SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s first virtual gaming arena was opened on Monday at the city centre in Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
Kids and even adults can now play under one roof at the Pavilion Gaming Centre at Maulana Azad Road in Lal Chowk.
The facility has been established on a 4,000 square feet area by two young entrepreneurs, Adnan Shah and Aqib Chaya, offering 30 high-end gaming experiences on PC and console and alternative experiences like a bowling alley, arcade games, crazy waters, racing simulators and 360-degree wireless virtual reality room.
The multi-crore gaming centre has been a dream project of the two entrepreneurs, who had successfully established their name in the apparel, fashion and hospitality sectors.
“It was our dream project and finally we have inaugurated it today,” said Adnan Shah.
He said the gaming centre will help kids arrest boredom from the closure of schools and take them off their cell phones.
“For the past more than a year, kids are at home and don’t have a school where they could play with other kids. They are now heavily addicted to gaming on cell phones, which is a dangerous trend.
“The eSports centre will help children involve in physical collaboration, strategic thinking and sportsmanship. The development of these skills would increase a kid’s self-confidence, which will lead to better academic outcomes,” Shah said.
“The Pavilion Gaming Centre provides RFID technology-based cards to the visitors to play the games. The cards are available for Rs 200 onwards and exciting offers are available at higher denomination cards, said Chaya.
He said this is the first of its facility in the Valley, which offers a plethora of gaming opportunities to the kids.
“With the help of these games, children can decrease screen time and remain involved with other kids, which is the need of the hour when schools are closed,” said Chaya.
On an inaugural day on Monday, hundreds of kids along with their parents turned up to enjoy the games and expressed happiness at such a facility, which otherwise they could enjoy only outside J&K.