- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) issued a statement promising a ‘healthy’ gaming experience for their users.
- The mobile game has been accused of distracting students from their studies and promoting violent behavior.
- The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had earlier advised all Indian states to ban the game.
But the Tencent game is trying to hold its ground by promising a ‘healthy gaming experience’.
Clamour for a wider ban
In the one year that PUBG has been in the India, Indian users have spent over $19.65 million on in-game purchases, according to a KPMG report.
But, its popularity hasn’t been without consequences.
As recently as February, the IT Minister of Goa called the game ‘demonic’ asking for laws to restrict its use in the southern state. Even in Kashmir, the Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) appealed to parents and teachers to keep kids away from PUBG after students didn’t perform well in their 10th and 12th board exams.
The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in Tamil Nadu has already banned the game in the boy’s hostel because it was ‘spoiling’ the entire atmosphere. Students reacted on Twitter stating that the ban was creating ‘inhumane college conditions’.
And while it was rumoured that PUBG was banned in Maharashtra, Gujarat is the only state in India to have officially banned the game in primary schools. But a nationwide is speculated to be imminent with the the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issuing a notice to all states of India suggesting that they ban the game — how that ban will successfully be implemented is still unknown.
See also:
An Indian engineering college has banned PUBG under the claim that its ‘spoiling the atmosphere of the hostel’ — but leaves women out of the conversation
India’s prime minister has an advice for PUBG addicts
7 reasons you should play PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, or 'PUBG,' instead of Fortnite