Shashi Reddi – An Exclusive Interview with the Founder of FXLabs on In-Game Advertising
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The advertising scenario is up for an overhaul. The company big-wigs are finally realising that the consumer has been getting immune to traditional ways of advertising and are coming up more innovative ways to capture the mind share. WATBlog had previously reported about movies Ghajini & Dhoom getting converted into a computer games and also Amul turning to set up virtual production house in Second Life. In-game advertising and the concept of reaching out to consumers using computer games as a platform is finally catching on in India. With more and more professional gamers evolving and companies like Sify and Zapak organising gaming competitions, the day isn’t far when one of us happen to come across a visiting card that says “Professional Gamer”.
Getting in tune with the trend, WATBlog decided to ask Mr. Shashi Reddi, the Founder & Chairman of FXLabs, a leading developer and publisher of games for all platforms, including PC, console, online, MMOG and handhelds. Mr. Reddi is also the Founder, Chairman and CEO of AppLabs, established in 1998
WATBlog: What is your take on in-game advertising? Does FXLabs do in-game advertising? If yes, then how do you plan to incorporate that?
Mr. Reddi : It’s a focused way of advertising which is an emerging medium to reach our target audience. The game users are more focused and actively involved in the gaming experience. It does give the advertiser a space to reach out with a specific message to the targeted user.
WATBlog : Is there any particular age group you are trying to address to, right now? What is the age bracket?
Mr. Reddi : The target group does differ from one game to another. But certainly one of our focuses is to introduce the movie goers and non – gamer audiences to the world of gaming. With the introduction of localized content it will definitely reach out to newer audiences. The age group we are targeting is largely between 12 yrs to 45 yrs.
WATBlog : How much is the difference on the brand recall quality between banner ads and in-game ads?
Mr. Reddi : The difference can’t be measured as both the mediums have certain reach and effectiveness. But in-game ads do have a certain edge over the other. As the users are more intrigued onto their gaming experience. It does get them hooked on to their favorite game on & on and it certainly gives the advertiser an edge over other mediums.
WATBlog : For an advertiser which is the better model, traditional or in-game advertising according to you?
Mr. Reddi : No doubt, advertisers are constantly looking out for newer and effective ways to promote their brands. This is one among the effective New Medias which advertisers are using to reach out to a specific audience. And every advertising model does have its core benefits and In-game advertising is one among them. This medium does give an opportunity for a certain category of advertiser to take part in reaching out to the users. And also it mainly acts as a reinforcement tool rather than a traditional form of communication.
WATBlog : Does FXLabs design each of the Flash games on the site or does it also outsource a few?
Mr. Reddi : We have an in-house Flash team working on the new games. Since we plan to add many new games every week to the FXLabs website, we may also look for suitable outsource partners in the future.
WATBlog : Flash Games take quite a time to load. Given the bandwidth crunch in India, do you think Flash games will be able to sustain the test of time? Are there any new platforms of game development considered, that can be played online?
Mr. Reddi : Things are already improving on this front. Game sizes are coming down to less than 800 KB while the bandwidth situation has improved considerably. Sure, we are constantly looking for other developments which may create quality experience for the users in terms of game play and download time.
WATBlog : Is there anything special FXLabs do, in order to stay ahead in the competition?
Mr. Reddi : We are focusing on India specific games that are local and relevant in story content and game flavor. This will create better connect with our target audience.
Apart from Flash games, we follow the same strategy on our PC games. Our new releases Dhoom 2.5 and Ghajini will create very distinct game experience that the audience can identify with. These games are specifically made with the Indian players in mind.
WATBlog : Why don’t we get multiplayer flash games, other than board games?
Mr. Reddi : We are building a multi-player cricket game.
WATBlog : How much revenue do online flash games manage to generate? How much, do you think, online flash games have the capability to generate, for the whole gaming industry?
Mr. Reddi : NASSCOM estimates that online casual games could be a $100 Mn industry in India in a few years. It is already a billion dollar industry worldwide
WATBlog : Anything innovative and new coming up, for the consumers, from FXLabs?
Mr. Reddi : Our forth coming release Dhoom 2.5 will give the Indian players a distinct experience of re-enacting the characters from the block buster movie Dhoom. There is something for everyone in this entertaining Action / Dance game.
Ghajini will provide the Action / Mystery flavor of the movie where the audience gets to don the role played by Amir Khan in the forth coming movie.
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