spoken Nitish Mittersain · 19m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

Host Nikhil Kamath convenes top gaming entrepreneurs and industry leaders to explore India's gaming and esports revolution, analyzing market monetization, talent challenges, game design, and emerging tech while launching a grassroots grant initiative for young creators.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nikhil holds 20.9% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Nikhil as informed peer 4.2 Guest teaching 5.4 Guest disagreement 2.3 Nikhil pushing back 3.8
05100:0020:0040:001:00:001:20:001:40:002:00:002:20:002:40:000:00–5:16 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 Icebreaker and Nitish Mittersain on Personality and YPO Nikhil shares his skeptical view of YPO as an elite club for the wealthy to network and pay to work for free. He pushes Nitish to explain the deeper psychological reason for the group's internal trust.5:16–13:40 · Nikhil as informed peer 5/10 Nitish Mittersain on Nazara Technologies and Public Listing Nikhil demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance and IPO advisory costs (1.5% to 5%) while probing whether listing Nazara was merely a PR move. Nitish explains how going public freed him from restrictive VC shareholder agreements.13:40–20:51 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 Sean Hyunil Sohn on South Korea, Krafton, and India Entry Sean provides background on South Korea's economic development and Krafton's early investments in India. Sean corrects Nikhil's overestimate of South Korean GDP per capita from $50k down to $33k.20:51–32:37 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 The Rise of BGMI, Esports, and Global Game Development The panel explores the transition from PUBG Mobile to BGMI and Chinese development dominance. Joseph Kim offers a blunt critique of Western gaming development versus China's intense 996 culture, while Nitish notes Ludo King's massive download scale despite monetization limits.32:37–42:24 · Nikhil as informed peer 3/10 Overcoming Talent and Cultural Barriers in Indian Gaming Joseph explains the talent drain and cultural stigma among Indian parents who favor traditional Big Tech jobs over gaming. Nikhil listens as Joseph breaks down the difference between a game publisher and a developer.42:24–57:52 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 Animesh Agarwal on Esports Careers and Creator Economics Animesh explains esports economics and why fans watch game streams using an IPL analogy. When Nikhil claims money follows talent, Animesh counters that in developing markets like India, talent goes where the money already lies.57:52–1:18:29 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 Youth Attention Shifts, G-Commerce, and the AI Revolution The guests detail how youth media consumption has shifted toward gaming, Roblox UGC ecosystems, and AI tools. Nitish and Joseph educate Nikhil on how teenage developers earn tens of millions on Roblox and how generative AI enables small teams.1:18:29–1:53:06 · Nikhil as informed peer 6/10 Game Monetization Models, Player Psychology, and Industry Regulations Nikhil skeptically questions the reported 560 million Indian gamers against India's small taxpayer base and calls out Nitish for virtue signaling about responsible gaming. Joseph explains Apple IDFA privacy impacts on hyper-casual games and the Skinner Box psychology of Battle Royale.1:53:06–2:37:13 · Nikhil as informed peer 4/10 Future Gaming Trends, Core Disciplines, and Career Roadmaps The panel dissects future trends, VR versus AR, and the core disciplines of game development. Joseph and Sean educate Nikhil on the critical distinction between game design/flow and raw art or coding, and the group commits funds and mentorship for 20 young developers.0:00–5:16 · Guest teaching 3/10 Icebreaker and Nitish Mittersain on Personality and YPO Nikhil shares his skeptical view of YPO as an elite club for the wealthy to network and pay to work for free. He pushes Nitish to explain the deeper psychological reason for the group's internal trust.5:16–13:40 · Guest teaching 4/10 Nitish Mittersain on Nazara Technologies and Public Listing Nikhil demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance and IPO advisory costs (1.5% to 5%) while probing whether listing Nazara was