88 Pictures, an animation and VFX studio from India has launched its new gaming division, 88Games, marking the studio’s foray into the world of game development.
With a commitment to crafting indie games for PC and console audiences, 88Games is set to bring a fresh perspective to gaming by blending high-quality visuals with storytelling rooted in Indian rich and diverse history and culture.
As per 88 Pictures, renowned for its animation work on the multiple Emmy and Annie Award-winning show Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, as well as global hits like Gremlins: Secret of Mogwai, Transformers: The Earth Spark Season 2, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, and Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, 88 Pictures has established itself as a creative force in the international markets. The studio’s new venture, 88 Games, builds on its legacy of visual storytelling and artistic excellence to create interactive experiences that entertain, educate, and inspire.
To helm the gaming division, the multicultural and diverse studio has assembled a team of industry veterans, led by Milind D. Shinde and Shiben Bhattacharjee. These experts bring years of experience from renowned global studios and are dedicated to developing games that capture India’s cultural heritage in captivating ways, it stated.
88Games plans to introduce titles that will give global gamers a unique glimpse into India’s folklore and history. Through intricately crafted art styles and immersive sound design, each game will present an authentic, engaging experience, drawing from classic Indian tales, legends, and mythological characters.
88 Games currently has three games in the pipeline. The first game, slated to be launched on Xbox and PlayStation, is scheduled to be revealed at the upcoming India Game Developers Conference (IGDC) 2024.
According to the recently released ‘Levelling Up: State of India Interactive Media & Gaming Research FY’24’ report by Lumikai, India is a key producer of global Animation/VFX services, with the industry valued at $1.6 billion in FY 24. The report also states that the nation’s gaming market added 23 million new gamers, bringing the total to 590 million gamers in FY 24. It is expected to surpass $9.2 billion by FY 29, growing at a 20% 5-year CAGR.
Recently, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality). Even in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Modi urged Indian game developers and talent to make their mark internationally.
Milind D. Shinde, Founder & CEO of 88 Games, said, “88 Games represents the next step in our journey at 88 Pictures. Our team is dedicated to producing premium games that are not only visually stunning but also deeply rooted in our cultural identity. India, being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, has legends, stories, cultures, and art that have existed for thousands of years, forming a unique kaleidoscope that needs to be showcased to the world. It is an exciting challenge to translate the heritage of India into this new medium, with our mission to narrate stories based on this immense cultural capital through video games for the global audience.”
“At 88 Games, we see storytelling as a powerful bridge between cultures. Our mission is to create games that entertain while connecting players to India’s rich history and mythology. As India’s gaming market rapidly expands, there remains a significant gap in the availability of high-quality PC and console games that showcase the country’s unique cultural identity. 88 Games aims to fill that void, by providing an exceptional gameplay experience to immerse and contribute to the growth of the video gaming industry,” Shiben Bhattacharjee, Game Director at 88 Games, said.
