SCEE commissions game based on Hindu monkey god for Indian market

Sony has made its first push into creating tailored games content for the Indian market by signing up a local studio to make a game based on the Hindu ‘monkey god’ Hanuman.

The format-holder’s Sony Computer Entertainment Europe division has turned to Indian cinema firm Pyramic Saimira to make the PS2 game, which will develop the title via its Aurona technology division.

The move is part of a dedicated push for Sony into driving forward the Indian games industry.

Jim Ryan, co-chief operating officer of SCEE, commented: "’We are committing significant resources to growing the market for console games in India. We have chosen the Hanuman game as our first title specifically developed for the Indian market as the theme is an ever-popular one across the country."

Hanuman is a symbol of strength and energy in the Hindu religion.

"Hanuman, as a character, offers infinite possibilities for gameplay development," added Santosh Pillai, CEO of Aurona. "The game will be developed in our Hyderabad studios, which has an impressive track record in shipping several PC and console games."

He added that Aurona parent firm Pyramic has "earmarked considerable resources to grow the games market in India and this is the first in a series of initiatives from the group."

The PS2 launched in india in 2003 and recently saw a price drop in the country, driving hardware sales. Sony is also actively courting

"The number of Playstation 2’s in India is quite high so this game can be reached out to a larger audience," Hetal Bhuva, business development director of Aurona told Reuters.

She added that Aurona also wants to tap a broader age bracket with its later PS2 games, specifically "titles for the older age group which is 16-24".

It’s the first time Sony has launched a country-specific game, although its SingStar and Buzz series have spun off various territory-specific iterations for countries like Spain and Sweden which boast local chart hits. SingStar: Bollywood and Buzz: The Maha Quiz have both also been released in India.

However as part of the agreement, the game will also be distributed in markets outside India where there are significant Indian communities. Plus, Aurona and Sony added tht they might work together further to make possible sequels.