merely a PR move. Nitish explains how going public freed him from restrictive VC shareholder agreements.13:40–20:51 · Guest teaching 4/10 Sean Hyunil Sohn on South Korea, Krafton, and India Entry Sean provides background on South Korea's economic development and Krafton's early investments in India. Sean corrects Nikhil's overestimate of South Korean GDP per capita from $50k down to $33k.20:51–32:37 · Guest teaching 6/10 The Rise of BGMI, Esports, and Global Game Development The panel explores the transition from PUBG Mobile to BGMI and Chinese development dominance. Joseph Kim offers a blunt critique of Western gaming development versus China's intense 996 culture, while Nitish notes Ludo King's massive download scale despite monetization limits.32:37–42:24 · Guest teaching 6/10 Overcoming Talent and Cultural Barriers in Indian Gaming Joseph explains the talent drain and cultural stigma among Indian parents who favor traditional Big Tech jobs over gaming. Nikhil listens as Joseph breaks down the difference between a game publisher and a developer.42:24–57:52 · Guest teaching 6/10 Animesh Agarwal on Esports Careers and Creator Economics Animesh explains esports economics and why fans watch game streams using an IPL analogy. When Nikhil claims money follows talent, Animesh counters that in developing markets like India, talent goes where the money already lies.57:52–1:18:29 · Guest teaching 7/10 Youth Attention Shifts, G-Commerce, and the AI Revolution The guests detail how youth media consumption has shifted toward gaming, Roblox UGC ecosystems, and AI tools. Nitish and Joseph educate Nikhil on how teenage developers earn tens of millions on Roblox and how generative AI enables small teams.1:18:29–1:53:06 · Guest teaching 6/10 Game Monetization Models, Player Psychology, and Industry Regulations Nikhil skeptically questions the reported 560 million Indian gamers against India's small taxpayer base and calls out Nitish for virtue signaling about responsible gaming. Joseph explains Apple IDFA privacy impacts on hyper-casual games and the Skinner Box psychology of Battle Royale.1:53:06–2:37:13 · Guest teaching 7/10 Future Gaming Trends, Core Disciplines, and Career Roadmaps The panel dissects future trends, VR versus AR, and the core disciplines of game development. Joseph and Sean educate Nikhil on the critical distinction between game design/flow and raw art or coding, and the group commits funds and mentorship for 20 young developers.0:00–5:16 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Icebreaker and Nitish Mittersain on Personality and YPO Nikhil shares his skeptical view of YPO as an elite club for the wealthy to network and pay to work for free. He pushes Nitish to explain the deeper psychological reason for the group's internal trust.5:16–13:40 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Nitish Mittersain on Nazara Technologies and Public Listing Nikhil demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance and IPO advisory costs (1.5% to 5%) while probing whether listing Nazara was merely a PR move. Nitish explains how going public freed him from restrictive VC shareholder agreements.13:40–20:51 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Sean Hyunil Sohn on South Korea, Krafton, and India Entry Sean provides background on South Korea's economic development and Krafton's early investments in India. Sean corrects Nikhil's overestimate of South Korean GDP per capita from $50k down to $33k.20:51–32:37 · Guest disagreement 3/10 The Rise of BGMI, Esports, and Global Game Development The panel explores the transition from PUBG Mobile to BGMI and Chinese development dominance. Joseph Kim offers a blunt critique of Western gaming development versus China's intense 996 culture, while Nitish notes Ludo King's massive download scale despite monetization limits.32:37–42:24 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Overcoming Talent and Cultural Barriers in Indian Gaming Joseph explains the talent drain and cultural stigma among Indian parents who favor traditional Big Tech jobs over gaming. Nikhil listens as Joseph breaks down the difference between a game publisher and a developer.42:24–57:52 · Guest disagreement 3/10 Animesh Agarwal on Esports Careers and Creator Economics Animesh explains esports economics and why fans watch game streams using an