A Coimbatore-based gaming studio takes players on a rollercoaster ride through Chennai’s roads via mobile games on autos and city buses
Smartphone users can now enjoy the thrill of riding an auto or the tuk-tuk on Indian roads through Chennai Auto Traffic Racer, a 3D racer game. The free mobile game, developed by Creative Monkey Games & Technologies Pvt. Ltd, takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the city roads, as you skilfully zip past a lorry, truck or car at peak traffic hours.
“It is our iconic game. A sequel will soon be out during the Ayudha pooja,” says Deepak Aravind P., director and CEO of Creative Monkey. The Chennai Auto Traffic Racer has crossed over seven lakh downloads on Android and about five lakh on Windows. “It reached out to one million users in a few months and this gave us the confidence to move forward.”
Deepak’s experience as a game director in companies in Chennai led him to form the start-up gaming studio in Coimbatore along with his wife G. Kavitha. “In one year, we have developed 10 games and reached two million users on Android, iOS and Windows phones. In any gaming platform, racing is a big genre. The auto rickshaw is an iconic Indian vehicle and we wanted to popularise it. Driving an auto calls for extraordinary skills, especially to manoeuvre peak traffic in a city like Chennai. I have travelled by auto regularly during my stay in Chennai. This also inspired me to develop the game on autos,” explains Deepak.
The player becomes an infinite racer, as he skilfully rides the auto along key locations in the city including the lighthouse, beach road and the IT highway. “In the sequel, we plan to enhance the game and include more characters. For example, we want to add passengers who can board the auto and enjoy the ride. As they ride they can enjoy prominent places of Chennai like the Railway station, Eliot’s beach and more,” says Deepak.
The team has also launched a Chennai Bus Parking game, a 3D game in the infotainment category for Android phones. “Through this, we pass useful information on bus routes and numbers that are used by commuters in Chennai. This also helps those who are new to the city and want to use buses for local transportation.”
The game is set inside the Koyambedu Bus Depot in Chennai and the player has to overcome challenges, and park the right bus.
For example, to park a bus plying to Adayar, he has to choose the right bus number and park it in the right bay at the depot. Another unique feature is an option to switch to Tamil.
Deepak and his team are working on a game on the Ooty Bus ride. “We want to contribute to the city by associating with development projects. We plan to start a gaming institute soon. Along with gaming services, we also focus on gamification, where we can provide a solution to a difficult task in the form of a game. For example, games to make children do homework. In the corporate sector, we look at announcements in HR policies where, instead of a boring mail, they can communicate the change in the form of a game.”
Chennai Bus Parking game
Available on Android phones
Set inside Koyambedu Bus Depot in Chennai
Gives info bus routes and bus numbers
Visit: https://www.facebook.com/chennaibusparking3d
Chennai Auto Traffic Racer
Crossed seven lakh downloads on android
A sequel will be out soon
Part II will also feature Chennai’s prominent landmarks like the railway station, Eliot’s beach…
Visit www.creativemonkeygames.com
News: The Hindu
