Ramayana goes Virtual with Gamaya

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The Ramayana is a favorite childhood tale for all of us. There are many nuances and incidents from this epic that have defined the growing up years of millions of indians across generations spanning many centuries. So, when an effort is made to adapt the epic in a way that it brings together story telling and also mixes the real and virtual world, it is interesting. A US based company has tried this in the form of a game!

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Gamaya Inc., a California based video game and connected toys startup, forays into the Indian Territory, with the launch of Gamaya Legends – a video game based on one of the world’s greatest epic – Ramayana. Disrupting the gaming industry, Gamaya introduces a distinctive combination of the real and virtual worlds, bringing folktales and stories of the past to life. It has beautifully crafted toys, which are the physical manifestations of their virtual avatars, all based on characters from the great epics. These toys when placed on its gaming console, activates the characters in the video game. Through 3D animated cartoons and toys that come alive in a video game, kids are sure to enjoy the world of folklore like never before

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Elaborating on the launch, Narayanan Vaidyanathan, CEO, Gamaya commented, “The evolution of the gaming and toys segment was a natural occurrence, considering the discerning demands of kids today. With the tradition of storytelling slowly phasing out, and innumerable gaming gizmos taking over, this is an effort to connect today’s kids with their cultural ethos through a medium most preferred by them and one they can instantly relate to.  Through a series of story videos to be broadcast on television, to a range of interactive video games using the characters from the greatest epic Ramayana, Gamaya seeks to rekindle an interest in these stories.”

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The physical toys based on the characters from the epics will allow children from all over the world to indulge their imagination while playing out their fantasies with these toys. Made of premium material and aesthetically crafted, these toys are touted to soon become collector’s items, much in the way of some of the Star Wars memorabilia.

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The launch is in correspondence to the ever growing toy market. Gaming and Toys today are becoming a serious business, with the global annual toy sales approaching $90 billion. With connectivity becoming an industry fad, vendors are hopeful that this combination of tech and toys could expand their market even further.

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Personally, I think that this is a great idea. This will help us solve the problem of finding interesting and engaging ways for our children to stay connected with our heritage and culture. The icing on the cake is the fact that the technology used will keep them engaged and connected. I wish we had this when I was a kid. When I told my son about this, he was keen to get his hands on it. Good idea!

About Shakthi

I am a Tech Blogger, Disability Activist, Keynote Speaker, Startup Mentor and Digital Branding Consultant. Also a McKinsey Executive Panel Member. Also known as @v_shakthi on twitter. Been around Tech for two decades now.

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