Conflict over Unknown Battlegrounds
Two distinct camps have formed over the ban on PUBG – those who feel lost without the all- time highest trending game, and others who welcome the move
Wednesday’s ban on the PUBG has come as a shock to young gamers and team owners of India. Long- time players now have to find an alternative to pass time!
On the other hand, one section of people are firmly in support of the Government’s move, aimed at securing personal data.
We speak to some diehard fans of PUBG. B. David, an MNC employee, made sure he factored in time for PUBG in his daily routine. “Playing PUBG has been a routine for me during the lockdown period. It was not just a game, but a stress buste,” he says.
Benny, another avid player, says he will miss something that made him feel lively and energetic. He has another point to add – “To many youngsters PUBG was also a source of income as they stream videos on YouTube. Such people will take a hit.”
Ishaan Arya, Co- founder, The Esports Club, feels the ban comes at a very critical time. “PUBG Mobile was one of the major driving factors behind the growth of gaming and e- sports in India, with a large portion of investments within the space concentrated around the PUBG Mobile ecosystem of events, broadcasts and content,” he says. “The most unfortunate outcome of this sudden move is that it now leaves thousands of players, and hundreds of organizers, journalists, broadcasters etc with an uncertain future, as PUBG Esports was indirectly responsible for their jobs. This is the unseen human cost of the move that most people will overlook,” he adds.
Rahoul Verma is in two minds. “As a player, I would say that it is a bad decision made by the government, as it is just a game. But, as a citizen, I feel it is a good decision, in the light of economic warfare. I don’t know technically what data games would collect, but I don’t really agree to banning games unless they are harmful,” he says.
Gaming expert and founder of talkingstuff. net, Vinayak R Nair, notes that “During the COVID- 19 outbreak, a sharp rise in player activity for the online game was observed, clocking in at around 13 million a day. There are reports of the app transmitting user data to servers outside India, which is a breach of privacy. The data is said to have been mined and profiled, which could be misused for nefarious reasons by hostile elements,
The most unfortunate outcome of this sudden move is that it now leaves thousands of players, and hundreds of organizers, journalists, broadcasters etc with an uncertain future, as PUBG Esports was indirectly responsible for their jobs
— Ishaan Arya
impinging on national security and the sovereignty of India. In order to safeguard India and its citizens’ privacy and security, the decision to ban the app was enforced as an emergency measure. With tensions at the border between India and China, this is one step to curb important intel from leaking to the other side.”
Some fans of PUBG, were so addicted to the game that they even quit their jobs in order to play it full time. On the other hand, there are those who are glad it’s been banned, because people can now engage in something productive.
Meanwhile, netizens are giving free rein to creativity through trolls and memes.