Indiagames Partners VAS Startup MoMagic For Developing Mobile Games

Digital gaming firm Indiagames has tied up with MoMagic Technologies, a Noida-based VAS company for developing new games based on MediaTek's (an investor in MoMagic) Maui Runtime Environment (MRE) Platform (MediaTek Inc is a Taiwanese-based fables semiconductor company).

The MRE platform basically allows developers to enable smart phone solutions for feature phones as it provides app developers with high speed tools and a rich API set.

Indiagames already has a range of MRE games that include Disney's Aladdin- a sword fighting action game; Pirates of the Caribbean- a cannon firing game based on the franchise; Cricket Net Practice; and racing games like Bike Racing, Smash 'N' Win and Zapper Racing. Other MRE games by the company include Veer Hanuman, Killer Bat, Hungree Birds and Twister Balls.

"The mobile market will grow further as mobile phones become cheaper. With the increase in off-take of smart phones, the access to data will be easy. Gaming apps in particular have contributed to the growth of mobile gaming," said Arun Gupta, CEO of MoMagic.

Noida-based MoMagic focuses on mobile platform operation and mobile Internet service for India and other emerging markets. The company offers solutions to enterprises using mobile as a medium for communicating with their customers and engages in the development and operation of mobile AppStore, mobile middleware platform and mobile apps, among others.

According to a KPMG report, mobile gaming earned revenues of Rs 430 crore in 2011. Also, the Indian gaming industry as a whole is expected to grow from Rs 1,300 crore to Rs 4,600 crore by 2016, backed by growth of mobile phones and the penetration of broadband in the country.

Late last year, Disney-controlled UTV Software had further acquired an additional 30.02 per cent stake in Indiagames for $19.28 million from founder-promoters and employee shareholders to take its holding to 86.02 per cent. In December it disclosed it has struck a deal to buy out Adobe Systems Inc's 6.29 per cent stake in Indiagames Ltd. It is also in talks to acquire the balance 7.69 per cent held by Cisco Systems which will make the gaming company a wholly owned arm of UTV.