For the second day of the LEVEL UP PLAY ONE webinars, our panellists covered two interesting topics: the difference between esports and gaming addiction, and the emergence of female talents in the gaming industry. Here are some of the pointers we learned from the discussion.
The main difference between the two usually boils down to the goals of playing a game. When you're competing in esports, you have a goal to attain. Be it practicing for a tournament or a qualifier, or improving your skills in general - you're always working towards something. However, when it is an addiction, it is gaming until the point where it affects other aspects of your life negatively. Be it schoolwork, your career, or social life, being addicted to gaming means being unable to stop playing games. Fortunately, real gaming addiction only affects a small population of gamers.
On The Go, manager of Team Secret Malaysia (a PUBG Mobile squad) mentioned that even his players don't practice more than 3-4 hours of gameplay a day. There comes a point where putting in any additional hours isn't productive for the players. Instead, they spend a lot of their time on other gameplay elements such as strategising, and planning.
Panelists also gave some advice to parents who are worried that their kids are spending too many hours gaming. Parents should get engaged with the activities of their children, even if they don't 'get it', they can sit with them and try to be interested. Knowing that gaming isn't a hobby they have to do alone can help kids from using it as an escape from reality. Another tip is to show kids that there's more to life than just gaming - kids can have fun outside or not in front of their consoles as well!
The panelists also touched on careers in the esports industry. There's no need to be an athlete if you want to get involved. There are many other things you can do without going through the rigorous practice that pro players are subjected to. On The Go also spoke about preparing his players for the real world when they eventually retire from playing.
Watch the whole webinar below:
This webinar was a much more lighthearted one, given the cheery personalities that were on camera, and even featured cameo appearances by MissRose's kids!
The streamers spoke about comments and flames they've been subjected to on their live streams, and how they dealt with them. They even poked fun at the statement of men being better than women at games - saying that women have to do everything else, while men can spend all their time gaming.
Regarding labels, Chu Chu put it nicely - "As long as you're happy, it doesn't matter if people refer to you as a gamer girl." While Yana claimed that she's not a gamer, but an entertainer. They were also full of encouragement regarding people who are thinking of becoming streamers or pro gamers - fall repeatedly, but don't give up! And follow in the footsteps of successful people, learn from the pros.
Watch the whole webinar here:
"If we don't get out of this within the next few months, we'll either go bankrupt or not be part of the business anymore."
According to a survey done by the Digital Creative Content Division of MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation), when COVID-19 was beginning to weigh down Malaysia's economy, this is the belief held by 70% of the companies that they contacted for the survey, to analyse the needs of the digital industry. With that in mind, the vice president of said division, Hasnul Hadi Samsudin, recalled that they had to revise their then-current programs and cater to their necessities better, particularly MDEC's annual Level Up KL event.
"So when we suggested Level Up KL to go online (with LEVEL UP PLAY ONE), everyone wanted to be a part of it," Hasnul shared, aligned with their vision of Level Up to be "a platform that provides opportunities for our companies and partners." Originally a one-day online event, he said that they decided to expanded it into a four-day event instead - including LEVEL UP SPACEBAR - due to popular demand, testament to the viability of converting live events to digital versions.
Hasnul shared this recently in the LEVEL UP PLAY ONE webinar, which was organised by MDEC in partnership with eGG Network over the weekend (13 - 14 June). Each day of the webinar encompasses two esports-related topic, with Day 1 including COVID-19 & Esports and Esports & Opportunities.
Aside from Hasnul, several other key players across the Southeast Asian esports and gaming industry came on board the webinar to share their insights, including our very own Head of Sports at Astro, Lee Choong Khay.
"Although there's a pause in traditional sports tournaments, the sports federations and associations has resorted to esports version of their sports to make up for it during the lockdown," said Lee, whose portfolio covers both traditional and electronic sport. He cited the UEFA eEURO 2020, F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix and ePremier League Invitational as prime examples of this trend, "making esports a good introduction to traditional sports fan on what esports is all about."
Although traditional sports events going digital with esports may take some getting used to for fans and everyone involved, esports had the virtue of having little issue with this. "The community and ecosystem for esports was born online, so going from in-person events to streaming events is easy for us," said Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports. Despite having said that, Alimurung clarified that "the extend and the scale to which we had to deal with COVID-19 is not easy", mentioning the short time that ONE Esports had to bring a Jakarta-based ONE Esports tournament from physical to digital in a span of five days due to Indonesia's sudden restrictions on live events.
However, it's still more good news than bad news, which is why Yoodo is now more involved than ever in the world of esports. "If you check out the last few months, you'll that there's so many more esports tournaments popping up, especially at the grassroot level," said Chow Tuck Mun, Head of Yoodo, explaining that casters and streamers are even starting their own tournaments online. "We've also started on tournaments but at a more national level for PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and so on."
Chow also opined that those who want to get involved in esports will see more opportunities to flourish in the industry. With Yoodo - who also sponsored the MLBB Professional League Malaysia/Singapore (MPL-MY/SG) Season 5 - backing a team for Call of Duty: Mobile and probably one for the highly-anticipated Wild Rift, Chow expressed cautious optimism for the scene. "As long as the opportunity is there and the price is right."
