Casual Internet Gamers in India

Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gaming in India is the area of dissertation which will be researched. A phenomenon relatively new to the world, casual internet gaming is an area which is yet to be researched and fully understood. Computer gaming is an area close to my heart, as well as an exciting and challenging field to work on, where the markets are still evolving and promising great potential in the near future. Electronic gaming itself is a very wide subject which hasnt been properly researched, especially in India. Internet gaming is a subset to it, but again an area so vast that it cant be covered in one research. Going down further, I chose casual internet gaming because of the following reasons- Casual gaming is by far the most popular mode of gaming on internet in India. Internet speeds in India allows only casual gaming to grow currently. Social media is proving to be an ideal platform for their growth No research on this topic has been done so far. We are yet to understand why people and Indians in particular are attracted towards casual gaming. Till now, Indian Marketers have not taken a consumer-centric approach to make and deliver casual games. There is great scope in the field, as Indians discover casual gaming and get hooked on to it through various platforms According to a recent study by JuxtConsult , Of the 47 million Internet users, 39 million are based in urban areas, while only 8 million reside in the rural. Hence Internet penetration is largely limited in India and speeds are still slow. In such a scenario, the only games that can work well are casual games because they dont need high end computer/gaming systems, nor are the speed requirements a constraint. In fact, being the only mode of gaming which is viable, it has been the focus of the gaming industry as well. From dedicated websites like zapak to integration of casual games to social media networks like facebook, casual games are available across the internet. The surprising part is that no one has really tried to understand the reason for their popularity or the potential profitability of these games. The growth of Indias casual games market comes in line with the overall growth of the countrys games market and industry. According to founder of CasualGaming.biz, Gaurav Mirchandani the industry has changed substantially over the past few due to the growth of internet users in India whom now have broadband access in their homes, at work, and in restaurants and hotels. This change has sparked a new emergence of casual gaming in India as a leisure and as lead to new small companies setting up offices for game development outsourcing mostly for flash and PC downloadable games. The Industry focus has been on delivering casual games across platforms to the maximum possible user base. However, no thought has been given to the consumer and their needs. The Industry lacks a consumer-centric focus in game development and delivery. A deeper understanding of why these games are being played, and by whom they are being played is necessary to improve the standards and profitability of casual gaming as a business. As the world moves towards the virtual avenues provided by the technological revolution, internet gaming assumes significance as the next major frontier of the world. Brands are already investing in this area and can really cash on into this profitable business. Internet now provides people the choice of playing with other individuals over the cyber space. The constant advances in technology open up new possibilities regularly, taking computer gaming to new heights each time. Hence, the objective of the research will be to understand the psyche of the Indian casual gamer. This will help the Indian gaming industry understand the consumers better and hence deliver better products to them. Not only that, it will also help them improve the profitability of the business, by understanding what is relevant to the gamers, and what is not. This will be an exploratory study into the realm of casual gaming in India. Given the time constraints of a dissertation, I will be able to focus on limited aspects of casual gaming. Hence I am choosing only those aspects of the area, like why do gamers behave as they do and where and when they play games, which are important both for the Industry and the academia. Again due to the time constraints and vastness of the topic, everything cannot be covered in one research. Hence a study on the college-going gamers will be conducted. LITERATURE REVIEW Very little literature is available on consumers of Casual Gaming in India. I studied the gaming industry in general to find references to casual and internet gaming, especially in the Indian context. Gaming: India is All Set! -Rao, K. Rajesh (rajesh, 2008) Prospects for Animation Gaming Industry in India. -Kuruvila, A. O. (A.O, 2008) (Computer gaming on the go in India, 2004) India: The Final Frontier for Games? (Silicon india, 2008) Zapak Taking Casual Games seriously! (Vimali, 2008) Casual Gaming A Big Draw for VCs. (Khanna, 2008) Games people play (Marketing Management, 2007) Casual video gaming is now serious business (2007) Casual Computer Games Go Upscale (2007) Nothing casual about it Rajiv Fernando 2009 The article presents the authors views concerning the development of the gaming industry in India. He relates that the new generation is characterized by the evolution of interactive digital content and distributed model of games services. The author perceives good opportunities for game developers and providers associated with the increase of Internet penetration and digital content. The article starts off with a preface of the Global and Indian gaming and animation industry and goes on to dwell upon the statistics of the industry in India. It then follows up with a SWOT analysis of the Indian gaming Industry Reports on the report released by British Broadcasting Corp. in 2005 regarding the mobile gaming market segment in India. Increase in the number of mobile phone users in October 2004; Factors that influenced the growth in the mobile gaming sector; Number of game developers and mobile companies that provide games to their subscribers. The article provides an overview of the computer games industry worldwide, particularly in India. It explains the technology trends that might influence the advent of these games including powerful cellular telephones, cloud gaming and the growth of broadband networks. A historical background on the emergence of these electronic games is also presented. The article discusses the success of the online games introduced by Zapak Digital Entertainment in India. Zapak is influential