Play it on!

Pune is witnessing a steep rise in the number of gaming pros.

THE energy and the mood when you enter a gameplex are contagious. The high-spirited cubicles of the gaming cafes are filled with youngsters who are hooked to their game stations for almost the whole day. Therefore, it does not come as surprise that the city houses 300 cafes which offer gaming alongside other facilities and there are more than 50 exclusive gaming zones. When one starts playing these games, it’s too tough to keep yourself away from a gaming station. “I have been gaming for the past 10 years. I still can’t get enough of it. I’m addicted to the virtual world. In Pune, there are a lot of youngsters, both guys and girls, involved with gaming. Virtually speaking, they love to wear the headgear and gun down terrorists,” says Esu Eshal, who has won an individual game in half-life tournament while his group secured the second position in a Counter Strike tournament held locally. But, is it just passion that draws so many people towards gaming? Lalit Nangia, from the clan Acid which has ruled country’s cyber waves, answers, “It’s a passion for many. But after some time, when you gain c o n f i d e n c e and are playing real good, then obviously you wish to take it a step further and participate in the various tournaments held. We had qualified for the World Cyber Games championship and if we would have won it, we could have brought home 40,000 US dollars. But, even qualifying for a championship of this stature is an achievement in itself.” Today, if you are to win the championship, you could win up to a whopping 250,000 US dollars, the official site states.

Winning a national cyber gaming tournament could get you anywhere between 5000 to one lakh. Some of present clans who have make their mark in national tournaments are Flawless Gaming, XcD, Team ALH, Team 300, Hawk, RG and 2easy. “Gaming thrives on tournaments, and there are regular tournaments which we conduct, both locally and nationally. Some of the teams which have gained the status of champions in the city are XCD, OT^B, Infamous, L0S, and DOD. It is a growing industry, and while it kick-starts as a passion, there are many who make a career in gaming,” says Himanshu Yagnik, business head of one of leading gameplexes in the city. The gameplex gets at least 60 walk-ins per day. Another reason why youngsters are getting passionately involved with the plethora of exciting worlds the virtual gaming offers is the challenge and the thrill it offers. Brainstorming, time management, alertness, terms that are often associated with a boardroom meeting, have a lot to do with gaming. Gaming requires huge amounts of skill, strategy, speed and adaptability. Explains Kamlesh Kelkar, owner of a gaming cafe in city, he says, “What keeps them so involved in the games are the challenges. Each day brings with it a new challenge. Every game is different- the map, the trap and you can never predict the next move. Each day you need a different strategy and a different plan.”

Gaming field is fast evolving in the city and with so many youngsters getting hooked to the virtual world of gaming, Pune is soon to witness a gaming revolution!