IPL analogy. When Nikhil claims money follows talent, Animesh counters that in developing markets like India, talent goes where the money already lies.57:52–1:18:29 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Youth Attention Shifts, G-Commerce, and the AI Revolution The guests detail how youth media consumption has shifted toward gaming, Roblox UGC ecosystems, and AI tools. Nitish and Joseph educate Nikhil on how teenage developers earn tens of millions on Roblox and how generative AI enables small teams.1:18:29–1:53:06 · Guest disagreement 4/10 Game Monetization Models, Player Psychology, and Industry Regulations Nikhil skeptically questions the reported 560 million Indian gamers against India's small taxpayer base and calls out Nitish for virtue signaling about responsible gaming. Joseph explains Apple IDFA privacy impacts on hyper-casual games and the Skinner Box psychology of Battle Royale.1:53:06–2:37:13 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Future Gaming Trends, Core Disciplines, and Career Roadmaps The panel dissects future trends, VR versus AR, and the core disciplines of game development. Joseph and Sean educate Nikhil on the critical distinction between game design/flow and raw art or coding, and the group commits funds and mentorship for 20 young developers.0:00–5:16 · Nikhil pushing back 4/10 Icebreaker and Nitish Mittersain on Personality and YPO Nikhil shares his skeptical view of YPO as an elite club for the wealthy to network and pay to work for free. He pushes Nitish to explain the deeper psychological reason for the group's internal trust.5:16–13:40 · Nikhil pushing back 5/10 Nitish Mittersain on Nazara Technologies and Public Listing Nikhil demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance and IPO advisory costs (1.5% to 5%) while probing whether listing Nazara was merely a PR move. Nitish explains how going public freed him from restrictive VC shareholder agreements.13:40–20:51 · Nikhil pushing back 2/10 Sean Hyunil Sohn on South Korea, Krafton, and India Entry Sean provides background on South Korea's economic development and Krafton's early investments in India. Sean corrects Nikhil's overestimate of South Korean GDP per capita from $50k down to $33k.20:51–32:37 · Nikhil pushing back 3/10 The Rise of BGMI, Esports, and Global Game Development The panel explores the transition from PUBG Mobile to BGMI and Chinese development dominance. Joseph Kim offers a blunt critique of Western gaming development versus China's intense 996 culture, while Nitish notes Ludo King's massive download scale despite monetization limits.32:37–42:24 · Nikhil pushing back 3/10 Overcoming Talent and Cultural Barriers in Indian Gaming Joseph explains the talent drain and cultural stigma among Indian parents who favor traditional Big Tech jobs over gaming. Nikhil listens as Joseph breaks down the difference between a game publisher and a developer.42:24–57:52 · Nikhil pushing back 4/10 Animesh Agarwal on Esports Careers and Creator Economics Animesh explains esports economics and why fans watch game streams using an IPL analogy. When Nikhil claims money follows talent, Animesh counters that in developing markets like India, talent goes where the money already lies.57:52–1:18:29 · Nikhil pushing back 3/10 Youth Attention Shifts, G-Commerce, and the AI Revolution The guests detail how youth media consumption has shifted toward gaming, Roblox UGC ecosystems, and AI tools. Nitish and Joseph educate Nikhil on how teenage developers earn tens of millions on Roblox and how generative AI enables small teams.1:18:29–1:53:06 · Nikhil pushing back 7/10 Game Monetization Models, Player Psychology, and Industry Regulations Nikhil skeptically questions the reported 560 million Indian gamers against India's small taxpayer base and calls out Nitish for virtue signaling about responsible gaming. Joseph explains Apple IDFA privacy impacts on hyper-casual games and the Skinner Box psychology of Battle Royale.1:53:06–2:37:13 · Nikhil pushing back 3/10 Future Gaming Trends, Core Disciplines, and Career Roadmaps The panel dissects future trends, VR versus AR, and the core disciplines of game development. Joseph and Sean educate Nikhil on the critical distinction between game design/flow and raw art or coding, and the group commits funds and mentorship for 20 young developers.