to the success of the gaming industry through the launching of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), hardcore games and large format gaming cafÃÆ' ©es. The companys strategies in creating value chain for its customers and distribution network are mentioned. The article presents the views of the author on various issues related to the electronic games industry in India. It focuses on the casual gaming business. The author addresses the problems on piracy and financing animation and gaming projects in the country. Future opportunities for the casual gaming space are also cited. The article discusses conflicting studies concerning the target audience for casual games. A study by Information Solutions Group found that casual gamers are predominately female. In-game advertisement firm Eyeblaster backed this data up, claiming that the majority of casual gamers are females that are more than thirty years old. However, a study by Ipsos Insight showed that more than half of computer and video gamers are male, data that is backed up by a Universal McCann study about console gamers. The article reports on the growing competition among firms in the video games industry in New York City. According to IDC Research, revenues from casual video games are expected to increase by 68 percent to $750 million in 2007 and are forecasted to reach $2 million by 2009. Wade Tinney, co-founder of Large Animal Games, said that it is important for firms in the industry to be well-funded so that they can move quickly and make products that compete with those with other companies. The article talks about the demographics of casual gamers worldwide according to the various studies that have been conducted. It also talks about the distribution of these games and what the game developers are doing to fight off competition in the casual gaming segment. It takes the zapak example to show that casual games are here to stay. It further tells about the future plans of zapak and compares the groeth of casual gaming in India with increase in internet penetration.It re-iterates that industry observers believe that online games had great potential for growth in the Indian gaming market, as it overcame the problem of piracy. Sify eyes kids for gaming biz (2007, Infotech.indiatimes.com) Web 2.0: Online Communities, Personalization and the Web OS. (Singh, 2006) Casual Games White Paper -IGDA ,2003 The 2009-2014 Outlook for PC Casual Games in India Icon Group International, Inc. 2008 Insights on Casual Games, Nielson, 2009 Casual gaming study conducted by NPD Group China Gaming 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 Forecast and Analysis Casual Gaming Market Update James Kuai and Peter Shackelfor 3Q 2007 2004 China Casual Game Research Report (2005) It shows the interest of the industry in the casual gaming industry and an attempt to focus on the needs of the consumers, finally. I talks about Sify and its plan to acquire casual games and make them available all across Sifys cyber cafes. The article reports developments on Web 2.0 in India. Social networks and casual gaming continue to prevail in the major themes of Web 2.0. Online communities emphasize the notion of more sharing and connectivity on the Internet, as well as a strong focus on personalization. Another interesting phenomenon in the Web 2.0 world is the emerging space of online casual gaming. This article is on the International Casual Games industry. Numerous players continue to enter the market, business models are constantly changing, and new customers are found every day. This paper helps define the industry, and give everyone a base level of understanding of all aspects of this space. It is not intended to go into minute detail on any one subject, but provides broad understanding to the major factors involved in the casual game industry. This econometric study covers the latent demand outlook for PC casual games across the states, union territories and cities of India. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across over 5,000 cities in India. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. Nor does the report cover actual sales data (which are simply unavailable, in a comparable or consistent manner in virtually all of the cities in India) This study looks at data from more than 800 casual games for PC computers, which are defined as inexpensive to produce, straightforward in concept, easy to learn and simple to play. They say that casual gamers return more often to games and therefore play more often than hardcore gamers. The study, which surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. gamers, identified 14 specific types of gamer within 39 different game genres. Casual gamers were divided into 10 classifications. The study also offered data that would seem to dispel the myth that casual gamers dont invest as much time playing games as core gamers do. This IDC study examines the dynamics of the China gaming market and focuses on online gaming. It looks at market drivers, dynamics, and strategies; the competitive landscape; and includes profiles of the top 10 vendors as well as a 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 forecast. The concentration of the China online gaming market improved significantly in 2007. The revenue sum of the top 10 vendors occupied 91.8% of the total market. Casual Gaming Market Update provides in-depth analysis of the current dynamics and future directions of the rapidly growing casual gaming industry in the USA, including quantitative forecasts, competitive analysis, consumer perspectives, and profiles of leading companies in the casual gaming value chain. According to iResearch, market size of China online casual game industry was RMB 25 million in 2003 and it reaches to RMB 410 million in 2004 with growth rate of 356%. The fast growth of online casual game industry is mainly attributable to the market success of QQ game platform and Shanda BnB. iResearch forecasts that market size of China online casual game industry will keep fast growth in the following years: its is estimated that market size of China online casual game will reach RMB 1.78 billion in 2007. The literature review failed to reveal any concrete consumer research done in the field of Casual gaming in India. Apart from references in articles in business and technology magazines, only two proper journal articles were found on the subject. No survey, scholarly article, book, dissertation etc on this topic covering the consumer angle and pertaining to India was found. Being a new research area, this is not surprising, but only logical. Hence we find a huge research gap here, particularly in the Indian context. