Megashot smart Cricket Bat - mighty six or a first ball duck!!!

"Megashot smart Cricket Bat" - is a new offering on the Flipkart platform. We can draw a parallel with the Telugu film industry which spends 100s of crores on hero's remuneration and not on great story and gripping screenplay. The same is the case with the Megashot smart cricket bat. Seriously, "common sense is not common". not a memorable brand name.

The word Meta does not exist in cricket. The smart cricket bat has to be consumed by many who have only rudimentary knowledge about technology but still have a passion for cricket. Megashot sounds like an app for a Facebook page offering mini shots of alcohol.

ChatGPT has thrown in some interesting names, check them out (don't tell me that the makers of this smart cricket bat did not have access to ChatGPT)

1) ChakkaMaster: Combining "Chakka" (a term used in cricket for scoring runs) with "Master" to denote mastery of the game.

2) GullyGuru: Referencing the popular street cricket culture in India, where many cricket enthusiasts start their journey to become skilled players.

3) BalleBaazi: A playful name incorporating "Balle" (batting) and "Baazi" (a term often used to describe a clever or skillful move), capturing the essence of cricket strategy and skill.

4) SixerSangam: Highlighting the excitement of hitting a six (sixer) in cricket, combined with "Sangam" (meaning confluence or gathering), implying a gathering of cricket enthusiasts.

5) KhiladiKonsole: Using "Khiladi" (player) to denote the participants in the game and "Konsole" (console) to emphasize the gaming aspect, appealing to fans who aspire to play like their favorite cricket stars.

6) ChaukaChampion: Incorporating "Chauka" (four runs scored in cricket) with "Champion" to signify excellence and victory in the game.

7) HitWicketHub: Playing on the terms "hit wicket" (a mode of dismissal in cricket) and "Hub" to suggest a central place for cricket gaming enthusiasts.

8) CricCraze360: Combining "Cric" (short for cricket) with "Craze" to denote the passion for the sport and "360" to imply a comprehensive gaming experience.

9) BatBhoomi: Using "Bat" to represent the essential equipment in cricket and "Bhoomi" (meaning land or field) to signify the cricket ground, appealing to fans who love to play and watch cricket.

10) DhamaalDugout: "Dhamaal" (a Hindi term for excitement or fun) combined with "Dugout" (the area where players sit when not actively participating) to suggest a fun and engaging cricket gaming experience.

I find all the above ten names better than Megashot (somehow mind is still fixated on the banned "shot liya kya" campaign).

Moving from the name itself, I have watched the video of the Megashot Smart cricket bat on YouTube and found the gaming part to be amateurish. The animation is flat and there is not much interaction. Many free game apps give a similar or even better gaming experience. Megashot is only about hitting the ball. One can't bowl or field. So it all boils down to swinging the bat. The game can only be played by a single player at a time. 

I wish the makers of Megashot studied the daddy of interactive games Nintendo Wii carefully. There was a time when parents frowned upon video games. They were seen as the ultimate evil, a drug no less. The adults never played video games. They thought it was silly, a waste of time, and worse made players fat and lazy.

Nintendo Wii changed it all. It came as a breath of fresh air. Wii was incredibly easy to set up and play. It introduced games that everyone loved and played physically at some point in their life. Wii had games like tennis, bowling, boxing, baseball, cricket, cycling, archery etc.

So what makes Wii a much better option? The games are very interactive. Up to four players can play at a time, the action is very realistic and players experience exertion when playing the games on Wii. That was the USP (Unique Selling Proposition). Wii was a wholesome family entertainment device.

The minute exercise was mentioned, the elders took to the game as fish took to the water. Wii sold a whopping 10 crore gaming consoles throughout the world and continues to sell in North America. Wii became one of the few gaming consoles that the entire family played together and may be the only Video/TV game that parents encourage their kids to play. In 2008-2012 there was a waitlist of two months in USA for buying a Wii gaming console. Wii showed the world how to reinvent a product category.

Crystal gazing, Megashot might not do well. Sold at Rs 5,449/-, it does not offer that much value for money. Sure, people may buy it out of curiosity but my guess is the product might sell in a few hundred. Megashot needs to improve on all fronts if it wants to compete in the tough gaming business. All the best Megashot.