The gaming terminal

R u game? is the question they are asking. You’d better be, since the promise is a trip to San Francisco and a chance to be crowned champion of World Cyber Games (WCG) 2004. Nine chosen ones from India will represent the country in the computer game competition featuring thousands of participants from 64 countries.

To get started on the WCG trail, you need to register on the WCG website or at any Sify i-Way cyber café. Next, on August 8, try your gaming hand at designated game zones in the city. If you’re good enough, you head for the semi-finals and final in Mumbai on August 23.

Promotions for the city leg got underway today with a WCG van — featuring a computer terminal loaded with games — doing the rounds of popular “youth centric” hangouts and spreading the game word. That included Deshapriya Park, Forum, Swabhumi and City Centre.

Calcutta game buffs will be up against players from 12 other cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Chandigarh. The final nine will be chosen on the basis of scores in one of the four games on offer, Warcraft, Counter Strike, Need for Speed Underground, Unreal Tournament 2004 and FIFA Football 2004. The games are a combination of strategy, sports and action and test hardcore gaming skills.

The muscle behind the Indian leg of the competition is electronics giant Samsung. The company has sponsored WCG’s three earlier editions, too. This year, it will spend around $ 1 million for promoting and organising the event in India. “We have a strong focus on sports, reflected in our association with tournaments like Samsung Cup in cricket,” said Anish Srikrishna of Samsung India. “Our role in WCG is an extension of that,” he explained. Samsung has tied up with processor maker AMD, game developer Indiagames and Internet service provider Sify for WCG.

To boost gaming in the country, Samsung is planning to offer value additions with its products. “We may offer game titles for free with Samsung products like hard disks and optical drives,” said Srikrishna. There are also plans to have two Lifestyle Zone showrooms in the city by the Pujas, where latest computer games can be sampled for free, he added.