speaking balance: gold is Nikhil, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Nikhil 46.3% · guest 53.7%0:00 · Nikhil 46.3% · guest 53.7%3:00 · Nikhil 58.2% · guest 41.8%3:00 · Nikhil 58.2% · guest 41.8%6:00 · Nikhil 58.1% · guest 41.9%6:00 · Nikhil 58.1% · guest 41.9%9:00 · Nikhil 5.8% · guest 94.2%9:00 · Nikhil 5.8% · guest 94.2%12:00 · Nikhil 43.6% · guest 56.4%12:00 · Nikhil 43.6% · guest 56.4%15:00 · Nikhil 16.3% · guest 83.7%15:00 · Nikhil 16.3% · guest 83.7%18:00 · Nikhil 3.4% · guest 96.6%18:00 · Nikhil 3.4% · guest 96.6%21:00 · Nikhil 12.9% · guest 87.1%21:00 · Nikhil 12.9% · guest 87.1%24:00 · Nikhil 31.2% · guest 68.8%24:00 · Nikhil 31.2% · guest 68.8%27:00 · Nikhil 0.3% · guest 99.7%27:00 · Nikhil 0.3% · guest 99.7%30:00 · Nikhil 17.1% · guest 82.9%30:00 · Nikhil 17.1% · guest 82.9%33:00 · Nikhil 7% · guest 93%33:00 · Nikhil 7% · guest 93%36:00 · Nikhil 9.6% · guest 90.4%36:00 · Nikhil 9.6% · guest 90.4%39:00 · Nikhil 16.6% · guest 83.4%39:00 · Nikhil 16.6% · guest 83.4%42:00 · Nikhil 25.2% · guest 74.8%42:00 · Nikhil 25.2% · guest 74.8%45:00 · Nikhil 15.1% · guest 84.9%45:00 · Nikhil 15.1% · guest 84.9%48:00 · Nikhil 25.9% · guest 74.1%48:00 · Nikhil 25.9% · guest 74.1%51:00 · Nikhil 1.7% · guest 98.3%51:00 · Nikhil 1.7% · guest 98.3%54:00 · Nikhil 29.1% · guest 70.9%54:00 · Nikhil 29.1% · guest 70.9%57:00 · Nikhil 74.6% · guest 25.4%57:00 · Nikhil 74.6% · guest 25.4%1:00:00 · Nikhil 8.6% · guest 91.4%1:00:00 · Nikhil 8.6% · guest 91.4%1:03:00 · Nikhil 24% · guest 76%1:03:00 · Nikhil 24% · guest 76%1:06:00 · Nikhil 7.6% · guest 92.4%1:06:00 · Nikhil 7.6% · guest 92.4%1:09:00 · Nikhil 13.3% · guest 86.7%1:09:00 · Nikhil 13.3% · guest 86.7%1:12:00 · Nikhil 12.6% · guest 87.4%1:12:00 · Nikhil 12.6% · guest 87.4%1:15:00 · Nikhil 3.2% · guest 96.8%1:15:00 · Nikhil 3.2% · guest 96.8%1:18:00 · Nikhil 31.1% · guest 68.9%1:18:00 · Nikhil 31.1% · guest 68.9%1:21:00 · Nikhil 26.3% · guest 73.7%1:21:00 · Nikhil 26.3% · guest 73.7%1:24:00 · Nikhil 2.5% · guest 97.5%1:24:00 · Nikhil 2.5% · guest 97.5%1:27:00 · Nikhil 6.3% · guest 93.7%1:27:00 · Nikhil 6.3% · guest 93.7%1:30:00 · Nikhil 4.5% · guest 95.5%1:30:00 · Nikhil 4.5% · guest 95.5%1:33:00 · Nikhil 18.9% · guest 81.1%1:33:00 · Nikhil 18.9% · guest 81.1%1:36:00 · Nikhil 33.9% · guest 66.1%1:36:00 · Nikhil 33.9% · guest 66.1%1:39:00 · Nikhil 26.7% · guest 73.3%1:39:00 · Nikhil 26.7% · guest 73.3%1:42:00 · Nikhil 35.8% · guest 64.2%1:42:00 · Nikhil 35.8% · guest 64.2%1:45:00 · Nikhil 46.1% · guest 53.9%1:45:00 · Nikhil 46.1% · guest 53.9%1:48:00 · Nikhil 52.2% · guest 47.8%1:48:00 · Nikhil 52.2% · guest 47.8%1:51:00 · Nikhil 28.4% · guest 71.6%1:51:00 · Nikhil 28.4% · guest 71.6%1:54:00 · Nikhil 13.3% · guest 86.7%1:54:00 · Nikhil 13.3% · guest 86.7%1:57:00 · Nikhil 12.9% · guest 87.1%1:57:00 · Nikhil 12.9% · guest 87.1%2:00:00 · Nikhil 31.5% · guest 68.5%2:00:00 · Nikhil 31.5% · guest 68.5%2:03:00 · Nikhil 8.3% · guest 91.7%2:03:00 · Nikhil 8.3% · guest 91.7%2:06:00 · Nikhil 3.1% · guest 96.9%2:06:00 · Nikhil 3.1% · guest 96.9%2:09:00 · Nikhil 5.6% · guest 94.4%2:09:00 · Nikhil 5.6% · guest 94.4%2:12:00 · Nikhil 12.7% · guest 87.3%2:12:00 · Nikhil 12.7% · guest 87.3%2:15:00 · Nikhil 28.7% · guest 71.3%2:15:00 · Nikhil 28.7% · guest 71.3%2:18:00 · Nikhil 12.6% · guest 87.4%2:18:00 · Nikhil 12.6% · guest 87.4%2:21:00 · Nikhil 13.6% · guest 86.4%2:21:00 · Nikhil 13.6% · guest 86.4%2:24:00 · Nikhil 17.4% · guest 82.6%2:24:00 · Nikhil 17.4% · guest 82.6%2:27:00 · Nikhil 8.9% · guest 91.1%2:27:00 · Nikhil 8.9% · guest 91.1%2:30:00 · Nikhil 15.5% · guest 84.5%2:30:00 · Nikhil 15.5% · guest 84.5%2:33:00 · Nikhil 2.5% · guest 97.5%2:33:00 · Nikhil 2.5% · guest 97.5%2:36:00 · Nikhil 41.1% · guest 58.9%2:36:00 · Nikhil 41.1% · guest 58.9%2:39:00 · Nikhil 30.7% · guest 69.3%2:39:00 · Nikhil 30.7% · guest 69.3%2:42:00 · Nikhil 0% · guest 100%2:42:00 · Nikhil 0% · guest 100%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 52:44 Animesh reframes Nikhil's thesis on capital and talent

