Gaming Places in Manipal

Manipal Gaming

One of the unparalleled callings of the male population in the world today is gaming. The thrill of playing an outstanding new game with its challenging gameplay and intricately woven plot is something so extraordinarily relaxing that you just can’t quite put your finger on it. This is one amongst many other joys that students almost consign to oblivion when they leave home to go live in a hostel.

Here are the opportunities at Manipal to respark that passion.

BURNOUT

Among the various things to do in town stands the legendary Burnout, the oldest and most renowned name in Manipal Gaming. Set up around the August of 2009, Burnout has hosted 7 years of students faithfully and is the premier establishment when it comes to quick gaming and settling feuds. Tournaments are also hosted here on occasion in collaboration with the MIT gaming club and even during the College Fests.

Location: Sitting right adjacent to the Chicken Bay fast-food restaurant, Burnout is a short 5 minute walk from the MIT main gate, making it the closest gaming lounge to the campus. Even from KC or the MIT back gate by ricshaw it is easy on the pocket, usually amounting to a mere thirty bucks.

Consoles: The benchmark for consoles here is pretty standard with a little more than about half a dozen PS3s and Xbox 360s each.  The number of consoles here is more than sufficient on a regular basis, with waiting time only to be seen rarely during post exam sessions or maybe some lazy Sunday afternoons.

Games: Like the other two gaming lounges, the variety and availability of new titles at Burnout is pretty good. Games like Fifa 16, NBA2k16, WWE 2k16, as well as penultimate titles in genres like FPS and Racing are all readily available. Also with all the consoles having all the games stored on them itself (no CDs), you can never not be able to play something that they have on record.

Controllers: This particular characteristic regarding the various gaming lounges may seem odd at first, but trust us when we say that it is actually of enough significance to warrant its own category. Burnout has an interesting policy that allows you the best controller options depending on your gaming whims during that particular session. If you are playing WWE, Mortal Kombat, Tekken or similar games which majorly entail enthusiastic amounts of button mashing, you receive a slightly more worn out controller which allows you to take your aggression out onto the buttons and enjoy carefree raging without having to worry about ruining the controller. If on the other hand your session involves more button happy games like Fifa or Call of Duty, you are entitled to use their relatively new controllers which usually work almost perfectly. Now this distinction may not seem like a lot but when you’re letting your opponent earn a 12 kill streak off of your shitty ability to even sprint during the match because of a faulty controller, trust us the stakes are high indeed.

Price: 40 Rupees per hour per controller is the rate at burnout which is again pretty standard and not subject to change be it a regular day of the week or a national emergency.

Non-Gaming: Unlike the other two lounges, Burnout is a standalone gaming only venue, which does not offer other services.

Power Outages: Not a serious concern when it comes to the various lounges due to the oddity of power outages usually, but during the odd semesters with the unpredictable torrential rains the possibility of a spontaneous outage does exist. Fortunately Burnout comes prepared with power backups which allows for uninhibited gaming for the most part (terms and conditions apply) even during the rains.

Ambience: Found almost in the heart of the dimly lit, dingy basement of the building it resides in, first impressions may seem wary indeed, but are not, in fact, lasting. The inside of the establishment is clean, suitably lit (dim), air conditioned and comfortable enough with a sea of bean bags, albeit they are slightly less bean-baggy bean bags.

POWERPLAY

The less popular, Secondary-Burnout, known as Powerplay Games is loosely Manipal’s number two gaming lounge due to its remarkably close distance to Burnout (and therefore the campus). It is essentially almost completely identical to Burnout but at a slightly lower level. Powerplay also acts as the safety net for whenever Burnout may be full, or whenever a solo unwinding session is necessitated due to the lack of knowledge of the fact that such a gaming lounge even exists.

Location: Located just a few stores further along Burnout in that row of stores but before the T-Spirits and Cafe18 alley, Powerplay is also situated at a prime spot from the campus with identical rates by rickshaw in comparison to Burnout.

