A student has been arrested for simply playing the popular game 'PUBG' in India, where criticism and restrictions on games are increasing.


by BagoGames

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), a battle royale game in which 100 people gather on an island and battle it out until only one remains, is a popular game with over 3 million daily players on the PC version alone . The rapid increase in young people becoming addicted to PUBG has led to growing concerns among parents and educators in India about 'PUBG addiction,' leading to local governments imposing legal restrictions on PUBG. The situation has even escalated to the point where a university student has been arrested for allegedly playing PUBG.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/demon-in-every-house-10-arrested-in-gujarat-for-playing-pubg/story-7H8wSyILwRRNuYD8F02QBM.html

Battlegrounds, PlayerUnknown's Violent Hit Game, Banned in India - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-24/india-bans-most-popular-game-over-fear-of-creating-psychopaths

On March 14, 2019, police in the Indian state of Gujarat arrested 10 university students for playing the smartphone game PUBG. According to local media outlet Hindustan Times, Gujarat had recently enacted a law banning the game, citing its 'significant impact on behavior, integrity, and language.' A police officer commented, 'PUBG is highly addictive, and the arrested university students were so engrossed in playing that they didn't even notice the police approaching.' The university students were released on bail the same day.



A student at a university in Gujarat criticized a PUBG ban posted on the wall, saying, 'The world loves e-sports, but they're trying to ban it in India.'




In India, parents and educators are increasingly calling for restrictions on PUBG, arguing that it encourages violence and discourages students from studying. In a March 25, 2019 editorial , Navbharat Times, a major Hindi-language newspaper in India, stated that the game has dangerous effects and has caused many children to lose their mental balance, arguing that the popularity of PUBG is turning children into psychopaths.

India has achieved remarkable development over the past 20 years, and even rural residents who did not own PCs or game consoles can now afford smartphones. Fierce price competition in the telecommunications service market has made it possible for anyone to access the internet on a smartphone. Meanwhile, PUBG, a globally popular game, has become a huge hit among young people in India. A PUBG tournament for university students held in Hyderabad , in south-central India, reportedly attracted 250,000 registered players from over 1,000 universities. One team won 1.5 million rupees (approximately 2.4 million yen) in prize money as the top PUBG players.



In countries around the world, including Japan, the industry independently reviews and regulates games, such as by assigning age ratings based on their content. For example, in Japan, the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO) uses a five-level rating system. However, in India, the gaming market is in its infancy, and there has been insufficient discussion about video games. Clear rating standards do not exist, leading to legal restrictions by local governments. In China, where digitalization is progressing rapidly like India, parents and politicians have strongly criticized the 'influence of games on young people,' leading to restrictions and freezes by authorities.

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, a major city in southern India, apparently sees patients with PUBG addiction every week. One case involved an 11-year-old boy who was brought to the institute by his parents, claiming he wanted to quit school to become a professional PUBG gamer.

In response to this trend, Tencent, the distributor of the mobile version of PUBG, has introduced a health reminder feature and a six-hour daily limit in India. Tencent posted a statement on the official Twitter account for the Indian mobile version of PUBG, saying, 'PUBG Mobile is a game. It is merely entertainment and should be enjoyed in a healthy and responsible manner.' 'We were surprised to learn that some local governments have decided to ban the mobile version of PUBG. We are committed to understanding the legal basis for these bans, engaging in constructive dialogue with the relevant authorities, and hope to have the bans revoked.'

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in Education,   Game, Posted by log1i_yk