A demonstration of the games lined up for Vixture Gaming Championship. Picture by Aranya Sen

Ananda Sen once used to spend three to four days at a stretch in his gaming console; the more complex the game, the higher the adrenaline rush. Now 26, he no longer goes to such extremes but admits it is still difficult to leave the console.

Sen is not alone. Computer gaming is a big addiction among youth in the city and big tournaments have begun arriving, some of them offering cash prizes up to Rs 50 lakh.

Zero Friction, in association with interactive software company Electronics Arts, on Thursday launched the Vixture Gaming Championship, which will travel to six cities — Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. Teams of five members each will battle it out in as many games, including Crysis, Need for Speed Prostreet, Cricket 07 and FIFA 08 and Fight Night Round 3. All of these are offline games, but can also be played online. Of the five, only Crysis is a multiple player game.

The preliminary rounds will be held in the chosen cities between May 5 and 30. As many as 64 teams will make it to the finals, to be held from June 13 to 15 at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai.

Reliance WebWorld pioneered multi-player gaming contests in the country by organising the Gamebox National Championship in 2005. In February, Mumbai hosted the India leg of the global championship Kode5. The finals were held in Moscow.

Zero Friction India’s director Charu Sabale said gaming was not only about thrills but big money, too. “We want to open up gaming as a career option, as it is abroad.”

The money at stake in the Vixture Gaming Championship justifies his statement. Apart from the top prize of Rs 20 lakh for the winning team and Rs 10 lakh for the runners-up, the organisers have promised Rs 4 lakh each to the best gamers in each of the contests.

There is no age barrier but those under 18 must come armed with a letter of parental consent. The entry fee is Rs 250 per gamer and registration can be done at www.vixture.com. “The fee is to ensure that only those serious enough to commit to it participate,” Sabale said.

The marketing and administrative manager of EA Games India, Yashdeep Bali, said the main objective of the championship was to “bring gaming out of the tech geek’s basement to the living room”.