Nazara Games, the Mumbai based mobile game developer and publisher, has been creating casual games to cater to the Indian milieu by large. Previously, they have presented games based on popular Bollywood movies like Hrithik Roshan starrer Bang Bang and Ranbir Kapoor’s Bombay Velvet and even games based on one of India’s most iconic animated character, Chotta Bheem. But in the recent past, the company has been focusing on bringing cricket based games to life through mobile platforms.
Now, the company has tied up with Stick Sports, one of the famed names in the industry when it comes to creating sports based games. Together, they will be sculpting out a new cricket based game, featuring two batting pros from the Indian Cricket team, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Speaking to AnimationXpress about their new venture, Nazara Games, CEO, Manish Agarwal informed that “Stick Cricket is one of the most downloaded cricket franchises, so, for Nazara it was important to partner with somebody who has been super successful.
The CEO from Stick Sports really believed in the largeness of the emerging market, especially in India and I am glad to see that the power of these cricketers, which he believes could be great addition to the Stick Cricket franchise.”
Nazara is however not looking to extend their partnership with Stick Games beyond cricket, as for now.
The game would be based on a match with Kohli and Sharma in a partnership, styled in a Stick Cricket fashion. The player is likely to make smart decisions on whom to keep on strike in different scenarios. Speaking on the choice of the two specific players in this game, “We have Virat and Rohit exclusively with us via Cornerstone till 2018. We really want to look at a right partnership, so that we can make a very big success out of these two IPs,” Agarwal explained. “Today, we don’t think you can get better than these two players in Indian cricket, they are the most famous, loved cricketers who are going to carry the form of Indian cricket for many years to come.”
Nazara’s previous endeavour featuring Virat Kohli titled Virat Cricket Challenge was well received by the audience.
Scheduled for release between September to November this year over android and iOS, the new game will be distributed by Nazara Games in the emerging markets and by Stick Sports in the developed ones.
With this new project, Nazara seems to be trying to tap into the international market, as they have chosen two players who have a ‘global appeal’ and with Stick Games by their side, it would be easier for them to reach out on a global scale.
Global players investing in the Indian market would be a good thing, given it will be beneficial for the emerging market. Speaking on the issue, Agarwal expressed, “This is also a testimony of successful global developers looking at Indian market and starting to invest time and resources at figuring out how to really create a large community around a franchise in India. From Nazara’s perspective, these are efforts to bring good quality content to India partnered with some of the most successful global developers, moving in the right direction at the earnest speed.”
The game’s model allows the chances of a multiplayer but the company has no plans for it as of now however, they might consider it given the consumer demands.