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FRAMEWORK We see that there is a wide research gap in this area. At best surveys, statistics and reports are available on the subject. While the consumers have been studied in the west and Asian markets like China, an Indian study to understand the consumer was not found on an extensive search. Therefore, in the proposed research we plan to- Understand the Indian college-going casual internet gamer No research was found on the above mentioned research field, inspite of extensive search. An exploratory research in this field is hence in order. The phenomena of Internet gaming and hence out study will be largely restricted to SEC A and SEC B in India ( JuxtConsult study,2009 ). This is due to the current limitations of internet penetration. Though a comprehensive study needs to be done on all existing and potential casual gamers, the proposed dissertation will be limited to college going gamers only. This will be so keeping in mind the time constraints of the dissertation. The research objectives: Find out reasons why college-goers play casual internet games What are usage patterns of casual internet-gaming in India Explore the casual gaming phenomena First we need to know the platforms where casual internet games are being played by college-goers. After that we will find the reasons why these gamers are hooked on to casual internet gaming. We will then find the relations between the usage pattern and the reasons of usage and explore this area of casual gaming from the consumer perspective. This will give us various hypothesis which then can be verified. Hence it will help develop a consumer-centric approach which is currently missing in the industry. A deep understanding of the casual internet gamers in India is necessary for this approach. The researchs objective is to develop this new approach for the industry and academia alike within the constraints of a research (college-going students only). PROPOSED RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY To find out the whys and hows of the Indian Casual gaming industry, a qualitative research will be in place. Here we are trying to understand the usage and behavior of the college going audience with respect to casual gaming, which requires a qualitative approach. Secondary research- Being an area which appears to be hardly studied, the starting point would be studies done on gaming in India, for example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" IAMAI-IMRB report NASSCOM Animation Gaming Report IGDA reports These reports give an insight on the demographics of the Indian gamer and are a good place to start. A secondary research on the subject of Casual online gaming will tell us where to find the gamers and challenges of the Industry. It will basically give an industry point of view. With the help of these reports and an extensive online research, we will be able to find out the platforms where the gamers are playing casual games, for example- Dedicated Casual gaming websites Social media networks Mobiles Film/brand promotion websites A comprehensive list of all the casual gaming platforms on the internet will be made. Once we know where to find the college going casual gamer, we can move on to the next stage, which is to probe him/her. Apart from this, casual gaming phenomena in other countries will be studied where research has already been done on the subject. Quantitative studies on Indian gaming industry will be studied to form a strong base for the qualitative research to be undertaken. Primary research- We will through the secondary research know where to find the Indian casual gamer. We will then do a primary research to find the reasons why people play casual games. In- depth Interviews- To find out the reasons why people play casual internet games 15 in-depth interviews will be conducted keeping in mind that all possible platforms are covered. The hows and whys of the college going gamers will be found out. Questionnaire- To understand the usage patterns of the casual internet gamers, a qualitative questionnaire will be in order. It will give us the various attitudes of the gamers along with consumption patterns of the college-going gamers. We will be able to find out which games they are playing, when they are playing and how they are playing. A questionnaire will have a sample size of around 40 people from the college-going gamers. The results of the in-depth interview and questionnaire along with the secondary research will then be used to develop the psychographic profiling of the casual internet gamer. This will be done using the TGI software tool. The universe will be derived by the intensive secondary research. Sample size is proposed to be 15 in-depth interviews and 40 gamers (20 men and 20 women) for the questionnaire, keeping in mind our target, the college going gamers. Mere numbers are irrelevant here as our focus is on developing a deep understanding on the subject. As this is a qualitative study, a probability sampling method is ineffective and expensive; hence we will do non-probability sampling with convenience, quota and snow-ball sampling techniques. A content analysis technique will be undertaken. The analysis will be with a systematic description of behavior asking who, what, where, where and how questions within formulated systematic rules to limit the effects of analyst bias. Being an exploratory research, this will be a good basis to begin with. EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION The Indian gaming industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 49% to reach USD 830 million by 2012 which was USD 167 million in 2008. Casual internet gaming is an area of the industry which is popular and growing. And it is also an area where on an extensive search no concrete research could be found. Hence this area of research appeals to both the industry and academia. No consumer centric approach in this field has yet been observed. This research will perhaps be the first of its kind where the psychographic profiling of the college going casual internet gamers will be done and basic STP constructs on the same will be developed. For the industry, this approach will help them develop and deliver better products and being an exploratory research, for the academia the research output will provide further scope for researching in the field. This research only focuses on College going gamers. There are a lot of other segments which can be studied. Also, casual gaming is just a subset of computer gaming, which in itself is a large field to research on, given the dearth of studies done in the Indian context, leaving scope for further researches, using this research as a basis. Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gamers in India Casual Internet Gaming in India is the area of dissertation which will be researched. A phenomenon relatively new to the world, casual internet gaming is an area which is yet to be researched and fully understood. Computer gaming is an area close to my heart, as well as an exciting and challenging field to work on, where the markets are still evolving and promising great potential in the near future. Electronic gaming itself is a very wide subject which hasnt been properly researched, especially in India. Internet gaming is a subset to it, but again an area so vast that it cant be covered in one research. Going down further, I chose casual internet gaming because of the following reasons- Casual gaming is by far the most popular mode of gaming on internet in India. Internet speeds in India allows only casual gaming to grow currently. Social media is proving to be an ideal platform for their growth No research on this topic has been done so far. We are yet to understand why people and Indians in particular are attracted towards casual gaming. Till now, Indian Marketers have not taken a consumer-centric approach to make and deliver casual games. There is great scope in the field, as Indians discover casual gaming and get hooked on to it through various platforms According to a recent study by JuxtConsult , Of the 47 million Internet users, 39 million are based in urban areas, while only 8 million reside in the rural. Hence Internet penetration is largely limited in India and speeds are still slow. In such a scenario, the only games that can work well are casual games because they dont need high end computer/gaming systems, nor are the speed requirements a constraint. In fact, being the only mode of gaming which is viable, it has been the focus of the gaming industry as well. From dedicated websites like zapak to integration of casual games to social media networks like facebook, casual games are available across the internet. The surprising part is that no one has really tried to understand the reason for their popularity or the potential profitability of these games. The growth of Indias casual games market comes in line with the overall growth of the countrys games market and industry. According to founder of CasualGaming.biz, Gaurav Mirchandani the industry has changed substantially over the past few due to the growth of internet users in India whom now have broadband access in their homes, at work, and in restaurants and hotels. This change has sparked a new emergence of casual gaming in India as a leisure and as lead to new small companies setting up offices for game development outsourcing mostly for flash and PC downloadable games. The Industry focus has been on delivering casual games across platforms to the maximum possible user base. However, no thought has been given to the consumer and their needs. The Industry lacks a consumer-centric focus in game development and delivery. A deeper understanding of why these games are being played, and by whom they are being played is necessary to improve the standards and profitability of casual gaming as a business. As the world moves towards the virtual avenues provided by the technological revolution, internet gaming assumes significance as the next major frontier of the world. Brands are already investing in this area and can really cash on into this profitable business. Internet now provides people the choice of playing with other individuals over the cyber space. The constant advances in technology open up new possibilities regularly, taking computer gaming to new heights each time. Hence, the objective of the research will be to understand the psyche of the Indian casual gamer. This will help the Indian gaming industry understand the consumers better and hence deliver better products to them. Not only that, it will also help them improve the profitability of the business, by understanding what is relevant to the gamers, and what is not. This will be an exploratory study into the realm of casual gaming in India. Given the time constraints of a dissertation, I will be able to focus on limited aspects of casual gaming. Hence I am choosing only those aspects of the area, like why do gamers behave as they do and where and when they play games, which are important both for the Industry and the academia. Again due to the time constraints and vastness of the topic, everything cannot be covered in one research. Hence a study on the college-going gamers will be conducted. LITERATURE REVIEW Very little literature is available on consumers of Casual Gaming in India. I studied the gaming industry in general to find references to casual and internet gaming, especially in the Indian context. Gaming: India is All Set! -Rao, K. Rajesh (rajesh, 2008) Prospects for Animation Gaming Industry in India. -Kuruvila, A. O. (A.O, 2008) (Computer gaming on the go in India, 2004) India: The Final Frontier for Games? (Silicon india, 2008) Zapak Taking Casual Games seriously! (Vimali, 2008) Casual Gaming A Big Draw for VCs. (Khanna, 2008) Games people play (Marketing Management, 2007) Casual video gaming is now serious business (2007) Casual Computer Games Go Upscale (2007) Nothing casual about it Rajiv Fernando 2009 The article presents the authors views concerning the development of the gaming industry in India. He relates that the new generation is characterized by the evolution of interactive digital content and distributed model of games services. The author perceives good opportunities for game developers and providers associated with the increase of Internet penetration and digital content. The article starts off with a preface of the Global and Indian gaming and animation industry and goes on to dwell upon the statistics of the industry in India. It then follows up with a SWOT analysis of the Indian gaming Industry Reports on the report released by British Broadcasting Corp. in 2005 regarding the mobile gaming market segment in India. Increase in the number of mobile phone users in October 2004; Factors that influenced the growth in the mobile gaming sector; Number of game developers and mobile companies that provide games to their subscribers. The article provides an overview of the computer games industry worldwide, particularly in India. It explains the technology trends that might influence the advent of these games including powerful cellular telephones, cloud gaming and the growth of broadband networks. A historical background on the emergence of these electronic games is also presented. The article discusses the success of the online games introduced by Zapak Digital Entertainment in India. Zapak is influential to the