What is 0451 Games?

0451 is a newsletter on the Indian games business, primarily focussing on the console and PC market. While many investors and developers believe India is big on mobile (and they’re not wrong), it’s on console and PC that Indians actually spend money. It’s a part of the business that’s woefully underserved due to being a microcosm of the larger Android-dominated ecosystem.

Who runs 0451 Games?

It’s written by me, Rishi Alwani. I reported on video games for IGN, The Mako Reactor, Huffington Post, and NDTV Gadgets 360, to name a few, as well as co-producing Transition, India’s longest-running games podcast.

Prior to that, I got my start at distribution giant Milestone Interactive where I co-founded Game4u — India’s answer to GameStop. This was followed by rebooting Games on Demand, a PC games subscription service from a time before Microsoft conjured up Xbox Game Pass, and then Square Enix, working on an MMO that never saw the light of day.

Why should you subscribe?

• If you’re interested in what Indians play and what they’re playing on.

• If you’re curious about what the Indian games business is at retail.

• If you’re tired of the headlines dominated by the same three Battle Royale games that everyone allegedly plays.

Considering how underreported this sector is, I’m not putting the newsletter behind a paywall. Subscribing is free. However anyone generous enough to part with $10/Rs. 750 will have their money go right back into producing better stories.