THE GAMING TREND PART 2

This is the sequel to our discussion about the previous topic, the gaming trend. Here to discuss the way gaming trend works is Albert of FMJ|Asisoft.MY(Puggies) which once upon the time is one of the legendary clan in Counterstrike.




Rise to Popularity


Many popular games do not become famous overnight. They become a hit among gamers at first when the cyber café’s start installing them and when people start to play them in massive numbers. Albert however, has a different view.

“I suppose most games would follow the trend that you have set out. I however agree to disagree with that being how competitive games remain popular; there are a lot of factors to consider. I would normally gauge games played in CC's as more casual based, the more popular the game the more the casual base of gamers in Malaysia would play it.”

More Tournaments Hit the Streets


As games become more and more popular, there will be an increasing demand for tournaments for players to showcase their skills. Or brag about their recent success. Albert supports the notion.

“Competitive gamers on the other hand live and breathe for tournaments; it is the rush and the thrill of competition that keeps them coming back for more. Although after awhile most do give up or move on. Tournaments are vital for any game to be able to rise in popularity albeit driven by either the community or game companies themselves. Tournaments create a certain lore and mystique that will entice gamers to talk about the top team/player of the day and dispute on who the top team is at the moment.”

More and More Clans Emerge


To win the battles, you need to be with like minded people who are as skilled as you and can provide the training you need. The clans then emerge and compete with each other to achieve their intended goals.

“Games reach a high point when many clans emerge and start popping up trying to compete and take advantage of a new game’s release. However, huge bulk of these players lacks substance. They really do not care about e-Sports, community or recognition which most of us fight for. They really only care about how much money is able to go back into their pocket after Tournament 'X', which is pretty hard to fault as the saying goes money makes the world go round.”

Domination of a certain clans


Like sports (think Manchester United, Rafael Nadal etc), certain clans would prove better than the rest and the gap between the winners and the rest would widen. Albert offers a thorough insight about this issue based on what is happening locally.

“Then there are the few who dominate, usually with the help and benefit of International experience. Teams / players often build up this ego that they are unbeatable, that they should expect to win, that the new kid on the block should be considered a noob. This is quite disheartening to most new comers and therefore a huge problem in the competitive scene here in Malaysia. Most competitive gamers and their community do not leave space for breeding of new talent. Coupled together with the fact that Malaysians also like to adopt the "if I can't win I better don't waste my time lah" instead of the "if you beat me this time I will practice harder and ‘tapau’ you next time" attitude, is it even a wonder why there are no professional gamers in Malaysia? The top players try to ‘lanci’ and the new players don't even bother trying.”

Dislike/Banning of Certain Clans


If a clan is proven to be too dominant, should they be banned? Just like how International Football governing bodies try to prevent the rich teams from becoming more powerful, can this be implemented in E-sports?

“Sure some teams are disliked; rivalry however is a good thing. Would Manchester United be anything if not for clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal? It is that intense rivalry that generates raw emotion that the viewing public can feel apart of. That is the essence of sport. The problem with this is that the teams / players in Malaysia are so blinded by their raw hatred and rivalry to the point that many don't even unite against a common enemy or cause. I mean Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez can call each other names until the cows come home, but when UEFA decides to limit teams from the EPL into the Champions League they UNITE together and fire UEFA. Time to wake up, stop being cry babies and blaming the establishment. Until the competitive scene can show maturity and UNITY only will things change for the better. Take for example if Tournament "X" is a load of crap but puts up a substantial amount of prize money and team "A" calls for a boycott of the tournament, I am pretty sure more than 90% of the teams will still show up instead of team A's protest. Less competition might mean a higher chance of winning to some of them. Stop selling ourselves short and stabbing each other in the back, aren't we in the end just shooting ourselves in the foot?”

Fewer New Faces Emerge


Many gamers who lack the confidence and courage to try would not participate in tournaments, they themselves have already written of their chances of success. In this situation, the popular games would be dominated by the same people year after year. Unlike Colborn, Albert agrees about this.

“It is pretty hard to blame that lesser new faces show up during tournaments, because as I said before there really is no breeding ground for new teams to play in. Take USA for example there are many faceted leagues from Pro to Amateur for players to join. Tournaments here in Malaysia mostly just cater to whoever wants to play and the only real figure that matters to organizers are how many teams actually show up. Until we can find a balance, this trend will just continue. Sure most top teams are the ones that receive the most publicity and fame, but the top teams need to realize that the only reason they receive so much fame or publicity in the first place is because there is a core community of new players out there that want to talk about, follow and support them. You are only a superstar if you have supporters and followers, without them you are just a have been hero or never was.”

Game Dies


All good things come to an end. Even the strongest Roman Empire shall falter, and the longest serving ministers will be replaced. Does the same apply in gaming? Would players get bored after a period of time and ditch the game completely?

“A game doesn't really die, it just loses interest from the the bulk of the community and when tournament turn out starts dipping; it eventually loses interest from the organizers as well. Of course most games don't create residual income for most game companies because once a game is marketed and sold there really is no real reason to continue marketing them right? With no backing from the game distributors and publishers, lack of interest from the organizers and lack of participation from the community, it just fizzles out. Korea is the exception with StarCraft, why and how? Is a question that still hasn't been answered clearly maybe most of the spotgamers readers would like to provide some feedback and opinion as to why that is?”

The say you can never stop learning, and Albert’s insights have certainly been a breath of fresh air. The gaming trend may change gradually depending on the market and popularity, but that does not stop us gamers from doing what is most important-Having fun.