The directive to ban the game is currently limited to Gujarat and it was recently restricted for children under 13 years in China.
Alright, alright we know that PUBG has been affecting the young minds but if the controversial mobile game, which can be played just for recreational purpose, keeping in mind that it is just a virtual war zone and nothing else, then there is nothing wrong in it! This is what parents and gamers of the PUBG mobile have to say about it following a hue and cry over it to be banned after two men lost their lives in Hingoli district in Maharashtra while playing on the railway track.
Launched in March 2018 in India, PUBG Mobile has become the most downloaded game in the country. According to Tencent Games, over 200 million downloads had happened as of December 2018. However, the game came under the lens of authorities in India after reports emerged that the negative effects of PUBG are far more than the positive ones.
But when City Spidey chose to speak directly with the users of the mobile gaming on the issue that whether the game should be banned as it is leading to violent behaviour among children and youth, and adversely affecting studies, their responses were not that dismissive.
Ishwinder Singh, who himself and his son, both an addict of the game said," No doubt, we both waste our time a lot on this. But that doesn't mean that the game should be banned. We haven't taken the game too much on our heart. We do watch war movies but that doesn't mean that it makes us violent."
Aakash Kumar, an IT professional residing in East Delhi, said he does not play the game any longer not because it was bringing some behavioural changes in him but there is a lack of gaming time.
"I am just not getting time to play. I have been playing war games from a decade and if they really make me violent then I should have been in jail today. It completely depends on you. These games like PUBG is to chill and relax," he said.
In PUBG, 100 players are pitted against each other in an open world map. Every players’ virtual character is dropped on a remote island where they can play as the lone wolf or team up with other players and hunt down other players. The game is also available on PC, Xbox and PlayStation besides handsets.
Vaishali Garg, a resident of Saya Zenith residency, said his 14-year-old son plays it regularly for half an hour and she has no problem with it.
"My son hasn't become violent after playing this game. I haven't noticed any unruly behaviour in him. He is the same as he was two years ago. The thing is he doesn't play too much. It's just to break the monotony of studies and the daily life activities," she said.
Another parent from Gurugram, Chintoo Singh, also echoed the same sentiment.
"My son plays at night for an hour after wrapping up his studies. He is fine and we are also fine if he is doing something after finishing his studies. I don't think the game should be banned, " Singh said.
The directive to ban the game is currently limited to Gujarat and it was recently restricted for children under 13 years in China.
