Nintendo India Timeline, Krafton ChatGPT Drama, and Forza Horizon 6 Impressions

It’s been a hot minute since the last episode of Day Zero, which we’ve been told, broke certain parts of the internet due to our reporting on all things Nintendo in India. For those of you that tuned in, subscribed, and reached out — thank you for supporting independent media. And for those of you that shamelessly stole our work without crediting it us for clout — may you be blessed with the sound of nails on chalkboards between your ears for all eternity.With that out of the way, this episode has us answering all your questions regarding Nintendo’s India entry. Along with this we also break down the company’s recent history of attempts to enter the country, its relationship with Indian developers, and discuss the surprisingly vibrant and vocal Nintendo India community. We also examine the subscription numbers for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass in India too.Furthermore, Subnautica 2 finds itself in the spotlight. Amidst a decline in the battle royale genre that Krafton itself pioneered and a CEO that’s more clanker than human — to the point of disregarding human legal advice in favour of ChatGPT leading to an embarrassing lawsuit with Subnautica 2’s developers — there’s joy to be had in the Korean megacorp’s comeuppance.Finally we discuss Xbox’s critical and commercial masterpiece that is Forza Horizon 6 in addition to what we played this week, including Dead As Disco. Time stamps as follows:Welcome to the Show, Here’s Why You Should Listen* (00:00:03): Introduction to episode 25 of the DayZero Podcast with hosts Rishi Alwani and Rahul Majumdar.* (00:00:13): Rishi’s career history, including his time as a games journalist at NDTV, IGN India, and his current work with games business newsletter and consulting.* (00:01:43): Rahul’s career history, including running the site TechQuila, working at IGN India and GLHF, his experience in the Indian film industry, and his current site, The Screen Zone.Nintendo’s Arrival in India* (00:03:45): Initial discussion on Nintendo officially entering the Indian market.* (00:04:32): History of Nintendo in India, specifically how consoles like the Wii and Switch have been available for years through the grey and parallel markets.* (00:06:30): Piracy vs. Spending Power, addressing the audience that chooses to spend on entertainment and the convenience of digital subscriptions like Nintendo Switch Online.* (00:07:34): The Indian Nintendo Community, highlighting the Super Smash Bros. scene and international representation.* (00:08:03): Comparisons to Sony’s PS2 strategy, discussing why Nintendo might launch the Switch 1 late in India.* (00:10:51): Logistics of the launch, including potential partnerships (Redington), the importance of the eShop, and after-sales service/warranties.* (00:12:30): Nintendo’s relationship with Indian developers, mentioning their support for games like Raji and interactions at the India Game Show.* (00:14:23): Manufacturing and BIS certification, discussing the possibility of local assembly and the hurdles of the Bureau of Indian Standards process.* (00:15:25): Broader state of the Indian gaming market, covering the dominance of PlayStation, PC gaming trends (laptops with 3050/4050 cards), and the small Xbox user base.* (00:17:09): Spending habits and the second-hand market, explaining the popularity of physical games due to resale value.* (00:18:49): Nintendo’s transmedia push, discussing how movies like Super Mario Bros. and the upcoming Zelda film factor into their expansion.* (00:20:26): Subscription numbers in India, estimating 100K-110K Game Pass subs and roughly 500K PlayStation Plus subscribers.Subnautica 2 and Krafton Controversy* (00:22:27): Overview of Subnautica 2’s successful early release and the drama involving studio Unknown Worlds and its parent company, Krafton.* (00:22:57): Hostile takeover attempt, detailing how the Krafton CEO allegedly used ChatGPT to consult on business decisions and tried to “kneecap” the studio to avoid paying a $250 million bonus.* (00:27:32): The state of the Battle Royale genre, noting its decline outside of mobile-heavy markets like India and China.Forza Horizon 6* (00:31:07): Impressions of Forza Horizon 6, including performance on gaming laptops and the Xbox handheld (ROG Xbox Ally X), plus a weird launch bug requiring an “Alt-Tab”.* (00:31:34): Indian pricing concerns, comparing the high cost of Forza Horizon 6 (₹5,499) to Forza Horizon 5 (₹3,299) and the lack of a physical Xbox release.* (00:32:59): The “Fable Engine” debate, debunking the idea that Forza’s high optimisation automatically means the upcoming Fable game will run well on mid-range hardware.Games Played This Week* (00:37:00): Game of Thrones: King’s Road, an action RPG from Netmarble currently unavailable in India on certain platforms.* (00:38:13): Dead As Disco, with impressions of its “Arkham-style” combat and Suda 51-esque vibe.* (00:40:17): Replaced, a brief mention of picking up the game.Closing* (00:40:23): Social media handles and sign-off.Every week we break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry in the Day Zero Podcast. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Twitter/X - @rishialwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com