In fact, the best way to find out about the popularity of a platform is to simply stroll down the grey market and view the number of titles available for each; a tour of Nehru Place in Delhi will tell you that the PC is miles ahead of consoles when it comes to gaming in India.

The future: PC and mobile territory?

Ironically, the biggest challenge to the PC as a gaming platform, in India, is being posed not by consoles but by mobile phones. Interestingly, mobile phones tend to combine the best of PC and console gaming. They are versatile instruments, are used by almost everybody and best of all, most Java games (which are the most popular games on cell phones) can run on just about any mid-segment - and even some lower segment cell phones. To top all this, cell phone games all cost below three figures, making them so much more accessible. Yes, the graphics and sound might not match that of the PC and consoles, but users don't seem to mind that as their handsets give them an option to play a game at a relatively low cost, just about anywhere. Also, Nokia's N-gage gaming platform, and Apple's iPhone have opened the doors to much more graphic-rich games on handsets, although this remains a rather niche segment restricted to high-end phones.

As of now, the PC and console remain the best gaming options for hardcore and serious gamers. Consoles may be the rage in developed countries, but the PC continues to rule the roost in the developing world. Game developers would do well to stick to innovating on the PC, if their target audience is in this region. Their product will reach a larger segment. Mind you, that might just change in a year or so, as both Sony and Microsoft have slashed their console prices significantly; you can now get a Sony PlayStation 2 for less than Rs 7,000 and a Microsoft Xbox 360 for less than Rs. 15,000. But for now, gaming is very much PC territory in India.