iWorld
MX Player witnesses a big jump in consumption on its gaming platform
KOLKATA: Democratizing entertainment with offerings ranging from video streaming, original web series, live TV, audio streaming and gaming – MX Player has stayed true to its vision of providing Indian audiences with “Everytainment”.
With the huge proliferation of smartphones and cheap data, gaming has evolved far beyond consoles and personal computers. Mobile platforms have become the most significant segment of the gaming industry. Having launched its gaming feature in February this year, Games on MX Player has grown exponentially, going from 9 hyper-casual games to over 60 games, that is now available across its Android and iOS apps.
MX’s approach, like it had been across all its products, has been to create a platform for partnering with gaming giants Nazara, Gamezop, Gamespix and Google games Snacks amongst others. Its inventory ranges across categories from popular Indian board games to strategy, quiz, racing, arcade, sports, action and more to cater to the diverse gaming interest of the users.
MX has also built various product layers on top to make the gaming experience and ecosystem more robust and alluring. The gaming platform now also has virtual currencies, PvP battles, tournaments and leaderboards, real-cash prizes and social features to provide an immersive gaming experience.
The online gaming market has greatly benefitted from a nationwide lockdown. Reports from BARC India & Nielsen suggest that in 2020, the time spent on online gaming has grown by 44% in mid-May from around 11 per cent in mid- March.
Over the past few months, MX Player has seen a big jump in consumption on its gaming platform, having grown to 25m Monthly Active Gaming Users, and is seeing engagement north of 70 minutes/user per day.
Given consistently low mobile internet costs and its existing depth of penetration, the platform has successfully welcomed India’s new digital audience to the app ecosystem and sees over 50 per cent traction coming in from Tier II markets and beyond.
MX Player CEO Karan Bedi commented, "The past few months has seen supercharged growth for MX as a platform, across video, games and music. the COVID pandemic has seen Digital first, at home businesses move to the mainstream of life in India."
MX Player COO Vivek Jain noted, “MX Player hosts a slew of hyper casual mobile only games that cater to both regular and new gamers. To give a consistent flavour of freshness to our users, we have been adding four-five new games every week since May. As a result, the time spend per user is skyrocketing and is up 180 per cent over the four-month pandemic period. We have curated and built these games with an India first mindset featuring popular household games like – Ludo, Cricket and Carrom. With our pervasive presence across demographics, we intend on making gaming experience democratic, and act as a one-stop solution to all entertainment needs of Indians.”
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
