PUBG fever starting new reign of gaming in India, says Cobx CEO Mujahid Rupani

In 2016 the gaming industry was revolutionised by an all-time favourite cartoon show of the 2000s. It was Pokemon Go that took over the game world, wherein the makers of the game incorporated the real-time location of a user to enhance gaming experience.

Similarly in March 2017, the gaming community witnessed a new game that let users socialise with players from cities across geographies. However, this time they've got the opportunity to compete against one another and in order to win, they have to emerge as the lone survivor. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG, has not only changed online gaming, but has gripped the industry on a whole.

Mujahid Rupani, CEO of Cobx Gaming spoke to Moneycontrol about PUBG fever and how the popularity of gaming events are helping his firm grow.

Q: Tell us about the whole craze around PUBG.

A: Just like Pokemon Go had gripped fans across the world, PUBG is enjoying similar attention. Around 40 per cent of mobile gaming players in India are playing PUBG. Since the average playing time is about 20 minutes it is convenient for everyone. There is a whole new industry growing around it with PUBG being played in tournaments.

All these games are a clear indication of how the gaming industry is progressing and how widely it is accepted not only by youngsters, but is popular among the older generation. Parents also believe that PUBG is a great platform to connect with their loved ones. In other words, the reach of these games is directly proportionate to the return of interest (RoI) for investors in this segment. With time, the industry is expected to boom, creating several employment and marketing opportunities.

Q: While players from across the globe play PUBG, are there many India-specific tournaments?

A: Campus tournaments have been organised in colleges of Lucknow, Mumbai and Delhi through the year by Tencent Gaming Buddy. The craze of this game is so high that companies all over the world are organising PUBG tournaments that offer a massive prize pool, which in turn lets gamers earn money and the game in turn become more popular. Recently, India witnessed two large scale PUBG tournaments, one of which was Asia Pacific Predator League 2019, an international tournament. The winner of this competition will represent the country in the main event in Thailand in 2019. Then there was a PUBG Mobile Campus Championship 2018, which was held only in India.

Q: What is the prize pool like?

A: For international level games where Indian gamers play, the prize pool can go up to $200,000. The Indian events have a prize pool of up to Rs 5 million and we are expecting the award to grow as popularity of the game increases.

Q: Are you cashing in on the PUBG popularity? Tell us a little about Cobx's offering?

A: We are definitely cashing in on the gaming fever. We regularly conduct tournaments and events to suit spectator perspective. We are also working with companies like Sony, Hotstar and Voot to increase the popularity of the game.

As for big events, the year we conducted the Cobx Masters, a tournament in India with a cash reward of Rs 1 crore. The tournament was divided into two phases. The first phase covered 10 cities that included Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Jaipur and Kohima. As a major part of our tournament is being held in gaming cafes across 10 Indian cities, the regional eSports scene will sure get a massive boost. We're working to get the tournament aired on mainstream TV channels and streaming platforms, and make it the most visible esport tournament in India via social media and our website

Q: What is there in Cobx's bucket list for the gaming industry?

A: We want to tap the online market, where people enjoy watching esports. Next year, we have plans to take Cobx Masters international and would invite players to compete in India.