The Silicon Review ^Asia

The massively successful online mobile battle royal game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) had recently sparked controversy in India, with numerous parents blaming it for being too addictive, resulting in poor academic performance among many youngsters. The Indian state of Gujarat even went so far as to ban the game and impose jail time for those violating the ban. However, several young men and boys continue to play the game, which has now resulted in Gujarat police arresting youths caught playing it.

The arrested youths were college students and were apparently so engrossed in playing the game that they did not even see the cops approaching. The students were later released on bail with a stern warning. Even though it is banned in one state, it is still legal in others in spite of concern from parents saying that the game is too violent and distracts students from their studies.

But not everyone agrees with the ban with numerous people citing limited parental control and a general lacking in the education system for poor academic performance.

PUBG is a huge hit and has become one of the most played video games of all time, with over 400 million people playing it. India, with 1.3 billion people and cheap mobile internet has become a hot market for applications and services. PUBG has grown to be so popular in India that it has become an unofficial medium of socializing.