Gaming is serious business

As Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup returns to the city for the third time, last year’s champion, Mumbai boy Raunak Sen, gives us an insider’s perspective on the nascent industry

You don’t have to be an android from another planet to know that the general consensus on the gaming culture is that it’s most often considered less a sport and more a menace in the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, there has been a slow, yet steady growth in the community of gamers over a decade, and the third edition of Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup in the country reiterates the fact. After completing the elimination rounds in Delhi and Hyderabad, it’s time for the Mumbai gamers to prove their mettle. Raunak Sen, a 19-year-old gamer from Mumbai, who won the tournament last year, is one of the few in the country who call themselves professional gamers. Not only does he draw a monthly salary for his gaming skills, but he has also moved out of his parents’ house to live with his team of gamers. “In other countries like US, Russia and China, gaming houses are pretty common. In India, we are probably the only ones to have one,” says Raunak.

At the age of 12, Raunak had started playing computer games. “I started with the usual, Counter Strike and DOTA, but soon I realised that I was good at it, and eventually, I got an offer to join a gamers’ team,” he says. Invisible Wings is a team of five gamers from the city. An animation student in his third year, Raunak rarely goes to college and prefers to stay in his “gaming house”. “I have completed my syllabus, so I don’t need to go to college. I just go for the exams, Also I’m drawing a healthy salary through gaming, so currently, I’m chilling in a way,” he adds with a chuckle. According to Raunak, there are no hard and fast rules in the house, “We wake up late in the morning and start gaming from 4 pm, mostly through the night. Usually parents have a lot of problems with this, but my folks were pretty cool with it; they knew that I was good at gaming and they didn’t stop me. Although when I was younger, they didn’t allow me to participate in tournaments outside the city, since they didn’t want me to travel alone,” says Raunak.

Teams like Invisible Wings are spearheading the culture of e-sports in India and it’s boys like Raunak who have taken the plunge, which would perhaps convince more enthusiasts to think of a career in gaming, in the future.

“This is not just a problem in India, but also in countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other adjoining countries. They have to do a lot to catch up with the other countries, as far as the gaming culture is concerned. Also a lot depends on the sponsors and tournaments like the Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup, which is one of the most professional tournaments in our country,” he says.

Speaking about the TEGC, Michael Lin, director of the Taipei World Trade Centre Liaison Office in Mumbai said, “We have had an incredible response for the TEGC in the past two years. Gamers from across the country have converged on this one platform to display their skills and it has been an action-packed gaming carnival. This year, we are bringing out a bigger edition of the event. There is a lot more in store for enthusiastic gamers from significant cash prizes, to a championship title, and some other amazing goodies. I hope the teams are ready to battle it out with their dynamic strategies.”

While Raunak and his team are eyeing a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs, he admits that in the future he aspires to participate in The International, the most prestigious event for gamers in the world. “India has some of the best athletes — and I says athletes, because I think gaming also requires skills — both mental as well as physical. If we have a favourable environment, we can put our country on the world map of gamers,” he says, hinting at a future of more professional and serious e-sports.

From August 12 to14,To know more log on to: http://www.tegamingcup.com/#Schedule