Age: 24 Location: Mumbai Game: Counterstrike ( CS) Online gamer name: R4id (read: raid) Ask any gamer for the one who makes the most money, and you’ll get one answer: Ben Varghese. A full-time gamer, the B Com graduate never played computer games while growing up. He still doesn’t really like the computer. But, gaming is something else.
Ben was 17, and his friends always hung out at a gaming café in Kings Circle. “But I never really played. At most, I was a casual gamer,” he says.
One night at the café, a fight ensued. Someone mocked his gaming skills (or lack thereof), and Counter
strike became Ben’s counter strike. “I wanted to prove a point, it was all about that one game,” he says.
He started practicing every day, often for 10-15 hours. Sometimes for four-five days at a stretch, with no sleep and little food. “I practiced alone. On an average, I’d kill 5,000 bots (characters controlled by the computer) a day. The idea was to become faster.” And he did. Ben started playing with others, and they formed a gaming team: ATE. They managed to find sponsors in 2007, and have remained undefeated in India since then. His five-member Counter strike team makes about R15- 20 lakh every year. It’s R3- 4 lakh per person, and that’s just in cash. Every event comes with freebies and goodies.
They travel abroad for international events, watch televised tournaments online and practice often.
It was hard work, but Ben grew to love the game. “Counterstrike is the best stress reliever,” he says. “It strengthens your reflexes, increases your hand-eye coordination… and it’s the show stealer at every event.”
Courtesy ----- Hindustan Times
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