Console and PC game development isn’t unheard of in India but it isn’t widespread either. A lot of it has to do with access to hardware, skills, and tech that isn’t too easy to come by if the pains undergone by indie studio Nodding Heads to bring Raji: An Ancient Epic to life are any indication. That said, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have made development a lot more exciting than it normally is according to Stewart Neal, Studio Director for Sumo Digital Pune. The Indian outpost of the British game developer has been around since 2007 contributing to the likes of Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Hitman 2, Crackdown 3, and Hood: Outlaws and Legends.
“It’s exciting,” he says in conversation with IGN India. “25 years into developing games and it’s still as exciting as it was way back when and that’s what we do it for.”
He went on to explain why both consoles make game development better.
“Working with next-gen hardware it allows the teams to push themselves creatively, technically with each console cycle or each engine upgrade…there’s been more progression over time with systems to help us develop more immersive full experiences with improved graphics, animations, physics, and obviously the social aspects of gaming arising through integration with social media,” he says. “Again there’s kudos to the team to be able to say they worked on these major titles and IPs like Crackdown, Forza Horizon, Forza Motorsport, Little Big Planet, Hitman, it’s more of a natural, technical progression to help us create bigger, better games all the time and have that technical support to help these creative teams to produce that.”
While greater processing power allows for games with better resolution and frame rate, one of Sumo’s more recent efforts, Sackboy: A Big Adventure for the PS5 leaned heavily on its DualSense capabilities, making it one of the better launch efforts. Neal believes that tech that leans into this intangible aspect of gaming is crucial.
“Anything that helps immerse the player, have more fun, it can only be a good thing,” he says. “At Sumo we’ve worked on the LittleBigPlanet franchise for a number of years now so it’s kind of been a good development progression working closely with Sony to get that right.”
Although Neal couldn’t talk about the company’s recent acquisition by gaming giant Tencent, it’ll be interesting to see how it leverages its foothold in India. More so with the likes of EA, Ubisoft, and Rockstar firmly established along with the games industry itself in ascendance.
We just saw India’s first game company get listed on the stock market, have the likes of Pokemon Go developer Niantic setting up shop in the country, and are witnessing Krafton’s shopping spree in the nation too. All of this results in a situation that’s conducive for talent to demand — and receive what they feel they’re worth.
To him though, Sumo’s focus on “structured training, career development, and the rewards that come with that along with working on AAA games” is important to retain talent. Perhaps its banking on its pedigree to see it through, which isn’t such a bad bet at this juncture.
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