According to Project xCloud’s Catherine Gluckstein, there are more people playing games in India than there are people in the United States of America altogether. There are apparently more than 300 million individuals within India’s population of 1.3 billion who enjoy games, which in total exceeds the US’s population.
Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Gluckstein mentions “mature Xbox markets” such as the UK and US and how, although products may start in these mature areas, new territory reactions to products are learning opportunities for Xbox. “It’s a huge gaming market, but not one we’ve played in before. It’s a really interesting place for us to go and learn.”
This indicates that India might be one of the biggest potential expansion points for Microsoft’s Project xCloud service, and a place for other development companies to keep an eye on – if they aren’t already. India has already had some trouble with Player Unknown: Battlegrounds bans earlier this year, but it looks like their market is set to see a ton more expansion.
Project xCloud is one of Microsoft’s big new projects, which looks to incorporate game streaming to mobile and tablets. It is currently in its beta in the UK, US, and Korea and allows players to play games with a controller, using their mobile devices as a screen and game streaming device.
Although Project xCloud is a big deal in its own right, there are many eyes following the movements of Stadia and its imminent launch. We’ll have to see if Google’s swing at the streaming games target makes its mark.