success of the gaming industry through the launching of massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs), hardcore games and large format gaming cafÃÆ' ©es. The companys strategies in creating value chain for its customers and distribution network are mentioned. The article presents the views of the author on various issues related to the electronic games industry in India. It focuses on the casual gaming business. The author addresses the problems on piracy and financing animation and gaming projects in the country. Future opportunities for the casual gaming space are also cited. The article discusses conflicting studies concerning the target audience for casual games. A study by Information Solutions Group found that casual gamers are predominately female. In-game advertisement firm Eyeblaster backed this data up, claiming that the majority of casual gamers are females that are more than thirty years old. However, a study by Ipsos Insight showed that more than half of computer and video gamers are male, data that is backed up by a Universal McCann study about console gamers. The article reports on the growing competition among firms in the video games industry in New York City. According to IDC Research, revenues from casual video games are expected to increase by 68 percent to $750 million in 2007 and are forecasted to reach $2 million by 2009. Wade Tinney, co-founder of Large Animal Games, said that it is important for firms in the industry to be well-funded so that they can move quickly and make products that compete with those with other companies. The article talks about the demographics of casual gamers worldwide according to the various studies that have been conducted. It also talks about the distribution of these games and what the game developers are doing to fight off competition in the casual gaming segment. It takes the zapak example to show that casual games are here to stay. It further tells about the future plans of zapak and compares the groeth of casual gaming in India with increase in internet penetration.It re-iterates that industry observers believe that online games had great potential for growth in the Indian gaming market, as it overcame the problem of piracy. Sify eyes kids for gaming biz (2007, Infotech.indiatimes.com) Web 2.0: Online Communities, Personalization and the Web OS. (Singh, 2006) Casual Games White Paper -IGDA ,2003 The 2009-2014 Outlook for PC Casual Games in India Icon Group International, Inc. 2008 Insights on Casual Games, Nielson, 2009 Casual gaming study conducted by NPD Group China Gaming 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 Forecast and Analysis Casual Gaming Market Update James Kuai and Peter Shackelfor 3Q 2007 2004 China Casual Game Research Report (2005) It shows the interest of the industry in the casual gaming industry and an attempt to focus on the needs of the consumers, finally. I talks about Sify and its plan to acquire casual games and make them available all across Sifys cyber cafes. The article reports developments on Web 2.0 in India. Social networks and casual gaming continue to prevail in the major themes of Web 2.0. Online communities emphasize the notion of more sharing and connectivity on the Internet, as well as a strong focus on personalization. Another interesting phenomenon in the Web 2.0 world is the emerging space of online casual gaming. This article is on the International Casual Games industry. Numerous players continue to enter the market, business models are constantly changing, and new customers are found every day. This paper helps define the industry, and give everyone a base level of understanding of all aspects of this space. It is not intended to go into minute detail on any one subject, but provides broad understanding to the major factors involved in the casual game industry. This econometric study covers the latent demand outlook for PC casual games across the states, union territories and cities of India. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across over 5,000 cities in India. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. Nor does the report cover actual sales data (which are simply unavailable, in a comparable or consistent manner in virtually all of the cities in India) This study looks at data from more than 800 casual games for PC computers, which are defined as inexpensive to produce, straightforward in concept, easy to learn and simple to play. They say that casual gamers return more often to games and therefore play more often than hardcore gamers. The study, which surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. gamers, identified 14 specific types of gamer within 39 different game genres. Casual gamers were divided into 10 classifications. The study also offered data that would seem to dispel the myth that casual gamers dont invest as much time playing games as core gamers do. This IDC study examines the dynamics of the China gaming market and focuses on online gaming. It looks at market drivers, dynamics, and strategies; the competitive landscape; and includes profiles of the top 10 vendors as well as a 2008à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"2012 forecast. The concentration of the China online gaming market improved significantly in 2007. The revenue sum of the top 10 vendors occupied 91.8% of the total market. Casual Gaming Market Update provides in-depth analysis of the current dynamics and future directions of the rapidly growing casual gaming industry in the USA, including quantitative forecasts, competitive analysis, consumer perspectives, and profiles of leading companies in the casual gaming value chain. According to iResearch, market size of China online casual game industry was RMB 25 million in 2003 and it reaches to RMB 410 million in 2004 with growth rate of 356%. The fast growth of online casual game industry is mainly attributable to the market success of QQ game platform and Shanda BnB. iResearch forecasts that market size of China online casual game industry will keep fast growth in the following years: its is estimated that market size of China online casual game will reach RMB 1.78 billion in 2007. The literature review failed to reveal any concrete consumer research done in the field of Casual gaming in India. Apart from references in articles in business and technology magazines, only two proper journal articles were found on the subject. No survey, scholarly article, book, dissertation etc on this topic covering the consumer angle and pertaining to India was found. Being a new research area, this is not surprising, but only logical. Hence we find a huge research gap here, particularly in the Indian context. