27/01/2008 Press Release "Hey, do you sit in front of the computer all the time playing games? When will you focus on your studies? Don't you have any other world beyond these games?" Many parents ask their children these questions, criticizing them for spending excessive time playing video games. In today's urbanized world, the computer has become a major playground for children and young adults, and they often spend hours playing games. Linga Mani Maruti Shankar's background is somewhat similar to this. Maruti, who is now the Managing Director of 7Seas Technologies, a gaming services company based in Hyderabad, was drawn to computer games 10-15 years ago. He remembers how he used to play games like Race Litter on a small floppy disk during his school and college days. Even when he joined VisualSoft (now Megasoft) for the first time, people were curious about his passion for games. "What’s this? Why is he so obsessed with these games?" many would whisper. But those very games became the foundation for his biggest asset today, as he built one of the fastest-growing companies in the gaming industry. At the time, the gaming industry was still in its infancy, and there were few takers for a business model built around intellectual properties (IPs). However, Maruti took the plunge and focused on building a company around gaming. It was his hobby and passion that eventually became the foundation of 7Seas Technologies. If he hadn’t pursued his interest in gaming, he might have remained just another software employee, losing the chance to become an aspiring industrialist. The gaming sector is attracting large corporations worldwide, and it is estimated that by 2015, this industry will reach a value of $4,000 billion. India is expected to hold at least 10% of this market share. But until now, the number of domestic gaming companies in India has been minimal. In a short span, 7Seas Technologies has achieved several milestones. The company has developed more than 200 computer games and employs over a hundred skilled professionals. The company also acquired Neodelight, the gaming division of the German company Neokolar GBR, which provided it with over 33 IPs and game engine technologies to accelerate game development. Despite these achievements, Maruti Shankar often says that their journey is still just beginning and that the destination is still a long way off. He adds that from his student days, he always wanted to be an entrepreneur rather than just having a job. - press release