TENTWORKS INTERACTIVE: AN INDIAN GAMING STUDIO WITH AN INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
Video games have always been an integral part of entertainment. Whether it’s in PC or consoles, video games have lived in the heart of children and adults alike for ages. As time moved forward and new technologies came to market, video games became one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Every year, we see exclusively engineered games, that take us to adventures beyond time and imagination, creating an everlasting experience. Not just the game, but the characters within, become a source of inspiration. Amid the myriad gaming categories, there is an evergreen love for city block/tycoon simulation games. High-tech games have thrived amongst the community, but tycoon games create an ineffable effect like no other. Games like The Sims and Rollercoaster Tycoon have sustained their love for more than a decade.
In India, the video gaming market homes more than 300 million gamers and has an upward growth rate. Here, tycoon games are not a myth and are actually quite popular amongst kids and teenagers. The enthusiasm for tycoon games has opened a door of opportunity for Tentworks Interactive, an Indie Games studio threaded with the ever-growing gaming market. Founded by a gamer, Tentworks Interactive prides itself as THE alpha game studio to be born and bred in India.
THE BRAINCHILD OF A PASSIONATE GAMER
The wants of a gamer can be only understood, by a gamer. Jayaditt Basani, the man behind Tentworks, is an avid gamer, with a deep understanding of innovations quality systems. He is an alumnus of Chapman University, and his graduation time was where he found his entrepreneurial inspiration. From a very young age, Jay dreamt of having his gaming studio. In 2014, during his graduation, he sat down, pen in hand, and brainstormed for hours. The hard work and dedication resulted in a potential business plan, which would lay opportunities for others. Right after completing his graduation, he directed all his focus and drive towards shaping his dream. After two years of uninterrupted focus, the dream became a reality, bringing Tentworks Interactive into the spotlight.
Since its inception in 2017, Jay has guided this foundation with a focus on diversity. It is headquartered in Bangalore and has roots in San Francisco, California too. Tentworks Interactive is housed, with a team of extremely talented artists and developers, most of whom, are Indians. Since gaming is generally, driven by the youth, the company has young and defined leaders like Rishi Shah (Marketing and Operations Head), Matt Eskew (Art Director, having 25 years of expertise in the gaming industry), Gary Chao (Senior Games Developer) and Donnie Holstrom (Game Designer).
CITY BLOCK BUILDER – A ONE-OF-A-KIND TYCOON GAME
The brand is currently working on its first game, City Block Builder, a tycoon-management game set in Los Angeles during the 1950s. The game follows the story of Joey, a war veteran who returned and owned a piece of land in Los Angeles through his hard-earned money. Players will need to build a business empire on this land, making Joey a recognized business tycoon. Players will enjoy immersive gameplay, building business enterprises like Cinemas, Restaurants, Bowling Alleys, Drive-Ins, Jazz Clubs and more.
The game will have multiple playing modes – Campaign, Sandbox, as well as a Scenario Mode. In the Campaign mode, players will guide Joey, to fulfil his dream of creating a business empire in Los Angeles during the 1950s. The Sandbox mode will allow players to dive into their creative depths, and commandeer – a business from the scratch. Players can customize everything from the type of restaurants they want to build to the different genres to be played in their movie theatres, to changing wall colours or tiles and much more. In simple words, players can enjoy the life of a business aspirer in LA, sitting at their desktop. The game will be available on Steam and players can get early access to the game on March 9th for a sneak peek and other benefits.
GROWING THE GAMING COMMUNITY
Gaming is a booming industry, and passionate firms like Tentworks Interactive are playing integral roles in it. The company has an online community on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and has a Discord Community too. It focuses on gaming communities in India, Europe and the US but aims to go beyond this as well. Also, as a part of its expansion plan, Tentworks aims to release multiple games while helping other Indian game developers, in mapping out their games. “The process won’t just power expansion, but make India a true International contender in the gaming community around the world”, Jay concludes enthusiastically.
