Zapak.com launches gaming cafes

With the launch of gaming cafés – Gameplexes – Zapak.com is trying to boost the number of online gamers in India

Online gaming portal Zapak.com by Reliance ADAG has realised that it needs to tackle issues like low PC penetration and poor Internet connectivity to boost the number of online gamers. So Zapak.com will roll out 250 Zapak cafés, called Gameplexes, across 30 cities in India by the end of this financial year.

According to Rohit Sharma, COO, Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd, “At Zapak, we want to take charge of the complete gaming value chain. Shared access is the key driver for gaming in India and worldwide and Zapak Gameplexes will act as a stimulant for that.”

The cafes will be rolled out in two phases, with Phase I including the launch of Gameplexes in eight cities – Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chandigarh. Later, Gameplexes will be opened in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns as well.

Zapak has opened its first café in Bangalore. It is powered by 85 LAN based games like EA Sports’ FIFA 2007 and has a capacity for 50 gamers. Gamers either need to cough up Rs 40 per hour or they can become regular members by buying a prepaid card available in denominations of Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 250, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. Each Zapak café will have four game jockeys to guide new gamers.

Apart from gaming, the Zapak cafés will also provide facilities such as Internet surfing and a food and beverages corner. Reliance Entertainment’s new online movie download service, BigFlicks.com, will be available, too. With the launch of the Zapak cafes, it appears that Reliance Entertainment is trying to provide a holistic entertainment experience to youth by integrating gaming with surfing, food and movies.

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