NANFeatures/Vol.11/No.142/2017 (Oct. 10)
Developing eSports in Africa for rewarding sport competition
A New Analysis by Ijeoma Okigbo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
In Africa, especially in Nigeria, we play online video games for leisure and recreation purposes while many parts of the world have developed the games and brand them as eSports that can be compete for to support economy.
In Asia for instance, electronic sports or eSports are serious business that are promoted as professional competitions.
eSports are sports facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games, although the input of players and teams as well as the output of such games are mediated by human-computer interfaces.
Sport analysts observe that in 2013 alone, more than 71.5 million people worldwide watched eSports that generated funds for the participants.
They also note that in the 2010s, eSports grew tremendously, incurring a large increase in both viewership and prize money.
They recall that the earliest known video game competition took place in 1972 at the Stanford University, California, featuring a game — space war — that has advanced to lots of game titles in eSports.
In 2007 Asian Games in Macau, China, came as the first notable multi-sport competition including eSports as an official medal-winning event alongside other traditional sports.
The subsequent editions of the games have always included eSports as an official medal event or an exhibition event.
Also, the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Central Asia, organised by Alisports, the sports arm of Chinese online retail giant, Alibaba Group, recently featured eSports as a demonstration sport.
More than 12 players from 10 countries participated in Hearthstone, StarCraft II, Dota II and the King of Fighters XIV.
eSports General Manager Ivan Wong observed that the idea behind the sport was to catch the young minds.
He said the company, which is also major sponsor of the Olympics Games is working on featuring eSports at the games.
“Alisports focus is mainly the young lads, having the same target audience and this group of people will grow to be the most valuable customers in the future.
“At the moment, we are trying to see how the sport will be entered in tournaments around Asia and work on various logistics before we move to the Olympics,’’ Wong said.
But observers note that Chinese delegation in the games appeared to dominate in the sports, winning gold medals in the Heart of Stone, Star Craft and Dota II games but Wong said the supposed “Asian kings are not the best in the sport.
“China is not super good in eSports. There are countries that are stronger than China such as the United States, Sweden and Korea.
“Maybe China has its own place in Asia due to their population, because the eSports market is big and there are good players in China; to an extent, the good internet condition in China helps the development of the sport.
However, countries with poor internet connection can still develop their own eSports industry’’.
This view notwithstanding, Oleksandr Oliinyk, who works with Starladder Group in Ukraine, insisted that the Chinese were good in the sports.
“We believe Chinese players have a better reaction to eSports because they spend more time on computer games; reactions are your level of concentration and remember there is an action and then re-action.
“The action is when the opponent tries to use some tactics against you while reaction is your quickness in countering the move created by your rival and although the action can be a fake strategy, you have to decide as soon as possible.
“The Chinese just think a lot faster. Maybe it is not true but we believe this and quick thinking is what you need in this game,’’ he said.
Oliinyk also observed that high level of experience may not really matter in the sports, insisting that a lad might defeat an experienced gamer.
“The experienced guy will understand the game better but may not be able to do anything against the young man who doesn’t understand the game but has a better reaction.
“He (the lad) just clicks on the keyboard and frags (kill) you. You cannot catch him and soon you are out of the game.
“This is called physical memory. When you can remember which buttons to click and in which order,’’ he explained.
Underscoring the importance of the sports to development, Group Liu Yong, Vice-President of the Alisports, said the organisation would give assistance to African countries interested in the game.
He said countries such as South Africa, Morocco and Egypt had participated in the 2016 World Electronic Sports Games Africa and Middle East qualifiers in Dubai.
“If the local Olympic committee in any country in Africa is interested in developing eSports industry, we will be glad to offer technical support, equipment and platforms to organise eSports events.
“We have eSports event called World Electronic Sports Games. All African gamers who want to join eSports events can register online for the competition as well as offline events,’’ Yong added.
According to him, interested countries can apply via the official website: http://events.eSports-asia.org
Further to this, Nigerian Entrepreneur Amaete Umanah had, in 2016, inaugurated the African Gaming League in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Uyo and Abuja, to tap to the sports’ potential.
“If you’re not in it, it can look like a massive waste of time, a pastime enjoyed by children who should be spending their time or young men who don’t want to grow up.
“But we all know that eSports is gaining a lot of ground and news report out of Africa indicates that it is making moves in Nigeria on the platform of the African Gaming League,’’ an enthusiast observed.
Concerned sports enthusiasts in Nigeria, therefore, appeal to relevant authority to encourage the promotion of eSports to add value to the nation’s sport sector.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)