Indian Gamer Sets New World Record Playing Grand Theft Auto IV

The 26-year-old spent 40 hours and 20 minutes on Grand Theft Auto IV between September 4-6, setting a new world record for the longest continuous gaming session. The marathon was witnessed by independent observers and recently verified by Guinness World Records. Patnaik is no nacho cheese-sodden couch hermit, however; he's a certified scuba diver who works at a private equity firm. "I began playing video games since I was in the third standard," he said. "Gaming has, since then, been my passion as well as a hobby." Oddly, despite being a dedicated gamer, he had never played GTA IV before he set the record. "There are so many other games which I have played for long hours. But I had never tried playing this particular game seriously," he said. "However, I knew that I can do it after I saw my brother playing it." And while observers in some other countries might be a little nervous about touting Patnaik's accomplishment as something to emulate, in India that's apparently not a problem. "We have always believed in the potential of Indian gamers. Chirantan's success is a proud moment for the Indian gaming industry," said Rohit Sharma, COO of gaming portal Zapak Digital Entertainment, which provided observers for the event. "This will encourage more youngsters to take gaming seriously." Patnaik's training regimen for the session including running, exercising and practicing yoga, and he said that "staying away from coffee and eating dates" while he played helped him stay alert. Guinness guidelines allow gamers a ten-minute break for every hour they play but Patnaik took only four breaks over the entire two-day stretch. "I enjoyed the game very much. It's fun playing long hours," he claimed. "It wasn't that exhaustive for me, as one might feel".