Animesh directly challenges Nikhil's assertion that money always follows talent by explaining that Indian game developers lacked funding for years, forcing talent to move where capital was already established.

 Hardest push from Nikhil ▶ 1:46:04 Nikhil calls out listed company virtue signaling

Nikhil bluntly refuses Nitish's framing about Nazara prioritizing responsible gaming, calling it out as corporate virtue signaling because commercial game developers fundamentally want players engaged 24/7.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 1:21:49 Joseph breaks down the collapse of the hyper-casual ad model

Joseph educates Nikhil on Apple's IDFA privacy policy changes, explaining why ad-driven hyper-casual titles are dying out and forcing the entire industry to shift toward hybrid-casual and in-app purchases.

 Nikhil holds their own ▶ 8:04 Nikhil dissects the financial reality of IPO costs

Nikhil demonstrates deep financial literacy by citing precise banker, consultant, and accounting fee structures (1.5% to 5%) to challenge whether listing a company truly yields cheaper capital.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicNikhil as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementNikhil pushing backWhy
Icebreaker and Nitish Mittersain on Personality and YPO 4324 Nikhil shares his skeptical view of YPO as an elite club for the wealthy to network and pay to work for free. He pushes Nitish to explain the deeper psychological reason for the group's internal trust.
Nitish Mittersain on Nazara Technologies and Public Listing 5425 Nikhil demonstrates solid knowledge of corporate finance and IPO advisory costs (1.5% to 5%) while probing whether listing Nazara was merely a PR move. Nitish explains how going public freed him from restrictive VC shareholder agreements.
Sean Hyunil Sohn on South Korea, Krafton, and India Entry 4412 Sean provides background on South Korea's economic development and Krafton's early investments in India. Sean corrects Nikhil's overestimate of South Korean GDP per capita from $50k down to $33k.
The Rise of BGMI, Esports, and Global Game Development 4633 The panel explores the transition from PUBG Mobile to BGMI and Chinese development dominance. Joseph Kim offers a blunt critique of Western gaming development versus China's intense 996 culture, while Nitish notes Ludo King's massive download scale despite monetization limits.
Overcoming Talent and Cultural Barriers in Indian Gaming 3623 Joseph explains the talent drain and cultural stigma among Indian parents who favor traditional Big Tech jobs over gaming. Nikhil listens as Joseph breaks down the difference between a game publisher and a developer.
Animesh Agarwal on Esports Careers and Creator Economics 4634 Animesh explains esports economics and why fans watch game streams using an IPL analogy. When Nikhil claims money follows talent, Animesh counters that in developing markets like India, talent goes where the money already lies.
Youth Attention Shifts, G-Commerce, and the AI Revolution 4723 The guests detail how youth media consumption has shifted toward gaming, Roblox UGC ecosystems, and AI tools. Nitish and Joseph educate Nikhil on how teenage developers earn tens of millions on Roblox and how generative AI enables small teams.
