In search of professional video gamers

THE search is on for professional video gamers (pro-gamers) to represent Malaysia in the sixth Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) Grand Finals in San Jose, California, USA, in August.

The ESWC Grand Finals will bring together 750 of the world’s best pro-gamers from 51 countries to compete for the US$250,000 (RM800,000) prize pool and champion title.

Not child’s play: Kamil (left) holding up cards indicating the locations for the qualifier roadshows duringthe qualifiers draw at the launch of the Electronic Sports World Cup 2008 Malaysia. Looking on are (fromleft) Dr Ricky Lim, Dustin Cheah, Ryaz Patel, Jasmine Low and Nikki Yeo.

Nine qualifier roadshows will be held at LAN shops nationwide from May 10 to July 4, culminating in the ESWC 2008 Malaysia Grand Finals from July 4 to 6 at 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya in collaboration with the Independent Youth Festival 2008, themed Celebrating Digital Culture.

The official ESWC 2008 Malaysia game disciplines are: Counter-Strike 1.6, Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Warcraft III TFT and Trackmania Nations.

Team Malaysia will comprise a DotA team of five players, one Warcraft III player and one Trackmania Nations player.

ESWC 2008 Malaysia organiser and licence owner Go International Group expects 1,000 gamers to sign up for the DotA and Counter-Strike qualifiers alone.

Pro-gamers will be competing for RM100,000 worth of cash, prizes and an all-expenses paid round trip and five-star accommodation to compete in San Jose.

Anyone above 18 years old can take part in the competition.

Tournament spots are limited and early registration is encouraged. Registration is RM20 per person.

“When youth take part in global competitions like ESWC, it broadens their outlook and creates global dialogue in their local world,” said ESWC 2008 Malaysia national director and Go International Group managing director Jasmine Low at the competition’s launch.

“We are approaching the games industry on two fronts – games development and making the Malaysian presence felt on an international scale, and this is what today’s event is about,” said Multi-media Development Corporation (MDec) Creative Multimedia Depart-ment vice-president Kamil Othman when announcing MDeC’s endorsement of the competition.

“On our part, we will try to convince the government that this is a important area and digital games is more than just main-main.

“It is about bringing the youth into a new path, into a new area of entrepreneurship and into a new wave where billionaires can exist, because the market for us now is not just domestic, but the whole world.”

Also present at the launch were representatives of ESWC 2008 Malaysia’s co-sponsors and sponsors like Intel Electronics (Malaysia), DIS Technology (the makers of Blue Thunder), Sendi Mutiara Multimedia and Tai-Kwong Yokohama Battery.

They included Sendi Mutiara Multimedia Sdn Bhd president and CEO Dr Ricky Lim, DIS Technology Holdings Bhd group managing director Dustin Cheah, Intel Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd sales and marketing country manager Ryaz Patel and ESWC 2008 Malaysia national director and Go International Group managing director Jasmine Low, and Indie Youth Festival national director and Go International Group group managing director Nikki Yeo.

On the Malaysian players’ chances of winning, Low said: “Like any sport, they can do well when they get enough practice. Communi-cation and teamwork are also important.

“ESWC is different from the World Cyber Games because it’s more indie and doesn’t come backed by large corporations.”

The Independent Youth Festival 2008 features various activities, including indie band concerts with headliners Tempered Mental, Estrella and singer songwriters Mia Palencia, Zalila Lee and Yuna, screenings of winning films from short film competition E-sports Shorts, cartoonists’ display, ladies’ boxing and console game competitions.

For registration and details on the two events, visit www.eswc.com/ malaysia and www.gointernationalgroup.com/indieYfest.