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FRAMEWORK We see that there is a wide research gap in this area. At best surveys, statistics and reports are available on the subject. While the consumers have been studied in the west and Asian markets like China, an Indian study to understand the consumer was not found on an extensive search. Therefore, in the proposed research we plan to- Understand the Indian college-going casual internet gamer No research was found on the above mentioned research field, inspite of extensive search. An exploratory research in this field is hence in order. The phenomena of Internet gaming and hence out study will be largely restricted to SEC A and SEC B in India ( JuxtConsult study,2009 ). This is due to the current limitations of internet penetration. Though a comprehensive study needs to be done on all existing and potential casual gamers, the proposed dissertation will be limited to college going gamers only. This will be so keeping in mind the time constraints of the dissertation. The research objectives: Find out reasons why college-goers play casual internet games What are usage patterns of casual internet-gaming in India Explore the casual gaming phenomena First we need to know the platforms where casual internet games are being played by college-goers. After that we will find the reasons why these gamers are hooked on to casual internet gaming. We will then find the relations between the usage pattern and the reasons of usage and explore this area of casual gaming from the consumer perspective. This will give us various hypothesis which then can be verified. Hence it will help develop a consumer-centric approach which is currently missing in the industry. A deep understanding of the casual internet gamers in India is necessary for this approach. The researchs objective is to develop this new approach for the industry and academia alike within the constraints of a research (college-going students only). PROPOSED RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY To find out the whys and hows of the Indian Casual gaming industry, a qualitative research will be in place. Here we are trying to understand the usage and behavior of the college going audience with respect to casual gaming, which requires a qualitative approach. Secondary research- Being an area which appears to be hardly studied, the starting point would be studies done on gaming in India, for example à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" IAMAI-IMRB report NASSCOM Animation Gaming Report IGDA reports These reports give an insight on the demographics of the Indian gamer and are a good place to start. A secondary research on the subject of Casual online gaming will tell us where to find the gamers and challenges of the Industry. It will basically give an industry point of view. With the help of these reports and an extensive online research, we will be able to find out the platforms where the gamers are playing casual games, for example- Dedicated Casual gaming websites Social media networks Mobiles Film/brand promotion websites A comprehensive list of all the casual gaming platforms on the internet will be made. Once we know where to find the college going casual gamer, we can move on to the next stage, which is to probe him/her. Apart from this, casual gaming phenomena in other countries will be studied where research has already been done on the subject. Quantitative studies on Indian gaming industry will be studied to form a strong base for the qualitative research to be undertaken. Primary research- We will through the secondary research know where to find the Indian casual gamer. We will then do a primary research to find the reasons why people play casual games. In- depth Interviews- To find out the reasons why people play casual internet games 15 in-depth interviews will be conducted keeping in mind that all possible platforms are covered. The hows and whys of the college going gamers will be found out. Questionnaire- To understand the usage patterns of the casual internet gamers, a qualitative questionnaire will be in order. It will give us the various attitudes of the gamers along with consumption patterns of the college-going gamers. We will be able to find out which games they are playing, when they are playing and how they are playing. A questionnaire will have a sample size of around 40 people from the college-going gamers. The results of the in-depth interview and questionnaire along with the secondary research will then be used to develop the psychographic profiling of the casual internet gamer. This will be done using the TGI software tool. The universe will be derived by the intensive secondary research. Sample size is proposed to be 15 in-depth interviews and 40 gamers (20 men and 20 women) for the questionnaire, keeping in mind our target, the college going gamers. Mere numbers are irrelevant here as our focus is on developing a deep understanding on the subject. As this is a qualitative study, a probability sampling method is ineffective and expensive; hence we will do non-probability sampling with convenience, quota and snow-ball sampling techniques. A content analysis technique will be undertaken. The analysis will be with a systematic description of behavior asking who, what, where, where and how questions within formulated systematic rules to limit the effects of analyst bias. Being an exploratory research, this will be a good basis to begin with. EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION The Indian gaming industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 49% to reach USD 830 million by 2012 which was USD 167 million in 2008. Casual internet gaming is an area of the industry which is popular and growing. And it is also an area where on an extensive search no concrete research could be found. Hence this area of research appeals to both the industry and academia. No consumer centric approach in this field has yet been observed. This research will perhaps be the first of its kind where the psychographic profiling of the college going casual internet gamers will be done and basic STP constructs on the same will be developed. For the industry, this approach will help them develop and deliver better products and being an exploratory research, for the academia the research output will provide further scope for researching in the field. This research only focuses on College going gamers. There are a lot of other segments which can be studied. Also, casual gaming is just a subset of computer gaming, which in itself is a large field to research on, given the dearth of studies done in the Indian context, leaving scope for further researches, using this research as a basis.

