Playtime

There aren’t many of us who don’t have fond memories of Amar Chitra Katha’s comics. The lucidly told and beautifully illustrated stories drew the best from Indian mythology and folklore,with a good mix of original tales. ACK characters like Suppandi,Shikari Shambhu and Tantri the Mantri are as familiar as tales from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to kids in India. It’s a small wonder then,that the pioneering publishing house,after dabbling in comics and mobile games,is the first in the country to launch an online role playing game (RPG)—Legend of Katha.

Samir Patil,founder and CEO of ACK Media,says that just like with their popular comics,the attempt this time too is to connect with a new generation. “Gaming is what appeals to the new generation of kids. It’s not like reading habits have declined; but we have to face facts that gaming is the new and more popular source of entertainment.” The architecture of the game is specially designed to suit the scene in India,where,Patil says,the most popular ones are either mobile or online games. “Very few people in the country are able to buy new platforms like PCs and consoles,so it’s best to work with already existing infrastructure. Legend of Katha is available free online and there’s nothing to download. You can start playing straightaway.”

In typical ACK style,there is an elaborate storyline,strongly inspired by Indian mythology. The game universe is set in the fantasy world of Trikoot,where demons called the Rambalas are spreading chaos. The players are on a quest to rid the world of this menace and in the process collect Katha Gold.

Arjun Gupte,VP of ACK’s gaming studio says,“Players have to combine skill and strategy to advance in the game and the further in you go,the more complex the world gets. It’s a multiplayer game,which means that many players,sitting in different towns,can log in and play the same game. And since each player customises his/her character,the pattern of the game becomes wonderfully unpredictable and therefore more exciting.”

The company is already in talks with global publishers to take Legend beyond Indian shores,especially given the positive feedback it has received from both reviewers and players. Patil says,“While there are many RPGs out there,there is none that is uniquely Indian. That’s why our game was so eagerly awaited in Indian gaming circles. While we’ve certainly adopted best practices from international games,Legend is not another me-too RPG — it’s entirely original in its concept,look and feel.”