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Saying that their participation "further exemplifies the global nature of the event," Global Game Jam founder Susan Gold has announced that locations in India and Russia will be joining the two-day game creation marathon, which gets underway on January 29. The event will span 38 countries, with the mad dash to make a game in under 48 hours beginning in New Zealand.

A complete list of Game Jam locations can be found at the event's site, including the ones in the former Soviet Union -- from which we fully expect to see a Project Natal-compatible Cossack dancing game emerge.

24-year-old Ogyen Trinley Dorje wasn't selected, in childhood, as the 17th Karmapa* (think: the Dalai Lama of a different sect of Tibetan Buddhism) for his suitability with the modern world, but he's still a fan of a number of aspects of popular culture. In a recent interview with The Times of India, the Tibetan Buddhist leader's aforementioned fanhood surfaced while discussing the cathartic properties of video games.

"For me sometimes it can be a relief, a kind of decompression to just play some video games," the Karmapa explained. "If I'm having some negative thoughts or negative feelings, video games are one way in which I can release that energy in the context of the illusion of the game. I feel better afterwards." Forget all the studies arguing this point -- when it comes to video games' therapeutic properties, we're inclined to believe the input of a professional meditator.

We applauded Hanuman, SCEE's first Indian-developed PS2 game, for opening up the games industry in the region. However, it looks like India is quickly following America's footsteps in protesting a video game.

Vamsi Krishna, spokesperson for Sanatan Sanstha, contacted us regarding Hanuman, a game which was described as "very disrespectful, disgraceful and an insult to all those devotees of Lord Hanuman and followers of Hindu dharma." Krishna then added that Hanuman is a "senseless video game with an aim to commercialize this role model for all devotees" and that SCEE's investment in the burgeoning Indiana development community "shows insensitiveness [sic] towards the feelings of others and ignorance towards a certain faith by Sony Corporation."

Any mainstream retelling of a religion is bound to some form of controversy. Looks like SCEE's attempt at expanding the Indian games market, while well-intended, didn't go as smoothly as expected. We hope that this minor PR blow doesn't curtail their efforts in making India one of the next premiere game markets.

Sony Europe plans to release six new regional language games in India this year, reports the Business Standard. The company, which supposedly controls 80 percent of the gaming market, currently has a hit on its hands with regional title Hanuman. Atindriya Bose, country manager for Sony PlayStation, explained that Hanuman sold 10,000 units on its first day and that a good international title sells about 3,000-4,000 units on launch day, which "proved the potential of regional games."

Hanuman is currently expected to sell 50,000 units in its first year, up from its original projection of 30,000 in sales. Even with that original sales figure, Bose expressed an international title may only sell about 15,000 units in one year. The company now plans to create more educational and entertainment titles, including a game about the "Mumbai underworld."

[Via Develop]

PlayStation India is making big strides. SCEE will publish the first video game to be completely developed by an Indian game development team, Hanuman: Boy Warrior. This PS2 exclusive is about a young boy who must defeat enemies by freeing them of bad karma. "Good triumphs over evil," and it does so without the violence typical of most modern games.

Hanuman is rooted in Indian mythology and will be presented in both English and Hindi. "We are very proud to launch the first Indian game on PS2 with localized content, completely developed in India," said SCE's Atindriya Bose. "The launch of Hanuman: Boy Warrior has marked a very significant milestone in the Indian game development industry and also signifies the importance we attach to the Indian market and the Indian Game development industry."

Sony is one of the first companies in the industry to seriously focus on expanding the Indian gaming market. By investing in local development, Sony plans on making India a larger piece of the global gaming scene.

The Regal Gamer talks about something rarely seen on other gaming sites -- PlayStation India. It may not be a major player in the gaming scene, but Sony's throwing some serious support to the country. India is home to the PS2, PSP and PS3 -- but how has PlayStation been doing there?

According to Atindriya Bose, country manager of PlayStation India, "PS2 and PSP sales are healthy." However, "the PS3 still has to pick up." The high price of PS3 makes it rather lucrative for buyers to look towards the gray market. The PlayStation Network is also unavailable in India, due to the lack of "required infrastructure." "Many people in India don't have high speed internet connections so if they are trying to download a game over the PSN store they'll have to wait for days together. So, we are still waiting for better infrastructure."

With India becoming an increasing force in the global market, it's understandable Sony wants to get their foot in early. It'll be interesting to see how Sony takes on the unique aspects of the Indian market, and if they're able to translate that into success.

[Thanks, ShreeDuge!]

Microsoft has apparently announced that it doesn't plan to release Fallout 3 on Xbox 360 in India due to "cultural sensitivities," reports GamingIndians.com. The statement by Microsoft India doesn't give any further details about what exactly the country would find offensive.

We've contacted Microsoft for a more detailed explanation and Fallout 3's developer, Bethesda Softworks, told Joystiq it has no comment. The PS3 and PC versions of the game were never scheduled for release in the country. We can't even begin to speculate what "cultural sensitivities" means in this situation, but it seems to be a valid reason to pull or delay games lately.

[Via VG247]

We've received numerous tips (and noticed a rather popular digg) about an Xbox 360 event in Dehli, India that "confirmed" a slim Xbox 360 console was to be announced in December for release sometime in 2009. The information emanates from two English-language Indian gaming blogs, Split-Screen and Game Guru (a WHOIS search on both sites revealed nothing noteworthy).

Both blogs also mention that the region will be getting hands-on time with Fable 2, Gears of War 2 and Fallout 3 a week earlier than anyone else (we're guessing some special event, but neither article specifies) and a new 20GB package with Viva Piñata and Forza 2 for Rs.14,990 (approx. US $350).

