Mohit Sureka, Founder and CEO, Spiel Studios Pvt. Ltd.

When your clients are the biggest in the gaming industry, you know there must be something you are doing right. Mohit Sureka is the man behind the gaming development venture known as Spiel Studios whose every move seems to be tinted with success. His work and the games he makes are but part and parcel of his entrepreneurial journey.

Business Idea- Mohit’s described what they do and who they have worked with for saying “Spiel is a global Game Development Company where we focus on games for all platforms including Mobile, Online, PC, Handheld and Console. Our goal is to create some of the most compelling and innovative entertainment content available on gaming platforms. We have one of the most experienced and talented teams in the gaming industry creating trend-setting products and establishing new distribution channels.”“We have in the past worked with brands like actors Arshad Warsi, Riya Sen, cricketer Vinod Kambli, etc. and developed games for movies like Welcome & Race. Lately we have been developing games for the iPhone platform and also are one of the only gaming companies in India to be officially partnered with Sony to develop games for the PSP (Playstation Portable).”

Target Market- If you are only as big as your clients then Mohit has a gargantuan future ahead of him. His target market and his present clientele all have the hallmarks of colossal magnitude. He says “We primarily cater to the international market where-in we provide game development services to other foreign developers and publishers. Our games are published with several Indian operators, iPhone appstore, and Android market. A few of our games are also available on sites like Zapak.com, Indiatimes, Rediff, etc.”

What sets them Apart- The gaming industry has already given their stamp of approval to Spiel which sets them a class apart from the competition. Mohit is proud to state “We are one of the only gaming companies in India to be officially developing games for the Sony PSP. Also, very shortly we will be releasing India’s first Indian-centric 3d iPhone game which the world will sit-up and take notice.”

His entrepreneurial journey- Mohit had a learning experience thanks to a stint working for his family. He then put his experience to work for him and came up with Spiel. He reminisces “Before starting my own company, I worked in my family business for 2 years which was into a completely different field of manufacturing power conditioning products. When I decided to execute my dream, we started off with 3 employees including myself and a college friend in a small room.”

“Running your own business gives a tremendous high which no other action can match. The freedom to “Try” without worrying about the end-result can only be exercised by being the owner of your business. For me, it is extremely important to love the work I do. Playing video games is something I have loved since childhood and converting that into work was a dream.”Mohit as an entrepreneur believes that the challenges one faces are not insurmountable. He advocates will power saying “The biggest challenge lies within yourself the challenge to be patient and persistent. Being an entrepreneur, there are several challenges you face initially in terms of project delays, technical snags, employee turnover, etc. but the key is to believe in your idea and innovate as per current requirement.”

“Whenever I felt like giving up, I worked doubly harder to make sure this worked out, as I had no other option. I have never worked for someone else and without any professional qualification I may not even get a job! It is very important for an entrepreneur to Not have a backup career option or you will never end up giving your 200%!”

“Entrepreneurship is full of challenges which are sometimes fun and stressful. But life without them would probably become dry and boring. Thinking about the vision and prospects of the company 5 to 10 years from now, is what keeps me going. We are investing in the future.”

His wisdom is not all roses though as he has also seen the harder facts of doing business. “During the first year and a half, we made huge losses due to investing in the wrong products, targeting the wrong audience and partnering with the wrong people! However, we realized it soon, booked our losses and started afresh with a new global vision. In the next year we not only recovered all our losses but also booked profit. Since then we never looked back. Hence as an entrepreneur it is important to realize whether your product is working for you or not before it is too late.”

As Indian he believes we can do much better if we learn to factor in the human aspect of it all. “We need to learn to invest in people. We often get carried away with technology and infrastructure, but rarely invest on people. Behind every successful business enterprise, it is the creativity and intelligence of your people who make and execute the product. Find people who are smarter than you, who can execute your vision.”

Future Plans- Spiel is a company heading into the future aiming at conquering new platforms. Mohit says “Since we started, we have always been growing and learning new technologies. As per our vision, we will continue to explore new platforms and develop games for them. In the year 2010 we will be specializing on the PSP platform which will help our company grow manifolds and help us acquire new clients.”Recognition Gained- They may be the officially partners with Sony for the PSP, but they are not restricted to just one platform. Their games have been nominated among the Top 3 mobile games worldwide by FICCI BAF awards. They are also among the Top 5 mobile games to be nominated in the Motorola Game Developer Challenge.

Entrepreneurial lesson- Spiel has found their niche and with it has found success. However Mohit is adamant that success is built with some fundamental facts. He says “Get out of your comfort zone and just get started! The first few years will be very challenging and several times you will get a feeling of void, stagnancy and wanting to quit. But stick to your passion and be confident with y our product/service. Do not venture out with the prime motive to earn profits, but see how your product/service will help the community and whether they require it. If your process is right, money is a by-product which you will earn automatically.”

Yourstory wishes Mohit many more years of success and happy gaming to all his esteemed customers.