“Esports Not A Competition” Says Father of PH eSports
Father of Philippine competitive gaming Ronald “Roro” Robins urges Filipino players and enthusiasts to “not be in a rush” and be “guided well” in order to raise the bar of competitive gaming in the country.
“Do not be in a rush and be guided well by those who have the experience and the heart for electronic-sports. Building the electronic sports scene is not a competition but it is about how we bring it up together to reach a pure and righteous industry that is well-guided by values that are most important for the youth and its enthusiasts,” Roro, CEO of Mineski Corporation, told eSports by INQUIRER.net in an e-mail interview.
The Philippine eSports scene has been associated with the Mineski Corporation since 2005. Mineski recently celebrated its 10th year anniversary last Feb. 14.
Filipino gamers flock to Mineski Infinity Taft Avenue Branch for Mineski’s 10th year anniversary. “Dekada,” the Ronald “Roro” Robins story was unveiled at the event. (Photo from Mineski)
Mineski is an organization founded by a “group of passionate gamers driven by the pursuit to uplift the professional gaming scene in the Philippines”, its website states.
“For what started as a pastime, I never imagined that I would be in this field for 10 years now. Every year is a challenge and opportunity at the same time,” Roro, a former professional Defense of the Ancients (DotA) player, said. “This milestone brings hope not just to fellow [eSports] groups but also to the community itself that the dream is slowly getting there.”
Roro is the man behind renowned gaming cafes Mineski Grounds (MG) and Mineski Infinity (MI). MI is one of the biggest computer chains in the country.
Mineski unveiled a historical marker highlighting the milestones that the organization has achieved throughout the past decade during their anniversary celebration at MI Taft Avenue branch — the first MI branch in the country.
Some of the milestones highlighted included the achievements of their gaming team Mineski Dota through the years including their local and international stints, the branching out of Mineski Infinity cafes in the country and other successful partnerships of the Filipino company.
With all of the achievements that the Filipino organization has reached, Roro still remains positive that the eSports industry in the country will continue to grow.
“There are a lot of milestones to cover and all I am waiting for is the proper timing to move to the next level.”
Back at 7
Marlon “Lon” Marcelo, Mineski’s VP for Marketing and Events, unveils the historical marker at Mineski Infinity Taft Avenue Branch last Feb. 14. (Photo from Mineski)
During Mineski’s celebration of “10 years of eSports, passion and service”, Marlon “Lon” Marcelo, Mineski’s Vice President for Marketing and Events, announced the seventh installment of their Mineski Pro Gaming League (MPGL) — the “biggest” eSport league in the country with a P167,000 prize pool for its first leg (March 1 – April 29, 2015).
This year’s MPGL follows a “win-for-cash” scheme which is the “most appropriate” format in the current Philippine eSports scene, Lon says.
Class S teams (teams that compete at the highest level) would instantly earn cash prizes in every best-of-three match depending on the result of the group stage. Teams that would advance into the playoffs would be in a bubble-race format with a P85,000 prize pool. The team that tops the playoffs will take home P70,000.
“Since MPGL is the premier [eSports] league [in the Philippines], we want to reward our players with a competitive prize pool. The best of the best will get the bigger share of the prize pool because we believe that they need support from the scene,” Lon told eSports by INQUIRER.net. “We also consulted and gathered feedback from different stakeholders in the [eSports] scene [about the new format] and with [this] bigger prize pool the motivation for the players will be much stronger than before.”
The win-for-cash system, Lon says, isn’t new to the eSports industry; it was only “popularized” by a prestigious Korean Dota 2 league in recent years.
A look back
MineskiTV — Mineski’s multimedia and television arm — released its documentary titled “Dekada” in time for the 10-year celebration. Dekada retells the history and development of eSports in the country through the eyes of Roro.
“Time really flies so fast when your everyday work is your life’s passion. It’s as if you never feel that it is work. Since then and up to today, I am still excited to enter my office because everyday is a new challenge,” Roro shared.
“What could you say for the people working behind toward the movement of the eSports scene in the country? I am very happy that a lot of other [eSports] groups are already following the steps of Mineski towards [eSports] promotion because our mission and vision will actually be achieved faster.”
Photo banner by liquiddota.
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