The year 2010 could turn out to be a disappointing one for Indian gamers with the future of the only consistent gaming league, World Cyber Games (WCG) India, in jeopardy after organisers Indiagames allegedly pulled out of the event.
Indiagames, which has been organising the event from the time it was first held in India in 2001, has decided to pull out after a lack of support from the global event organisers ICM, say industry insiders. There are indications that Indiagames has not been getting the money it should be for organising the event, leaving them with the reponsibility of arranging for funds. They also had to bear the expenses of sending gamers to the finals (organised in China last year). ATE, a Mangalore-based e-sports team that won the Counter Strike event at WCG India last year, decided not to attend the finals because oflack of funding. “ATE gaming will not be attending WCG Grand Finals. Organisers aren’t funding the trip. We do not have sufficient funds to travel to Chengdu,” they tweeted after the event. Most of the gamers have been blaming Indiagames for poor organising and funding issues, but a few sources in the industry who did not want to be named said that ICM was the real culprit.
“This year Indiagames put its foot down and refused to be part of the event unless proper funding to organise it at a good venue and without any delays was provided,” the source said.
He also told DNA that ICM had not responded positively to the demand and this had resulted in Indiagames pulling out.
Considering the amount of interest generated by earlier versions of the event — average at best — and the performance of Indian gamers, many industry experts feel that the tournament may not be organised in India this year. Most of the gaming tournaments in India were cancelled last year because of funding issues. WCG is, in fact, the last standing national-level event.
The only gamer from India to have made it to the last stages of the finals was Reuben Pereira, who finished in fifth position at Cologne (WCG 2008) and came second at WCG Asiad later. India is ranked 36th at WCG and has not won any medals at the event yet.
Vishal Gondal, CEO and founder of Indiagames, refused to comment on the issue. Recently, the company shifted focus from its games on demand (GoD) service to become a successful mobile games publisher and has also created a browser-based cricket game for this year’s IPL.
ICM has also not responded to any queries from DNA.
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