Combating Global Warming and Other Problems Associated with Fossil Fuels :: Environmental Renewable Energy Sources Essays

Combating Global Warming and Other Problems Associated with Fossil Fuels To combat global warming and the other problems associated with fossil fuels, the world must switch to renewable energy sources like sunlight, wind, and biomass. All renewable energy technologies are not appropriate to all applications or locations, however. As with conventional energy production, there are environmental issues to be considered. This paper identifies some of the key environmental impacts associated with renewable technologies and suggests appropriate responses to them. A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists and three other national organizations, America's Energy Choices, found that even when certain strict environmental standards are used for evaluating renewable energy projects, these energy sources can provide more than half of the US energy supply by the year 2030. Today the situation in fuel and industrial complexes round the world is disastrous. Current energy systems depend heavily upon fossil and nuclear fuels. What this would mean is that we would run out of mineral resources if we continue consuming non-renewables at the present rate, and this moment is not far off. According to some estimates, within the next 200 years most people, for instance, seize using their cars for lack of petrol (unless some alternatives are used). Moreover, both fossil and nuclear fuels produce a great amount of polluting substances when burnt. We are slowly but steadily destroying our planet, digging it from inside and releasing the wastes into the atmosphere, water and soil. We have to seize vandalizing the Earth and seek some other ways to address the needs of the society some other way. That’s why renewable sources are so important for the society. In fact, today we have a simple choice – either to turn to nature or to destroy ourselves. I have all reasons to reckon that most of people would like the first idea much more, and this is why I’m going to inquire into the topic and look through some ways of providing a sustainable future for next generations. Wind Energy It is hard to imagine an energy source more benign to the environment than wind power; it produces no air or water pollution, involves no toxic or hazardous substances (other than those commonly found in large machines), and poses no threat to public safety. And yet a serious obstacle facing the wind industry is public opposition reflecting concern over the visibility and noise of wind turbines, and their impacts on wilderness areas.

Negative Effects of Slavery Essay

Intro A community can be viewed as a people that share common languages. Attributes and many other cultural similarities. Strong communities usually signify a unity or bond. This bond forms a sense of sense of self and â€Å"brotherhood†. However, this does not appear to exist in the Black community. Slavery has nearly destroyed the existence of any unity. When the Africans were taken from African, different tribes were mixed together on the ships and stripped of their identities. The differences between the African tribes had a positive affect for the enslavers because it caused disunity. Which helped them maintain control both during the voyages and once they arrived to the U.S. realizing the affect of the disunity, slave owners continued to develop tactics that would further disunite African Americans from generation to generation until today. Slavery Period The disunity among Africans helped the slave owners operate their plantations more efficiently and furthered enslaved the Blacks. Their lack of unity increased because of distrust for one another and an increase of loyalty and dependence on their owners The Africans were divided based on physical attributes (ie. Skin tone, physical build). Of all the attributes, skin tone was of the most prominent tactics of division used. The fairer skinned were usually used as house laborers and held a higher status than that of the darker skinned who were used as field hands or given harsher treatment. . Because they were more privileged, a sense of superiority arose among the light skinned or house laborers. This caused the darker skinned Africans to envy the fairer skinned by distancing Negative Effects of Slavery and disconnecting themselves from each other, they caused division on the plantation. Any sign of unity, even seemingly harmless bonds such as bonds between children and their parents, posed a threat to the slave owners causing most families to be separated and sold to different plantations. African women were even taken from their families to become mistresses to their owners. Separation of families left the men unable to uphold their duties as a father and head of the household and left or forced women to raise families on their own or with other men. Segregation Period Before slavery was completely abolished certain slaves were freed, many of which were fair skinned or â€Å"Mullatoes†. When slavery was abolished and the other slaves were freed, the Mullatoes feared that mixing or associating themselves with the other Blacks would diminished their status as the â€Å"Buffer Class† (more accepted by Whites). Even after segregation and Jim Crow, laws were implemented and African Americans were limited to all Black living areas, school, restaurants, etc., Mullatoes were still favoritism in some cases. The resentment and rivalry between Mullatoes and Blacks resulted in separate churches, schools and organizations. Some Mullato organizations, schools and businesses had certain procedures that determine acceptance because they were viewed as â€Å"better† than other Blacks’ were. For example if you were lighter than a paper bag you could get accepted into their organization, if not your were asked to go else where. Another cause of separation was the lack of employment opportunities for Black Negative Effects of Slavery men. They were unable to uphold their position as the man of the house by providing for their family. Women were offered more job opportunities then their men. Resentment grew between both the men and women because the men that were unable to provide for their families felt inferior to the women and the