Asia
Movie Adaptations and Official Recognition Help Esports to Go Mainstream in China
In recent years, China’s esports industry has gained ground in terms of cultural acceptability, especially when it brings in money.
Multi-platform esports club Invictus Gaming (Ig) has been one of the driving forces behind esports’ push for mainstream respectability.
Invictus Gaming sponsored the winning team at the International Dota 2 tournament in 2012 and League of Legends World Championship 2018. Their successes have helped prompt the authorities into action, with a raft of announcements in recent months aimed at professionalising and popularising esports in China.
On July 31, 85 players of Dota 2, FIFA Online 4, Warcraft III: Frozen Throne and four other major esports titles received registered athlete certificates from the Sports Bureau of Shanghai, Sports Federation of Shanghai, and Shanghai Electronic Sports Association. The registrations were also joined by proclamations of plans to turn Shanghai into a “global esports capital” and an announcement from NetEase that they would soon be starting construction on a new esports park in the eastern Chinese city.
The King’s Avatar, a 6-million-character-long novel written by Wang Dong and serialised on online literature site qidian.com, has become one of China’s most successful pieces of original intellectual property. The title, which began publishing in 2011, has been adapted into graphic novels, animated series, a stage play and a mobile game.
The story might not seem so innovative at first glance. A legendary professional player, Ye Xiu, leads his team to three consecutive national championships for a multiplayer online battle arena game called “Glory,” but is marginalised by the team manager for his low-key and unprofitable lifestyle. Ye Xiu quits and becomes a worker at an internet café, where he meets different kinds of players, builds a new team, then fights his way back to the professional league.
The King’s Avatar live-action adaptation has been viewed over 960 million times as of this writing, less than halfway through its 40-episode run. The first season of the title’s animated adaptation on Bilibili, meanwhile, has been viewed 120 million times by 4.66 million unique Generation Z viewers.
Asia
TWO PAGCOR MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITIES INAUGURATED IN TARLAC
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco on Monday, March 18, led the inauguration of two newly completed multi-purpose centers in the towns of San Manuel and Victoria in the province of Tarlac.
Mr. Tengco said the state gaming agency provided a total of Php100 million for both of the two-story projects.
“Naglaan ang PAGCOR ng limampung milyong piso para sa bawat multi-purpose center sa bayan ng San Manuel at Victoria; mayroon itong iba’t ibang pasilidad gaya ng kusina, storage areas para sa relief goods, toilet at shower rooms, lactating rooms at maluwag na activity area para sa iba’t ibang gawain,” he said.
The PAGCOR chief said that because the Philippines is very vulnerable to climate change, “typhoons, floods and earthquakes are common occurrences that we must always be prepared for.”
However, he stressed that while the buildings are primarily designed as temporary shelters during emergencies, the structures can be used for various socio-civic activities, too.
“During the height of the pandemic, when the project was rolled out, there was a high demand for quarantine and evacuation facilities. But now, there is more sense to call these as multi-purpose centers rather than just evacuation facilities,” Chairman Tengco said.
“You may use this facility as your social hall, events area, and livelihood training center. You may also use this building to generate revenues for the local government,” he said.
During the event, Chairman Tengco also introduced PAGCOR’s upcoming flagship programs which include school buildings for public schools, e-learning centers, community wellness centers, and socio civic centers nationwide.
“These upcoming flagship projects are designed to create lasting impact on the lives of ordinary Filipinos,” he said. “These are just some of our nation-building efforts because as you are all aware, PAGCOR is the third largest revenue contributor to the national coffers.”
San Manuel Mayor Doña Cresencia Tesoro thanked the PAGCOR chief for the agency’s support.
“We are grateful that PAGCOR saw our need. This multi-purpose center is so far the biggest project that we have seen in San Manuel, and this is proof of PAGCOR’s commitment to serve the Filipinos,” she said.
“We thank everyone who made this dream come to life. Rest assured that we will use this to enrich the lives of our people and the generations to come,” Tesoro added.
Board Member Harmes Sembrano of the 2nd District of Tarlac also expressed gratitude to PAGCOR for funding the two-story multi-purpose facility in Victoria.
“With our limited resources, we cannot afford to fund all programs that will be beneficial to the people of Tarlac. But because of PAGCOR’s help, we have this new multi-purpose facility which will serve not only the locals of Victoria but also those from neighboring towns,” Sembrano said.
PAGCOR has thus far completed and inaugurated 38 multi-purpose buildings in different parts of the country while 34 others are still under construction.
Asia
Ocean Sharma Becomes the First Esports Caster to Join World’s Biggest Cricketing League – IPL 2024
Ocean Sharma, a prominent caster of the country’s Esports industry, has been appointed as the national presenter for the highly anticipated season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by Star Sports. This groundbreaking move marks a historic moment in Esports and sports broadcasting, as Ocean becomes the first Indian Esports caster to join the world’s premier franchise cricket league.
Ocean is widely recognised within India’s Esports landscape for his extensive experience and expertise as a caster and game analyst. His notable achievements include casting for official Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) tournaments and global Esports events such as the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: League – East, PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2021: Grand Finals, and PUBG Mobile Pro League – South Asia Spring 2022.
For IPL 2024, Ocean will join hands with the league’s national presenters Mayanti Langer Binny, Jatin Sapru, Tanay Tiwari, Suren Sundaram and more to undertake various responsibilities as an anchor and reporter.
Ocean Sharma said: “As a passionate cricket fan, being appointed as the national presenter for IPL 2024 is truly a monumental moment for me. It presents an incredible opportunity to bridge the gap between Esports and mainstream sports in India, and I am honored to be at its forefront. With my experience, I am committed to delivering an unparalleled experience for all viewers and cannot wait to kickstart this innings of my career.”
Having enjoyed an illustrious career in Esports, this will not be Ocean’s first stint in the country’s sporting landscape as he has previously showcased his casting talent in high-profile tournaments such as Ultimate Kho Kho and Pro Kabaddi League.
“We are thrilled to see Ocean making strides in India’s sports industry after establishing himself as a notable figure in Esports. His journey is an inspiration for aspiring Esports enthusiasts, showcasing that the sector offers lucrative growth prospects in roles other than being a gamer as well. We are confident that his distinctive presenting skillset will enhance the excitement of IPL viewing for fans nationwide,” said Ketan Singhal, Ocean’s business manager and Founder of Phiesi.
Ocean’s unique content has established him as a distinguished figure in the Indian video gaming community with his Youtube channel comprising more than 858k subscribers and Instagram handle exceeding 450k followers. His inclusion in the IPL star cast is not only an individual achievement but also signifies a significant step forward in recognising the growing influence of Esports in mainstream sports.
Asia
Delegates propose games industry related regulations at China’s two sessions
China’s two sessions, which include the National People’s Congress (NPC) and National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) started on March 4 this year.
Over 10,000 policy proposals are submitted each year which are then forwarded to relevant government departments for discussion, which may lead to a new policy or be rejected.
Delegates made numerous proposals that may impact the video game industry in China, particularly around anti-addiction regulations (and one person suggested to completely ban video games), but other proposals suggested the benefits of serious games and gametech. Similar proposals happened in past years.
Source: Nico Partners
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