Delhi-based HCL Infosystems extends its handheld gaming console range with a new series of ‘converged handheld gaming consoles’. Being the first Indian company to produce handheld gaming devices, HCL rolls out a new range of consoles namely HCL ME X15 and HCL ME Z15 to further strengthen its position in the highly competitive gaming industry. The devices comprise multimedia options like imaging, voice recording and recording TV programmes on the consoles.

Prior to this, HCL had launched a series of low-cost portable gaming consoles such as ME D75, ME F25, ME K 28, ME A30 and ME C100. These devices are custom-made for children between the age group of four and 15 years.

This initiative is seen as the company’s plans to expand its hardware, services and ICT systems integration and distribution business. HCL Infosystems targets to explore the fast growing market of console gaming industry. With the new series of handhelds, hi-end consoles and software, HCL eyes to capture Indian gaming market which has a year-on-year growth of around 35 percent. FICCI-KPMG’s recent report on the Indian media and entertainment industry pegs a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent for the console gaming industry, making it an Rs.1,160 crore market by 2014 as against Rs. 490 crore in 2009.

George Paul, Executive Vice-President, HCL Infosystems, insists that the company is not competing with the gaming giants such as Nintendo or Sony. He says, “We believe that casual games still have a huge market in the pre-teens segment and HCL is readying various devices and games to target this segment.”

In an attempt to barge into the gaming console segment and to be a potential player in the industry, HCL Infosystems prices its handheld gaming devices competitively between Rs.799 and Rs. 4,990.