India Applies Bans On PUBG For Fear Of Youngsters Turning Into Psychopaths

India does not have a deep history with video games like the US or Japan, which might be why the Indian citizens have such a fierce reaction to more bloody titles of the industry. One prime example is the recent incident with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

PUBG sparks rage among Indian authorities for its violent nature

The game follows the rules of Hunger Games and starts with 100 players under the extreme attack from rifles and machine guns until the game finds the last man standing. After the mobile version was introduced by Tencent, it becomes the game with the largest player base in the world.

PUBG is quite a hit worldwide but faces quite a stall in India as several cities in the country have announced a total ban on the game. That is not all. The case of 10 university students in India being taken into custody because of playing the game or the national child rights commission suggesting prohibiting it further show how aggressive the Indian is toward the game. An Indian prestigious news house even labels PUBG as an epidemic that could make children psychopaths.

However, India is not alone in this matter. For the last two decades, video games have been a raising concern for politicians and parents alike. What triggered the rage was Grand Theft Auto, a game that lets players use drug, shows prostitute-related scenes, and kills people to steal cars.

It all started with Grand Theft Auto

What sets India apart is how quickly it gets to take action against what it thinks is harmful. While other countries take more than 20 years to launch crackdowns, India does the same thing after just a few months.

Despite the effort of India to shield their young citizens from the negative effects of video games, PUBG Mobile is still a popular title that attracts a lot of players. Right before the arrest, Hyderabad saw a large competition with over 250,000 players from more than 1000 colleges. The winning team got themselves 1.5 million rupees as a prize.

A 13-year-old boy named Aryaman Joshi, who plays PUBG for hours a day, said that because the game was violent, his peers liked it a lot and they also played as much as he did.

This much obsession with video games speaks volumes about the huge potential of India as a gold mine for game makers. For now, it might bring about just $290 million but since it ranks second on the list of largest markets for smartphones, who knows what the future holds for the country.

Speaking about this matter, Lokesh Suji, head of Indian Esports Federation, shared that PUBG had boosted the market for games and was an example of how thriving India was in this field.

Lokesh Suji said that India was a huge market for gaming industry

Video games might see a bright future in India if the authorities do not take measures against it. PUBG has created quite a rage among parents, teachers, and politicians. They blamed the game for distracting the young from their study, spreading violence, and held it responsible for bullying as well as a suicide case in Mumbai.

In answer to the reaction of India to the game, Bluehole Inc, the company behind PC’s PUBG said that they would consult with the local authorities and took a look through the regulations to find a way around. which might include a refreshed system that provides more responsible gameplay and even restriction for players of certain ages.

As video games are still a new kind of experience for Indians, the country has not yet laid down rules on this, unlike nations like China or Germany where players under 13 and 16 are banned respectively.

Before proper regulations are in place, other measures have been taken to lessen the effect of games on the young. One of them is a clinic for digital addiction of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences. Recently, the center received a case of an 11-year-old boy who wanted to drop out of school to focus on being a professional PUBG’s player.

Dr. Manoj Sharma, the center’s headman, urges game companies to stand out and be more responsible. He also advised on barring players of a certain age to have access to the game as the addiction level has reached an all-time high.