Game Monetization Models, Player Psychology, and Industry Regulations 6647 Nikhil skeptically questions the reported 560 million Indian gamers against India's small taxpayer base and calls out Nitish for virtue signaling about responsible gaming. Joseph explains Apple IDFA privacy impacts on hyper-casual games and the Skinner Box psychology of Battle Royale.
Future Gaming Trends, Core Disciplines, and Career Roadmaps 4723 The panel dissects future trends, VR versus AR, and the core disciplines of game development. Joseph and Sean educate Nikhil on the critical distinction between game design/flow and raw art or coding, and the group commits funds and mentorship for 20 young developers.

Statements from this episode (34)

Disclosure
Kamath discloses a 5% investment stake in Nazara Technologies
“Five percent investor in Nathish's company, and we meet often, and, ah, like I'm going to bug all of you today, I bug him a lot on questions, and because I want to understand this domain a bit more.”
Nikhil Kamath Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 6:16
Assertion Supported
Sohn: Krafton's market cap is roughly $9B to $10B
“We, our market cap is around Nine billion? Ten billion? US dollar?”
Sean Hyunil Sohn Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 9:46
Assertion Supported
Sohn: Tencent was a pre-IPO investor in Krafton and maintains equity
“Tencent is an investor in Krafton before the IPO. And they still maintain some share.”
Sean Hyunil Sohn Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 25:17
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Kim: Top mobile shooter games are almost entirely developed in China
“Almost all of the top mobile shooter games are all developed by Chinese companies effectively, right?”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 27:41
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Kim: US console and PC game budgets reach $100M to $300M
“In the U.S., budgets are, like, to make a game now is like a 103 hundred million dollars for like a, Or an HD or PC or console game.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 28:29
Assertion Supported
Kim: Tencent developed Call of Duty Mobile using Activision's IP
“Call of Duty Mobile is actually developed by Tencent, although they're using the IP of Activision, for example, right?”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 28:49
Assertion Supported
Mittersain: Ludo King surpassed 1B downloads but struggles to monetize
“It's a, we recently crossed a billion downloads, I think. In India. Yeah, but I. Yeah, monetization is a is a challenge.”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 31:09
Opinion
Kim: Indian parents favor traditional tech giants over gaming companies
“I think the other thing is more of a cultural issue that I have discovered over the past few years that I've been here in India, which is that gaming, at least, and you guys please disagree with me, but in my experience, it seems like gaming is not looked upon…”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 33:48
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Agarwal: Top Indian esports players earn around 35 lakhs annually
“I would say people who have played at the highest level of e-sports, that is playing official tournaments for a franchise or not a franchise. We don't have franchise, but for a registered e-sports team, I think they could be doing close to 35 lakhs a year. By …”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 50:16
Assertion Supported
Agarwal: India has 568M gamers, surpassing US and Brazil mobile downloads
“India has surpassed US and Brazil in terms of mobile game downloads. India has five sixty eight million online gamers.”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 51:34
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Agarwal: India will not produce top-tier games for at least five years
“India will produce the best of games in coming years, but it's not going to happen at least for the next five years.”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 52:03
Opinion
Agarwal: India's top gaming creators succeeded through luck, not skill
“When I talk about India's top gamers, professional gamers or content creators, I believe they are nothing. There could be 100,000, lakhs of more skilled gamers and better content creators sitting at home. But it's so much about luck that you, they were at the …”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 56:03
Assertion Partly supported
Mittersain: A 19-year-old's Roblox game generates $60M in annual revenue
“I just did a Zoom call recently with a 19 year old kid who has a game called Blocks Roots. And it makes something like sixty million dollars a year or something. In revenue.”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:11:33
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Kim: Roblox game Adopt Me makes about $70M for its creators
“Like Adopt Me probably makes like seventy million to that team.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:15:28
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Kim: AI will allow a solo Indian developer to become a billionaire
“I actually think that this is going to be an incredibly rare moment in time and probably, you know, I, and I believe unprecedented, unprecedented in history where you're going to have the opportunity for some kid in India To become like a billionaire as a sing…”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:16:04
Assertion Supported
Kim: Lethal Company creator learned skills on Roblox before topping Steam
“There was a creator that learned their skills on Roblox, but then created a mobile, sorry, created a PC game called Lethal Company that became a number one game on Steam.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:17:29
Assertion Partly supported
Kim: Shooters generate the majority of gaming revenue in India
“My only understanding of the Indian market is that it does seem that it's highly skewed to shooters. It does seem like shooters are making the majority of the money in India.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:19:24
Assertion Supported
Sohn: BGMI holds a 5% to 10% gaming market share in India
“BGMI, I would say, Five, 10%.”