Consoles: Again, as is standard, Powerplay also comes with PS3s and Xbox360s in almost identical numbers as Burnout. Due to the lack of knowledge on Powerplay’s existence getting a spot here to play is certain 9 times out of 10, especially when you’ve found Burnout to be full and are not sure whether to work out another activity or cancel plans altogether. Very rarely is it seen to be full enough to endure a waiting period before getting your game on.

Games: When it comes to playable titles, Powerplay is no slouch, but here with actual CDs involved it stands a few rungs lower on the ladder as compared to Burnout. With usually only one copy of each game, if it is being played at the time, waiting is imposed unless you choose to switch to another game altogether. This gives Burnout a slight edge over Powerplay.

Controllers: Slightly more mediocre controllers are found at Powerplay due to the general careless attitude of the staff when it comes to handling and storing them. On its deserted days when you have the place to yourself this issue doesn’t present itself but under more crowded circumstances receiving a controller with lousy sticks or trigger buttons isn’t unordinary.

Price: 40 Rupees per hour per controller, identical to Burnout and also independent of whatever day it may be.

Non-Gaming: Burnout loses its edge on the rest of the competition with its exclusive focus on only console gaming. Powerplay on the other hand has a number of pool tables which gives you the option to multitask as well as offer a casual and laid back alternate activity which is especially useful for a large group of people, who cannot all game simultaneously.

Power Outages: Powerplay unfortunately comes with a non-existent power back up (ah irony), so under the infrequent circumstances of a loss in electricity, customers are forced to notice each other as they question what they are currently doing with their lives whilst sitting in the semi-darkness waiting for the power to resume.

Ambience: Refer Ambience of Burnout (Powerplay might as well be called Lowbudget Burnout or maybe Burntout).

TRIGGER

Trigger, Manipal’s most recent gaming lounge is the other contender to the Number 2 spot in town. Not known to many, Trigger boasts of a premium status with its choice of consoles, ambience, and non-gaming services. With its out-of-the-way location and its prerequisite of having deep pockets (by Manipal standards), Trigger isn’t the first choice for the majority of students but to the dedicated gamer with the extra cash in hand, it does not disappoint.

Location: Trigger is located on End-Point Road, further along from Crumbs Café, in a lane on the left. Not situated on the main road itself it can be a little tricky to spot but as is the case with any place in Manipal, the ricshaw drivers only need a name. From KC or the MIT main gate its usually fifty rupees to Trigger but that number is subject to change on the whims of the driver and time of day.

Consoles: One of the categories in which Trigger trumps the other two gaming lounges are consoles. It is exclusively home to the PS4s and Xbox Ones of Manipal as well as around half a dozen of their older counterparts each, therefore giving customers a more varied choice of console.

Games: No drawbacks regarding the games at Trigger, with new titles being acquired on par with Burnout or Powerplay.

Controllers: Maintained well and then some. Trigger continues to hold its premium status with well working controllers that are usually problem free.

Price: All the high end utilities do come at a price and along with the steep ricshaw fare Trigger can be heavier on the pocket as compared to Burnout or Powerplay. Around 80-100 Rupees per controller per hour is the norm at Trigger, which again does not vary with day of the week.

Non-Gaming: Another category in which Trigger comes out on top is its non-gaming services. With a number of pool tables in the basement as well as a foosball table there is plenty of opportunity for other activities when taking a break or while waiting to game.

Ambience: Trigger boasts of a better ambience as compared to the other two lounges with couches instead of beanbags and even a couple of private booths. The private booths come with blinders from the other rooms and even large flatscreen TVs making it an altogether more immersive gaming experience.

VERDICT

If a dedicated, no holds barred gaming experience is what you’re in the mood for and time and money are not a hindrance, then Trigger is the easy choice. With its flatscreens, couches and next-gen consoles, a session at Trigger leaves you with a surge of adrenaline and a thirst to game once again. If you’re starved for time or money and are looking to casually game then Burnout is the immediate choice followed by Powerplay in the event that Burnout is full or if your mood dictates some pool/billiards as well.

TLDR: Trigger (fancy) > Burnout (bang for buck) > Powerplay (when others are full).

 — Yohaan Markose for MTTN