Virtual Venue

Called Cric-ex,this online gaming application which started two weeks ago,registers over 15,000 transactions every three hours and allows gamers to buy and sell cricketers depending on their performance. “Since Pietersen did not perform up to the mark in IPL 2,his base price has fallen from Rs 12,000 to Rs 11,000 over the past three games,” says Rao,26,who quietly bids for players in between office hours.

Each player is given a virtual sum of Rs 10 lakh to invest in bidding. Depending on the performance,the base price of a player can fall or rise. So if a batsman scores six,his price rises while the bowler’s falls. Similarly,other factors like wickets,catches,stumpings,half-centuries and centuries determine a player’s price.

“Unlike other gaming applications,this is live action with the price of the players changing with every match,” says Rahul Razdan,head of gaming and communications,ibibo.com,which features the game.

The cyber space is fast becoming a new avenue to exploit the nation’s craze for cricket. While only a few companies were active for the first season of IPL,this time many have come forward with online gaming applications for hardcore gamers.

The online game Indian Hatke League (IHL) offered by Virgin Mobile is a witty take on the IPL. Teams like Delhi Dhinchaks and Rajasthan Muchads face off,with funny caricatures as their teams’ logo. Gamers can choose a team and play as many times as they like. They submit their individual score after the stipulated time for the match and gain points accordingly. A running commentary is provided by “Ziddu” and “Inzoo”. “We wanted to have a fun and interactive take on cricket. This platform has everything that represents the youth — it is witty,cheeky,adventurous and has a hint of chutzpah,” says Prasad Narasimhan,chief marketing officer,Virgin Mobile. Within 15 days of its launch,the game had over 20,000 registered users.

The IHL offers prizes worth Rs 10 lakh under different categories. “Providing incentives for gamers is vital as they would not otherwise invest their time and effort,” says Narasimhan.

The online gaming company,Games2win.com,which launched the Internet Cricket League last year,has started a game called Super Sixes for Orkut users,where a gamer gets 12 chances to score sixers. “People aren’t too keen on the longer format of the game. Ever since the IPL began,we have registered 10,000 games daily,” says Dinesh Gopalakrishnan,publishing head of the company.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ official team sponsor,Nokia,also has various initiatives for fans. One of them is the Nokia KKR T20,a mobile game in which you can be in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ team and bat for it,apart from tracking the team’s performance,zooming in on match locations and getting information on the match schedule. But with the Kolkata Knight Riders turning into Kolkata Nightmares,not many would want to be in their XI,with John Buchanan for company.