women were left to provide for the household on her own. Lack of jobs for men was such a major issue that some men would seek illegal ways to provide for their families and many were often jailed or killed causing and absence of a father or man in the house. Desegregation until Present Because of the increased availability of more freedoms and opportunities for Blacks since the end of segregation and Jim Crow, African Americans now have the choice to patronize whom ever they please. Many Blacks stopped patronizing other Blacks and sought out White businesses. This has resulted from the influence of the Euro-worldview society is under the belief that White schools and businesses are better than that of Blacks. This is a form of disunity because there is a decrease in Blacks supporting other Blacks. Much like during the time of segregation, Black men have a difficulty being employed. However today welfare or financial government assistance is in place for women who are unemployed with children or without a man in the house; decreasing the need for a male presents. THe decreasing need for the Black male presents is causing not only a separation of family unity, but also the desire to have family unity. Negative Effects of Slavery Conclusion Although we are more than 100 years out of slavery, affects of its corruption still exist within the Black culture. Slavery has nearly destroyed any presents of unity among the African American people by forcing them to compete with each other and by targeting their differences and using them as a means of separation. Aids for minorities such as Affirmative action are nothing more than tactics to force competition, divide Blacks, and maintain a lack of unity whenever there is act to better themselves. Because of fear of an uprising or gain of power after Blacks enslavement slave, owners and other Caucasians developed documented tactics in order to maintain control and disunity of the community. William Lynch gave a speech in 1712 that gives proof to these acts by illustrating their strategy: â€Å"I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves, I take these differences and make them bigger I use fear, distrust and envy for control purposes†¦ you must pitch the old Blacks against the young Blacks†¦you must use the dark skin slaves against the light skin slaves and the light skin slaves against the dark skin slaves†¦But it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us†¦The must love, respect and trust only you.† References: Noble (1986). â€Å"Breaking the Chains of Slavery†. Psychological Legacy of Slavery Retrieved May 29, 2007. Hall, Russell, Wilson. (1992). The Color Complex. Retrieved May 29, 2007

The Womans Suffrage Campaigns - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 602 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/07/03 Category Law Essay Level High school Topics: Women's Suffrage Essay Did you like this example? Hello, my name is Annabeth Wilder, and the year is 1919. The 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution was passed by the United States Congress on June 4, 1919, and was ratified on August 18, 1920. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Womans Suffrage Campaigns" essay for you Create order Before I get too involved with the story I would like to say that, the Night of Terror is the suffrage movement, and it is when women refused to put on prison uniforms or work. This movement began back in 1848, but lasted for decades, despite it being weakened sometimes. Especially during the Civil War. We always persisted and kept it up. Well, anyways Im a middle aged woman on a hunger strike, in jail. Also, if you didnt already know, Im living during the time when the womans suffrage campaigns are going on. The reason the Night of Terror happened was because some of us women stood in front of the White House to make the president pressure others to vote for the suffrage amendment. Those of us that did this were arrested, and held for about three days, but later they started holding us for anywhere from six days to six months. Those of us arrested called ourselves, political prisoners. Before the arrests were made, people were warned to not come back to protest for they would be arrested, but we did. People carried signs such as Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. After being released people would just return to the white house to protest. Putting some of us in prison didnt stop new people from going to protest either. We were put in a prison called, Occoquan. Even though we were arrested, we refused to put on the uniforms or work. This made a worker for the prison, W.H. Whittaker, order the prison guards to act violent towards us, and they beat and kic ked us. While some of us were forced to stand all night, some others were roughly thrown into their cells. The guards also allowed rats to get into our cells, and there were maggots in our food. They did not allow us to have privacy either. A guard would walk us to an open-stalled bathroom, where the toilet paper was guarded. It was as if we were in a zoo. Later on, we started a hunger strike until we were released. We refused to eat any food. This idea came from two women named, Rose Winslow and Alice Paul. The same man who got the guards to beat us, W.H. Whittaker, got marine guards to watch the prison. Some people were force fed by doctors with a tube. This was very painful and embarrassing. This also caused most of us to throw up a lot, I would say, at least two times a day. I was later released after about six months since I was a first time offender.. I was very weak when i was released from the beatings and hunger strike. I could barely walk right. It was horrible, but very worth it. After I got back to somewhat normal, I returned to the White House to protest more. What we did was basically torture, and to this day I am not sure how we got through it. It worked though. Later on about nine states allowed women to have the same rights as men. We still worked to get all states to allow women to have equal rights. It wasnt until August 26, 1920, that about three quarters of legislatures ratify the nineteenth amendment. A year before that the amendment was passed, and the process to ratify it began. Finally, women had the right to vote.