While a slim Xbox 360 seems like a no-brainer for the future (we know there are smaller chipsets being made), here's why we're skeptical about this: logic dictates that Microsoft would not announce it in December, given that such news would likely hurt sales during the holiday season. Furthermore, no utterance of such an event can be found on Xbox India's official forums or major India newspaper the Times of India.

A final drop of skepticism can be added from Major Nelson himself, who told X3F, "I have no knowledge of an event in India and therefore anything related to one. I think we all know that if we had something to say, we'd be saying it." A similar rumor showed up in May, which Microsoft then denied.

Update: Microsoft India has shot down this alleged "announcement," labeling it as no more than "market rumor or speculation."

[Note: Slim Xbox 360 in image is fan-made mockup.]

If a post on The Angry Pixel is to be believed, the not-infinitesimal number of people in India are about to be swept into the wonderful world of waggle, with the Wii rearing its slender head in the country on September 30th. Joining it will be Nintendo's touchy-feely portable system, the DS, which has astonishingly managed to avoid the birthplace of bun-eating sensation Benny Lava all this time.

Nintendo's pair will allegedly be distributed by Samurai-India, in partnership with HCL, with the DS fetching a price of INR 7,990 ($178) and the Wii going for a lofty INR 19,990 ($445). Have you been high today?

[Via NWF]

If you're a hardware manufacturer aiming to succeed in previously untapped markets, then the two most populated nations in the world would seem like a sensible place to start. If everything goes to plan, Nintendo will be launching Wii in China later this year, and India now has a set-in-stone release date for both the Wii and DS: September 30th.

Official distribution is being handled by dynamic duo Samurai-India and HCL, but Indian gamers excited at the thought of finally getting their waggle on will have to cough up a considerable wedge: there, a Wii is set to cost INR 19,990 ($445). The DS is more reasonably priced at INR 7,990 ($178).

[Thanks, Abhi!]

Games development is an expensive business. However, Sony may be refocusing new resources on India to help lower costs. India is a burgeoning hotspot for tech, with cheaper labor attracting the company. Technology from London Studios will be brought over to India, the territory which is also maintained by SCEE.

Already, the company has made ties with four developers in the country for five different projects to develop "local content." With an ever-growing demand for gaming tech in India, Sony seems poised to be one of the few companies actively reaching out to the native market there. Perhaps it won't be long until we actually see real Himalayan development studios.

[Via Edge]

While most readers of Wii Fanboy don't have to face this kind of problem, there are many nations throughout the world that force gamers to resort to the gray market to pick up their system of choice. Take India, for example, the second most populated country in the world.

Sony and Microsoft have distributors in the country, but the Wii doesn't. However, that may change soon enough, after Milestone Interactive tests out the market for Wii software. We're not entirely confident in Milestone's approach, though. For one, it hardly seems smart to base results on game sales when the console itself hasn't even officially released yet. On the other hand, since that's just how things are in India (and they're not likely to change anytime soon), we can understand Milestone's rush to get the ball rolling.

Here comes the other, less excusable problem: the game Milestone chose to distribute is Alone in the Dark Wii. Not even critics are playing the Wii version of Alone in the Dark, so is it fair to assess the Wii's chances based on Atari's survival horror title? Also, because Indian gamers import their Wiis, we wonder if the region of the disc will have any effect on sales.

At least this is a step in the right direction, but now that supply for the Wii is starting to meet demand globally, we hope Nintendo branches out into some of the areas it currently neglects.



[Thanks, Vijay!]

The Economic Times reports that Sony is preparing to launch a new "slimer, sleeker and more suave" version of the PlayStation 2 in the Indian and European markets by Diwali – the festival of light – scheduled for October 28 this year. In addition to the new Slimer™ look, ET reports "there will be no more external AC adapters" and the price will remain the same, Rs 6,990 ($162).

If you're wondering why Sony keeps pushing the PS2, we'd be quick to point out that it keeps selling. A Sony rep might tell you that it feels the "PS2 has the potential to penetrate further into the Indian and Russian markets" because "console gaming is in its nascent stage in India." Maybe true, Mr. Sony rep, but not so nascent as to be unable to enjoy the PS3! The same ET report also announces that Sony will be launching the PlayStation Network in India by the end of the fiscal year.

To give some perspective on the relative age of Sony's second console, think about this: if the PlayStation 2 were a human being, it would be a third-grader right about now, and would probably know more about long division than we do. While most eight-year-old consoles generally go the way of the Jaguar, Sony seems dedicated to the continued growth of their popular (though fairly aged) home console -- for example, in an attempt to extend their already impressive multinational reach, Sony recently hired 13 Indian game developers to create domestically-themed games and improve sales in India and the Middle East.

Though nearly 3.3 million Indians already own PS2s, Sony is confident that creating games based on "Bollywood, mythology and culture" and featuring motion-sensing gameplay using the fairly neglected Eye Toy peripheral will further increase their dominance in the Indian market. Could these rupee-garnering efforts prolong the system's life until middle school, and the associated joys of puberty? Only time can tell.

Ubisoft has announced the acquisition of an India-based development studio of Gameloft, the mobile game company. The deal represents another step in Ubisoft's plan to ramp up their presence in Asia, following the establishment of a new studio in Singapore.

The two-year-old studio is located in Pune, in the west of India. Currently staffing 120 developers and testers, Ubisoft plans to balloon its size up to over 500, with a more modest goal of 200 employees by the year's end. Gameloft has a close relationship with Ubisoft, having developed mobile versions of a number of Ubisoft properties over the years, including Rainbow Six and Prince of Persia.