Gameshastra, SCEE Partner For Traditional Indian PS2 Sports Title

India based game service provider Gameshastra it is partnering with SCEE to produce a PlayStation 2 game based on traditional Indian sports to market to gamers in South Asia and the Indian Diasporas. Gameshastra says the title, expected to be released in spring of 2009, will feature local sports like kho kho, kabaddi, and gulli danda, and will be created in conjunction with local developers. Gameshastra CEO Prakash Ahuja, said the game would be targeted toward the "city-bred youth who has no idea about traditional Indian games," demonstrating their "inherent Indian rustic appeal" by bringing them up to date on the PS2. In addition to its console, handheld, mobile and online QA outsourcings services, Gameshastra also provides art, animation and development services, an area it expanded in April 2007 with the hiring of former FUN Technologies CTO Bjorn Book Larsson as its new CTO and VP of game development. The company announced in July 2007 that it was partnering with California based casual developer Freeze Tag to create a new PC, web, and Mac game based on Ohio Art's classic Etch A Sketch toy, with possible Xbox Live Arcade and Wii versions to come. Said SCEE COO Jim Ryan, “We feel that the Indian Gaming market with its current growth has reached a level where a new concept like this can be tried and we expect it to do very well. We are delighted to be partnering with Gameshastra in this endeavor and have every belief that it will be a huge success.”