PUBG Mobile had a solid base of 50 million Indian players. Recently the game had crossed the 3 billion dollars revenue mark in July 2020. India was indeed on the top of the total installs. We are speaking of 175 million installs of Indian smartphone users. Suddenly, the Indian government decided to impose over PUBG along with other 116 apps. PUBG M was introduced back in 2018. The free-to-play multiplayer FPS/TPS instantly spellbound teenagers. The craze around the people irrespective of age was the first time this country had witnessed. With the introduction of regular updates, new skins, new maps the devs keep the city madness afloat. Even in the lockdown period, thanks to the pandemic, PUBG entertained us all. Everything was looking fine.
Suddenly, the Indian government decided to impose a ban on PUBG along with other 116 apps.
No restrictions. No advance announcement. Straight banned the app from this continent. Not only the Tencent, the franchise of this game mourns the loss, but the silent wail of many Indian gamers who were earning from streaming also is not unseen in the social media platforms. India as a country was never on the sheets of Esports before PUBG Mobile came and introduced to the rich culture of gaming. Indian mobile gaming industry doesn't limit itself to a battle royale game. It has so much to offer. What PUBG had provided the country is a much-needed start. It gave the taste of Esports tournaments. It provided a platform to fresh talents like Mortal, Dynamogaming. Many became professional, full-time gamers thanks to the streaming revenue of the game. That's why this game hurts those gamers who were just starting up.
Here's a little pole we have done to show what Indians feel about this ban,
As you can see, the result erupts mixed reactions of 'Yes' and 'NO', sharing an equal percentage.
So what's the option right now? Is this the end of the golden age of the mobile gaming industry?
Nope. Absolutely not. There are other good games (if not better) of the same genre that are available in the market.
Call of Duty Mobile- Activision fueled mobile version of the critically acclaimed COD franchise became an instant favorite among mobile gamers. This game has a separate fan base thanks to the console level gaming, implementation of newer maps from original COD MW, COD II, COD Black Ops 1,2,3,4 in every new update. Recently Activision has kicked TIMI (a Tencent venture) from its deal. This game also includes a Battle Royale mode which is improving day by day.
Garena FreeFire- This very popular game is the 50- player version of PUBG. The size of the app is also less than PUBG.
The Indian gaming industry has changed a lot in recent years. We are seeing official CS-GO tournaments, CODM tournaments being organized in India.
Before PUBG there was nothing. After PUBG, there is at least a glimpse of hope. A hope that may revolutionize the Indian gaming industry. But it will take time.