Viewing the situation as a moment for esports to shine, Alimurung explained that based on a survey ONE Esports conducted, a lot of former esports fans are returning to the scene, not to mention that there are a lot of new fans who are unfamiliar with the esports space. "The question is, how do retain those who come in after COVID-19? One way to do that is through compelling storytelling, which is why the type of content we're doing now is more emotionally-linked, revolving more around the personalities of those involved," such as the players, the production and business sides, and more.
These are just some of the highlights we've handpicked from the first day of the LEVEL UP PLAY ONE webinar. You can check out the full clips for Day 1 of the online panel discussion on the eGG Network YouTube page to learn more about effects of the pandemic on esports and its opportunities.
The Mobile Legends Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Invitational 4 Nation Cup (MPLI) is bringing together the top-performing MPL teams of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Myanmar for an all-out battle royale. These teams will be fighting over a US$100,000 prize pool in a span of three stages: two group stage qualifiers and a Playoffs. With the likes of Resurgence, Geek Fam, RRQ.Hoshi and EVOS as part of the line-up, which MLBB esports fan would want to miss MPLI?
The MPLI group stage qualifiers will be held from 19 – 21 June and 26 – 28 June, with the three-day Playoffs commencing on 3 July. Be sure to follow the official MLBB Facebook page for more MPLI updates.
All-star athletes playing video games competitively to combat COVID-19? Sounds like a headline steal! The Solidarity Challenge is an online fundraising event that pits the world's top "real-life sport" athletes against one another via Konami's eFootball PES 2020, in collaboration with the United Nation's (UN) Foundation and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Participating athletes include footballer Antoine Griezmann, rugby player Danny Care and even golfer Tommy Fleetwood, with the money raised being funneled into the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
The Solidarity Challenge will run from today 12 - 14 June, with each match day beginning at 6.30PM (GMT+8). You can catch the live broadcast on YouTube, or opt to watch the telecast on 14 June, 6PM (GMT+8) on the eGG Network TV channel.
If you need a break from high-octane tournaments, why not learn something about esports for a change? eGG Network is teaming up with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Level Up KL to produce the LEVEL UP PLAY ONE webinar, featuring a panel discussion made up of esports experts and industry leaders, to inform the public on the hottest topics surrounding gaming and digital athletics. Whether it's the effects of COVID-19 on esports or video game addiction, there's plenty to learn about in the two-day webinar.
The Level Up Play One webinar will run from 13 – 14 Jun this weekend. Catch the Day 1 live stream and the Day 2 broadcast on the eGG Network Facebook page.
In these trying times, many of us are already missing the cinema, chatting with friends in an artsy cafe or watching live sports matches at stadiums, activities that have been put on hold indefinitely. But, what better way to use up that extra free time than to widen our perspective on esports with the Level Up Play One webinar?
Organised by MDEC in partnership with eGG Network (what an honour for us!), the two-day webinar will feature a panel discussion made up of esports experts and industry leaders, to inform the public on the hottest topics surrounding gaming and digital athletics. These include:
It's a well-known fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many of the world's industries, but for esports, business is booming, with people turning to games to fill the void left by not going out. "We are now at a very interesting crossroad with esports," said Lee Choong Khay, head of sports at Astro. "The current and upcoming trends of the sport will lead the industry to a very different direction or level of growth." Be sure to tune in to find out more!
Although many pre-COVID-19 opportunities have been turned to dust, new ones in turn took their places, with entrepreneurs scrambling to uncover them and fulfill their potential. "I believe this webinar can be valuable to anybody who is involved or is going to be in the esports or gaming industry," said Faraz Shababi, who will be moderating this webinar. "We will be hearing from a diverse roster of panelists that have been helping esports grow behind the scene so expect lots of juicy info."
Speaking candidly, Chow Tuck Mun, the Head of Yoodo, looked forward to "exchanging esports stories with his fellow panelists - and probably ask them about their IGN (in-game name) and how they got it."
Recently, Yoodo has arguably been the telecommunications company with the biggest esports footprint. In 2020, they sponsored the fifth season of the MLBB Professional League (MPL-MY/SG), as well as Yoodo Gank, the Malaysian PUBG Mobile squad which won the inaugural PUBG Mobile Professional League (PMPL) SEA Finals last month.
For Mr Chow, "this is a chance to hear different viewpoints of why esports is growing in its appeal, not just to the digital generation, but even to the corporate boardroom."
A concern that burns in the minds of parents, just how much gaming should be considered as "too much"? "(This webinar) is for those who are curious about the association of both gaming and esports with potential addiction," said Michelle Tan, returning once again on the Level Up KL panel. "You'll be hearing from a diverse panel with years of involvement in the industry, and hopefully we'll be able to shed some light on some of the biggest questions you may have."
Even though in reality, females make up half of the gamers demographic, they remain criminally underrepresented in the production of video games and its content. With the likes of ChuChu, MissRose and Yana Samsudin as panelists for this, it's bound to be a refreshing outlook on what women in gaming are doing to switch up the male-dominated landscape.
*All times are in GMT+8.
On the side, the Level Up Play One online gaming festival will be in full swing this weekend (13 - 14 Jun), with a multitude of activities lined up for you. This includes showcases of Malaysian games, esports tournaments and a lucky draw contest where you can win PC peripherals, gaming gadgets and more.
The Level Up Play One webinar and festival will run from 13 - 14 Jun this weekend. Catch the Day 1 live stream and the Day 2 broadcast on the eGG Network Facebook page! For more info on the festival, head on over to the Level Up KL website.
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