Social Experiences Are The Early Building Blocks For Metaverse: Sameer Pitalwalla, Epic Games

From the first board games to virtual gaming, technology has changed the way people view gaming today. The interactive entertainment company and developer of the popular game Fortnite, Epic Games is building social experiences — the early building blocks for the metaverse. In a chat with BW Businessworld’s Ojasvi Nath on the evolving media tech and gaming sector, Sameer Pitalwalla, Business Director - India & SEA, Epic Games shares how games such as Fortnite will bring new meaning to the way consumers interact, play, and socialise with each other, his views on video gaming’s transition to mass media, and why companies such as Epic Games need to constantly innovate for the new audience. Excerpts from the conversation:

Video games are putting in much effort in becoming both a mass media product and providing personalised experiences, especially in a country like India where the scope for interactive media such as video games is rising. How is Epic Games positioning itself in India in the age of media tech?  
Epic Games Unreal Engine is continuously evolving to serve its original purpose as a state-of-the-art game engine and give freedom and control to creators across industries to deliver cutting-edge content, interactive experiences, and immersive virtual worlds. Leveraging Unreal Engine, game developers can create any video game, whether it is an Indie or AAA game. With Unreal Engine, one can break free from the barrier that a lot of developers face with tools and workflows that put the developers in control whether they work in a team that is made of five or 500 developers. At Epic Games, we are constantly innovating. In this age of rapid digitisation, we are happy to see game engines receive an overwhelming response and only expect it to grow in the future.  
 
Media is one of the toughest sectors due to clutter and competition. In this age of data and arguably a flat India, where Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets are consuming similar content as metros, due to data access and device proliferation, what are some of the factors that are propelling the growth of the gaming sector?  
Increasing smartphone proliferation, internet penetration, young population, and adoption of digital media are some of the key growth drivers of the gaming industry in India. The overall growth in digital consumption sophistication has helped online gaming become a mainstream entertainment option. Today, India is home to a tenth of the world’s gamers and has the second-largest smartphone user base in the world. Additionally, the pandemic accelerated online casual gaming consumption, with most metrics like MAUs (monthly average users), DAUs (daily average users), average session times, and even paid user conversion rates seeing strong traction. With technologies such as cloud gaming on the anvil and the adoption of the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) led technologies, casual online gaming in India is serious business for all players in the ecosystem.  
 
Opportunities have emerged for startups to capitalise on the pain points that have emerged in the age of media tech. Do you think that rather than trying to launch the next big social network or media platform, there’s room to address the problems that exist in the current models? 
It is definitely better to improve the existing platforms that cater to an audience than to create newer ones from scratch. Whether it is a console game, a mobile companion app, a short film, an immersive experience, physical merchandise, or even virtual cosmetics, in each of these cases, it’s essential to consider how a company will activate its brand and engage with audiences. Brands and marketers must realise the true extent of the opportunities that real-time technology offers. This is a rapidly evolving space for all creators, with new ideas being introduced and shared daily. We recommend that creatives connect with their colleagues across industries and leverage the many free learning resources that companies like ours provide to everyone as a guide to their real-time journeys. At Epic Games, we want creators to know that we will continue to champion open standards, open libraries, and open-source tools and support policies that keep malware in check.  
 
Where does content factor in your overall strategy? What are some of your strategies for the year ahead that you believe will directly impact your standing in the sector? 
We want to empower everyone to create and share compelling real-time 3D content and experiences at Epic Games. We are building an ecosystem powered by Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, MetaHuman Creator, Quixel, RealityCapture, and beyond to help everyone be creators with high-quality tools and content. For example, we recently launched the new version of Twinmotion, our easy-to-use storytelling tool for visualising the built world. Twinmotion 2021 includes a bridge to Unreal Engine and integrates thousands of free Quixel Megascans assets.  
We are excited by the limitless possibilities that immersive and interactive technology brings to all aspects of commerce and culture. This is why we are focused on building the tools and services that give people the freedom to create in better ways and enable inclusion and participation for all.  
 
How are you seeing consumer behaviour change that is fuelling the growth of content-led companies in gaming? 
With the pandemic gloom, all of us are looking for ways to cope with uncertainty, escape monotony, and connect with our loved ones; people are searching for new virtual experiences. Gaming connects millions of people worldwide every day. And whether they are sharing tips on YouTube or getting creative with gameplay, people seek virtual experiences that help them foster existing relationships and new ones.