Philippine eSports: to Araneta and Beyond
e-Sports? Like chess?
I’ll take a step back in time to when I got hooked into eSports. It was in 2011 when I first watched the Mineski Pro Gaming League (MPGL) Defense of the Ancient (DotA, a custom Warcraft III map) tournament on its third season.
Who would forget Julius “Julz” De Leon’s classic farming skills with Nevermore (Shadow Fiend in Dota 2)? How about Captain James “Wootz” Inabangan’s micro-skills (the discipline in utilizing keyboard keys and mouse clicks) with Chen, the “Dora, the Explorer” of Philippines, Ralph Richard “RR” Penano’s roaming capabilities with Ogre Magi? They were part of the formidable and unstoppable Mineski DotA team back then.
They were dubbed as the “Natus Vincere” (an Ukrainian powerhouse team known for their unconventional and unorthodox picks) of Southeast Asia (SEA) during their Cinderella run in Sendi Mutiara Multimedia (SMM) Grand Finals because of their unusual yet efficient hero picks. They fell short against LGD, landing in the third place — breaking the 4-year dry spell of having no SEA team in the top three.
That was three years ago. Things have changed.
Philippine eSports (PH eSports) has evolved into a better and bigger arena for gamers in the past years. Our eSports scene is known for its small Local Area Network (LAN) competitions, held in computer shops around the country. It was in this way that amateur teams were formed and later on became professional squad. Here, MPGL served its biggest role — being a monthly competition — pitting Filipino teams against each other and honing them through battle.
The trajectory of Philippine eSports has taken a similar path that the Filipino rap battle leagues in the country have taken. FlipTop, the first Filipino rap battle league, overcame struggles of discrimination, social acceptance and support. FlipTop did everything for the sake of the hip-hop culture’s movement; in their run, they also gained mainstream acceptance and exposure. On the other hand, Sunugan, another rap battle league, pushed hip-hop’s limits, organizing the biggest hip-hop event ever in the country – – The Road to Araneta — where rap battlers, hip-hop enthusiasts and advocates gathered for one night in Araneta Coliseum.
In the course of past weeks, there have been many glorious strides for Philippine eSports. Earlier in September, the Philippine e-Sports Organization (PeSO) partnered up with INQUIRER.net (INQ) to come up with the first ever eSports section of a Filipino news website. Their partnership showed eSports’ potentiality for marketability and dynamism. Late in October, Inter Active Philippines Execration (IAP.XctN), the first and sole Filipino team to represent the Southeast Asia (SEA), competed against best teams around the globe in StarLadder X. A week later, Mineski unveiled the complete details MPGL SEA VI Grand Finals which will pit the best SEA teams vying for the overwhelming P1 million prize pool, the biggest prize pool in Philippine eSports history. As the amount is only the base prize pool, the purse is growing daily accordingly to player donations, ticket sales and contributions. These moments are indeed proofs that the Philippines eSports industry continues to bloom.
I would never forget what , Mr. Ronald “Rhom/Roro” Robins, the father of Philippine e-Sports, said in Pinoy Gaming Festival (PGF) 2013’s press conference: “Malay ninyo, sa 2016 mapuno natin ang Araneta [Coliseum] (Who knows, maybe in 2016 we can fill Araneta Coliseum).”
Philippines’ eSports’ current status shouldn’t be taken for granted as there are still factors that hinder or pull-back the growth of the industry. Proper discipline, right attitude and net etiquette continue to be talking points for Filipino gamers. A common phrase, “Peenoise” (a portmanteau of ‘Pinoy’ a slang term for Filipinos, ‘pee’ as in urine in reference to the bad attitude and ‘noise’, being only bad and loud mouth players but no skills to show), continues to hound players both casual and professional in gaming circles around the world. This has to change.
In the middle of October this year, a match-fixing scandal involving prominent Dota 2 players caused a stir in the industry. At present, there are no specific rules or laws about match-fixing; unlike in traditional sports such as Basketball in the country, legal action is a difficult process to pursue with regards to the issue. At best, the Philippine gaming organizers can bestow sanctions on those involved but in its totality and sense, such actions are detrimental to eSports’ growth.
Philippine eSports’ road to its fullness as a legitimate sport is a step-by-step process. We might have pushed the limits of Philippine eSports in the past years but there are still a lot of ground to cover. Together with eSports advocates and enthusiasts, who have started and continued this industry, we shall take part toward Philippine eSports’ growth and development – may we be an aspiring eSports journalist, amateur players, female gamers and professionals. One day, we may achieve what was once unimaginable — conquer Araneta in 2016.
It has been three years since I got hooked into eSports. And it that span of time, I myself, had a dream for it — to be part of its journey. With two years to go before 2016, be part of the journey to Araneta and beyond.
#eSportsToAraneta
Photo credits from Megacities. *Note: The columnist’s views do not represent eSports Inquirer’s position on the topic or issue being discussed in this article.
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