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phone to a computer pool game you can play on your PC or laptop。 In 2004； it bought
the rights to use Charlie Chaplin's image for mobile computer games。 That's right…a
start…up Indian game company today owns the Chaplin image for use in mobile computer
games。
In Bangalore and in later e…mail conversations； I asked Rajesh； who is in his early
thirties； to walk me through how he became a player in the global game business from
Bangalore。
〃The first defining moment for me dates back to the early nineties；〃 said Rajesh；
a smallish； mustachioed figure with the ambition of a heavyweight boxer。 〃Having lived
and worked in Europe； as a student； I was clear in my choice that I would not leave
India。 I wanted to do my thing from India； do something that would be globally
respected and something that would make a difference in India。 I started my company
in Bangalore as a one…man operation on March 15； 1995。 My father gave me the seed
money for the bank loan that bought me a computer and a 14。4 kbp modem。 I set out
to do multimedia applications aimed at the education and industry sectors。 By 1997；
we were a five…man team。 We had done some pathbreaking work in our chosen field； but
we realized that this was not challenging us enough。 End of Dhruva 1。0。
〃In March 1997； we partnered with Intel and began the process of reinventing ourselves
into a gaming company。 By mid…1998； we were showing global players what we were capable
of by way of both designing games and developing the outsourced portions of games
designed by others。 On November 26； 1998； we signed our first major game development
project with Infogrames Entertainment； a French gaming
company。 In hindsight； I think the deal we landed was due to the pragmatism of one
man in Infogrames more than anything else。 We did a great job on the game； but it
was never published。 It was a big blow for us； but the quality of our work spoke for
itself； so we survived。 The most important lesson we learned： We could do it； but
we had to get smart。 Going for all or nothing…that is； signing up to make only a full
game or nothing at all…was not sustainable。 We had to look at positioning ourselves
differently。 End of Dhruva 2。0。〃
This led to the start of Dhruva's 3。0 era…positioning Dhruva as a provider of game
development services。 The computer game business is already enormous； every year
grossing more revenue than Hollywood； andit already had some tradition of outsourcing
game characters to countries like Canada and Australia。 〃In March 2001； we sent out
our new game demo； Saloon； to the world；〃 said Rajesh。 〃The theme was the American
Wild Wild West； and the setting was a saloon in a small town after business hours；
with the barman cleaning up 。。。 None of us had ever seen a real saloon before； but
we researched the look and feel ＇of a saloon＇ using the Internet and Google。 The choice
of the theme was deliberate。 We wanted potential clients in the U。S。A。 and Europe
to be convinced that Indians can 'get it。' The demo was a hit； it landed us a bunch
of outsourced business； and we have been a successful company ever since。〃
Could he have done this a decade earlier； before the world got so flat？
〃Never；〃 said Rajesh。Several things had to come together。 The first was to have enough
installed bandwidth so he could e…mail game content and instructions back and forth
between his own company and his American clients。 The second factor； said Rajesh；
was the spread of PCs for use in both business and at home； with people getting very
comfortable using them in a variety of tasks。 〃PCs are everywhere；〃 he said。 〃The
penetration is relatively decent even in India today。〃
The third factor； though； was the emergence of the work flow software and Internet
applications that made it possible for a Dhruva to go into business as a
minimultinational from day one： Word； Outlook； NetMeeting； 3D Studio MAX。 But Google
is the key。 〃It's fantastic；〃 said Rajesh。 〃One of the things that's always an issue
for our clients from the West is； 'Will
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you Indians be able to understand the subtle nuances of Western content？' Now； to
a large extent； it was a very valid question。 But the Internet has helped us to be
able to aggregate different kinds of content at the touch of a button； and today if
someone asks you to make something that looks like Tom and Jerry； you just say 'Google
Tom & Jerry' and you've got tons and tons of pictures and information and reviews
and write…ups about Tom and Jerry； which you can read and simulate。〃
While people were focusing on the boom and bust of the dot…coms； Rajesh explained；
the real revolution was taking place more quietly。 It was the fact that all over the
world； people； en masse； were starting to get comfortable with the new global
infrastructure。 〃We are just at the beginning of being efficient in using it；〃 he
said。 〃There is a lot more we can do with this infrastructure； as more and more people
shift to becoming paperless in their offices and realize that distances really ＇do＇
not matter 。。。 It will supercharge all of this。 It's really going to be a different
world。〃
Moreover； in the old days； these software programs would have been priced beyond the
means of a little Indian game start…up； but not anymore； thanks in part to the
open…source free software movement。 Said Rajesh； 〃The cost of software tools would
have remained where the interested parties wanted them to be if it was not for the
deluge of rather efficient freeware and shareware products that sprung up in the early
2000s。 Microsoft Windows； Office； 3D Studio MAX； Adobe Photoshop…each of these
programs would have been priced higher than they are today if not for the many
freeware/shareware programs that were comparable and compelling。 The Internet
brought to the table the element of choice and instant comparison that did not exist
before for a little company like ours 。 。 。 Already we have in our gaming industry
artists and designers working from home； something unimaginable a few years back；
given the fact that developing games is a highly interactive process。 They connect
into the company's internal system over the Internet； using a secure feature called
VPN ＇virtual private network＇； making their presence no different from the guy in
the next cubicle。〃
The Internet now makes this whole world 〃like one marketplace；〃 added Rajesh。 〃This
infrastructure is not only going to facilitate sourcing
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of work to the best price； best quality； from the best place； it is also going to
enable a great amount of sharing of practices and knowledge； and it's going to be
'I can learn from you and you can learn from me' like never before。 It's very good
for the world。 The economy is going to drive integration and the integration is going
to drive the economy。〃
There is no reason the United States should not benefit from this trend； Rajesh
insisted。 What Dhruva is doing is pioneering computer gaming within Indian society。
When the Indian market starts to embrace gaming as a mainstream social activity；
Dhruva willalready be positioned to take advantage。 But by then； heargued； the market
〃will be so huge that there will be a lot of opportunity for content to come from
outside。 And； hey； the Americans are way ahead in terms of the ability to know what
games can work and what won't work and in terms of being at the cutting edge of
design…so this is a bilateral thing 。 。 。 Every perceived dollar or opportunity that
is lost today ＇from an American point of view because of outsourcing＇ is actually
going to come back to you times ten； once the market here is unleashed 。 。 。 Just
remember； we are a 300…million middle class…larger than the size of your country or
Europe。〃
Yes； he noted； India right now has a great advantage in having a pool of educated；
low…wage English speakers with a strong service etiquette in their DNA and an
enterprising spirit。 〃So； sure； for the moment； we are leading the so…called wave
of service outsourcing of various kinds of new things；〃 said Rajesh。 〃But I believe
that there should be no doubt that this is just the beginning。 If ＇Indians＇ think
that they've got something going and there is something they can keep that's not going
to go anywhere； that will be a big mistake； because we have got Eastern Europe； which
is waking up； and we have got China； which is waiting to get on the services bandwagon
to do various things。 I mean； you can source the best product or service or capacity
or competency from anywhere in the world today； because of this whole infrastructure
that is being put into place。 The only thing that inhibits you from doing that is
your readiness to make use of this infrastructure。 So as different businesses； and
as different people； get more comfortable using this infrastructure； you are going
to see a huge explosion。 It is a matter of five to seven years and we will have a
huge batch of excellent English…speaking Chinese graduates
coming out of their universities。 Poles and Hungarians are already very well connected；
very close to Europe； and their cultures are very simil