Sean Hyunil Sohn Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:20:06
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Kim: Apple's privacy policies are killing ad-driven hyper-casual game monetization
“The summary is you can't do targeting anymore because of Apple's Privacy policies. And so the ability for the hyper-casual games that are largely driven off of the ad-driven model to then make money off of those ads through targeting is going away. And Apple j…”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:22:05
Assertion Supported
Kim: Shooters lead in the US while RPGs dominate Japan's market
“Because in America, shooters are number one. Battle Royale is number one in, in, in the States as well. It's not true for Japan. Japan RPGs are number one, for whatever reason.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:34:14
Opinion
Kim: Gaming industry slump is a standard post-COVID cyclical correction
“So like, yes, because of COVID there was a huge spike, but if you look at the overall trajectory, at least on the mobile side, The growth, like if you smooth out COVID, then there was an over investment because of COVID, and everyone was extrapolating linearly…”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:39:09
Disclosure
8Bit Thug: Most revenue comes from talent management, not personal content
“I make the most money from people I manage, the talent management business.”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:41:37
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Sohn: 80M to 100M Indian gamers are willing to pay in-app
“I believe like, people who are actually regularly playing one specific, one or two specific games, and at least willing to pay. Maybe they haven't paid at all, or they might pay once in a, like, maybe three, five, six months, which has capacity to pay or willi…”
Sean Hyunil Sohn Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:43:55
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Mittersain: Banning real-money gaming in Indian states drives the market underground
“When you ban, you've seen in many states, for example, in India, where games have been banned. The online real money games have been banned. The business has usually gone underground. To more irresponsible players. Which completely exposes the users.”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:51:00
Assertion Supported
Mittersain: India gaming GST moved to 28% on deposits versus 18% on rake
“Now the latest tax on the GST is 28% on deposits, which was earlier 20. I mean, gaming companies were paying 18% on their rake, right?”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:51:53
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Agarwal: Declining attention spans will phase out slow narrative games in five years
“I don't think people are going to be ready for that in the next five years. The first event, the next event needs, the rate at which events happen in the game or events occur in the game needs to be faster. Because I think swipe up generation is gonna take up …”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 1:54:23
Insight
Kim: Twitch and YouTube influencers drive game marketing, whereas Discord is community feedback
“I mean, rather than Discord, it's more Twitch and YouTube that are allowing influencers to become the new marketing for games, right? And so today, you know, you mentioned Among Us, but like some of those games were going nowhere for like, I think Among Us had…”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:01:15
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Kim: Unreal Engine Will Likely Become the Dominant Game Engine
“In the long term, if current trends continue, Unreal is likely the engine of choice in the not too distant future.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:20:22
Assertion Contradicted
Kim: Fresh IIT grads can earn 50 lakhs in game engineering
“So like, if you go to IIT and you come out, you can make, you know, 40, 50 lakhs.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:20:38
Opinion
Kim: Game design is the weakest area in India
“Now, I would say that design is the weakest area in India. So, finding a good designer, I don't even know where you go to learn that here.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:25:49
Opinion
Kim: Low PC penetration holds back Indian game development on Roblox
“Most of the people I know building for Roblox, they don't do it on their phone. They do it on a PC, and because there aren't a lot of homes with PCs, that may be one of the things holding India back.”
Joseph Kim Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:28:37
Disclosure
Mittersain: Nazara pays corporate data analysts 20-30 lakhs INR annually
“I mean, we, for, at least at a corporate team where we have a few people looking at data of a lot of our studios, maybe 20, 30 lakhs a year.”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:32:17
Insight
Agarwal: Indian esports players should avoid games lacking local publisher backing
“If you're in India, you want to ensure that the publisher of that game is taking enough interest in India to build around that game. For example, there's a game called Dota two for say, it does not have an active India publisher interest in India. However, it'…”
Animesh Agarwal Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:34:14
Assertion Supported
Mittersain: Nazara Technologies is India's only listed gaming company, worth 5,000 crores
“As India's only listed gaming company, it's worth 5000 crores.”
Nitish Mittersain Apr 21, 2024 ▶ 2:38:06
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