Pressing the right buttons

“Gaming is a serious career option,” says actor and host Rannvijay Singha, who was in Delhi recently to promote Gods of Gaming, an event presented by Northern Lights Creations at DLF Saket.

Excerpts:

Video gaming is treated just as a casual pastime. What are your views?

People who consider gaming as a casual pastime are the ones who aren’t interested in making it their profession. They rather play it as a hobby. But on the other hand there are youngsters who play it professionally like any other competitive sport. In our country, gaming is not one of the most popular sports yet but on the international front, its importance is equal to that of any other sport. Moreover, it was recently there in the news that the International Olympic Committee is considering adding Esports to the Olympic Games.

One thing I really like about the concept most of the video games are based on is the option of ‘Another Life’ or ‘To Respawn’, which means reappearing in the game after being killed. This theory suggests that no matter how many times you fall, you’ll always get another chance, and I believe that this is a great theory and an inspiring message too.

What are the video games that you like the most?

FIFA, Tekken, CSGO, NBA. I like CSGO because that’s an amazing combat game, NBA because it’s related to basketball and I really like that sport. There’s a story behind why I like Tekken. It was the first game I played on PS, so I have a lot of memories attached to it.

Many parents consider gaming a health hazard...

The stereotype can be countered with more awareness about the sport, which is increasing at a high rate. On an individual level, kids who are interested in gaming should try to make their parents understand that it’s just like any other competitive sport with a big money industry, and importance at the international level. There was a time when parents didn’t want their child to get into offbeat careers, but nowadays people have become broad minded, overcoming the generation gap. Coming to the other issue, I believe that anything done in excess can be a hazard, be it playing video games, an outdoor sport, or even studying for the whole day. The most important requirement to lead a healthy lifestyle is ‘balance’.

If a child is attending school regularly, finishing homework on time, exercising regularly, and also playing video games, I don’t think his parents will have any problem. Even the professional gamers need to live a balanced lifestyle, be careful with their sitting hours and the posture, and also need to do physical exercise.