Targetting this huge market are software companies, who are now organising competitions for 'gamers', offering attractive prizes.

What is worrying psychologists and intellectuals, however, is a trend to politicise the video games by introducing themes that can mislead the new generation.

"Children are very much vulnerable as they easily start identifying themselves with the characters of these kind of video games. The games divert their delicate mindset in negative direction, which could be reflected in their emotional attitude and thought process in long run," says Roma Kumar, Psychiatrist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

A video game 'Crysis', by a US software company, shows US army fighting against North Korean army in order to take control over a colossal asteroid on an island.

The story line of the video game 'Crysis', suggests the US army equipped with their futuristic and sophisticated weapons fight with the very low powered North Korean Army.

However, later in the game, US and North Korean army unite to fight against the alien forces.

'Crysis' incidentally is one of the five games listed in a countrywide gaming championship organised later this month for the first time in India. The organisers claim the championship as a start of new era in Indian 'Gaming' scenario.

"US and other Western countries have long history of using media for propaganda. The only difference is that they keep changing the target and tools as per their strategic and diplomatic needs and interests," says Arun Mohanty, a Professor of Russian studies at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, commenting on the success of 'Crysis', the new vido game launched in 2007 and is said to have sales of over one million copies.

"Its not new. The US has been using Hollywood and its mass access as a tool to spread their message against Russia across the globe during the cold war. Now with the changing power equations in the world and the changed behavioural pattern of the new generation, the propaganda tools have also been changed, video game being the new one," he says.

"The new can generation easily get misguided through this new form of Information war across the boundaries in the form of entertainment," he adds terming these things as the negative side of the IT revolution.