CHENNAI: The sober and rigid exterior of the Ispahani Centre, Nungambakkam, gives no clue to the passive onlooker that hidden in its basement is arguably, the largest gaming lounge in South Asia — Arknemesis, which has established its first vibrant headquarters in the city! The white-blue sign lights your way as you descend the stairs.
Cross the threshold of the sleek black door, and it feels like you’ve entered the sets of a Star Wars movie. Crossing the sleek black floors, we approach Harish Suri, seated at his expansive three-monitor PC setup guarded on either side with a sword and light-sabre. “This is my own workstation, you’ll find me gaming here when I’m not working,” he quips, jumping up to offer a quick tour of the expansive 6,500 sq ft gaming centre.
Launched in Chennai on September 29 with state-of-the-art equipment from some of the biggest players in the gaming industry — Asus, Corsair, NVIDIA and Sony — Arknemesis is deemed to be the first-of-its-kind lounge in the city, and supossedly the largest in South Asia. “Gaming has always been my passion. When we moved back to Chennai two years ago, I decided to start a gaming centre here,” he says.
Harish has been gaming for the past 30 years, ever since his father bought him his first console when he was four. Growing up in Dubai and the UK, the growth of the gaming industries there prompted him to bring the same vibrancy to his hometown.
“The gaming community in India is still growing, albeit in dispersed pockets. I wanted to offer a platform for gamers to connect and unite,” he explains, adding that this place is also for fans of all pop culture entertainment — Anime, TV shows, cosplayers etc.
The futuristic-themed space is well demarcated into various zones — PlayStation consoles zone, a 64-PC gaming zone, further divided into three zones based on specifications of equipment — Zone Mega (low level), Zone Ultra (mid level) and Zone Monster (high level), lined respectively with the orange, blue and purple lights. Harish streams on a lengthy train of hardware specifics, and we had to stop him multiple times to understand.
“I love hardware, it makes me drool more than food,” he laughs, stating that all the computers at the lounge have 24-hour UPS backup and leased line internet connection that guarantees a smooth gaming experience. “I’ve visited almost all the cafes in Chennai and Arknemesis would easily fit into the top three in Chennai, if not the top position. The specs of the systems are so good. I’ve been here probably 10-15 times, have lost count!” says Krishna Prasad, an avid gamer in the city.
If you’re a hungry gamer, or a friend who doesn’t really get all the gaming language, there is also an expansive café within the open-plan area, serving scrumptious continental food and beverages at competitive prices. “Our key demographic is the 15 to 30-year-olds, and we want to please them,” Harish says, adding that his parents have been largely supportive. “They worked on everything from auditing to interior design. This is a family project.”
Globally, gaming is an $18 billion industry, with some gaming tournaments offering an average $1 million as prize money. “India too has great potential, but there is no necessary infrastructure yet,” says Harish, explaining that Arknemesis’ long-term goal is to raise awareness about gaming, and send an Indian team abroad to win a tournament. “Though there are many gamers here, not a single gaming publisher has their office in India. We aim to bring them here, so that we can harness our design talent, create jobs, and provide easier access to games.”
Specs
PLAYSATION ZONE with four PSP 4 Pro consoles, 4K version (H100 per hour)
PC GAMING
● Zone Mega—24 PCs (H100 per hour) with GTX1060 NVIDIA, 16GB RAM, i5 7500K, 24” 144Hz monitor
● Zone Ultra—18 PCs (H120 per hour) with GTX1070 NIVIDIA, 16 GB RAM, i5 7600K, 27” 144Hz monitor
● Zone Monster—20 PCs (H180 per hour) with GTX 1080 NVIDIA, 32 GB RAM, i7 7700 K, 27” 165 Hz and 4K montiors
● Three snooker tables
● Lounge area with televisions
● Continental food café
UPCOMING EVENTS
‘Freakout’— Halloween celebration and gaming night, hosted by Madras Comic Fest & Arknemesis. On October 28,
6 pm onwards
Arknemesis Gaming is at the basement of Ispahani Centre, Nungambakkam High Road. Great launch offers going on. For details call Harish at 9840213117