New Delhi: The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the country’s leading online gaming industry body, has expressed strong disappointment over Google’s decision to pause its expansion plans for pay-to-play games on the Google Play Store in India.
In January 2024, Google announced a pilot program to allow specific skill-based pay-to-play games on the Play Store. This move was welcomed by the AIGF, which saw it as a progressive step towards acknowledging the growing Indian gaming market.
However, Google recently announced a pause in this expansion, citing a lack of clear regulatory frameworks and challenges in developing a monetization model. This decision has upset stakeholders, particularly smaller developers and distributors of pay-to-play games.
“We are highly disappointed by Google’s arbitrary and anti-competitive decision,” stated Roland Landers, CEO of the AIGF. “This move primarily affects smaller developers and distributors in the pay-to-play games segment.”
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Landers highlighted Google’s dominant position in the Indian mobile app market, with the Play Store holding an estimated 90% share. This dominance, he argues, makes the Play Store a “must-have” platform for game developers, making Google’s selective policy concerning pay-to-play games unfair and potentially anti-competitive.
“Given their market control, such an exclusionary policy acts as a form of gatekeeping and market distortion,” Landers added. “Their decision essentially allows them to pick winners, favoring large companies and hindering the ability of smaller startups to compete effectively.”
The AIGF emphasizes the need for a clear regulatory framework for online gaming in India. Landers called for the swift implementation of the Digital Competition Bill, which would introduce ex-ante competition regulation, preventing such situations in the future.
The AIGF remains hopeful for a resolution and plans to continue engaging with Google to find a solution that fosters a level playing field for all participants in the Indian gaming industry. This, they believe, would be a significant step towards “democratizing gaming” in the country.
