Player Unknown effects of battlegrounds

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), famously pronounced as pub-gee, was first launched for the PC, iOS, and Xbox version and then, later on, was moved to the much-underpowered platform of the phone. And, to say the least, it is far from disappointing, unlike other games which stutter on the touchscreen display. Since it’s hit the market, it’s been on fire. There have been other games, too, which came, went viral, ran their course and then eventually fizzled out. But not with this juggernaut of a mobile game, which has sold millions of copies so soon. So, what’s the deal with this one which keeps the players glued to their phone screens for hours? Is it the cool graphics, smooth controls, the thrill of shooting down the other players, the bloodwork, or something else? Let’s see…

The game begins with parachuting down from a plane to an island with other 99 players. In the post-apocalyptic scene, players race against each other to stay in the ever-closing circle while looting buildings, resources, ammo, weapons and shooting down others, until there’s only one man standing.

The fact that PUBG Mobile has transcended the boundaries of mobile gaming is not news anymore. In the past one year, the game has created a wave of streaming channels, competitions with lakhs of rupees as prize money, merchandise and a whole section of YouTubers who have dedicated their lives to get the coveted 'Chicken Dinner'.

The formula for PUBG was simple, yet brilliant. Combine a compelling gameplay experience with graphics optimised for even lower-end devices. However, over the past couple of months, it has been quite clear that the PUBG phenomena has crossed limits that no one had expected.

Children, teens and even working-class professionals are getting addicted to the game. The game is said to adversely be affecting their studies and perhaps also their behaviour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed the issue during Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0, when a worried mother mentioned to him about how her child was distracted from studies due to online gaming. Modi replied with "Ye PUBG wala hai kya?"

Our 68-year-old PM knows about the existence of an online game called PUBG which is targetted at teenagers. You know something has gone mainstream when the PM himself mentions it on national TV.