According to a recent report, the gaming and e-sports division of an Internet marketing service in Malaysia has announced that it is collaborating with a digital lifestyle brand that aims to grow the e-sports and gaming ecosystem in Malaysia as well as with a line of the prepaid mobile plan in Malaysia to launch an e-sports campus tournament.
The tournament is sponsored by the prepaid plan in its initiative to support and empower e-sports among youths. Several brands such as have also joined the cause in becoming sponsorship partners.
The tournament features three different popular games and will from 8 March to 28 April. In addition, the tournament has been taking place in institutions of higher education such as Universiti Teknologi Petronas, UiTM Alor Gajah, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
It will continue running in UiTM Puncak Alam on 6 and 7 April; Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin on 12 and 13 April, and the Grand Finals will take place on 27 and 28 April in Kuala Lumpur.
The aim of the tournament is to engage the youth and Malaysian population with e-sports. The e-sports tournament applies learning opportunities for visitors through its learning booths and talk forums, or sharing sessions with players from the gaming industry. Lifestyle elements are also applied such as food trucks, dance fitness and lucky draws exclusively for new and old members of the prepaid plan.
Another element of the tournament is the Hackathon challenge where the students are given a chance to share and present their fresh ideas to propose on cultivating the local e-sports industry.
In a media statement, spokesperson Internet marketing service stated that it is targeting IPTA students at public universities do not have much exposure to e-sports and gaming, especially those outside of the Klang Valley. Besides educating students on the benefits of a career in e-sports and gaming, the firm also aims to find new talents from grassroots.
It was noted that one of the company’s goals is to unite all parties within the esports industry, to bring together brands, students, government bodies, media, and even parents. It is felt that there are a lot of assumptions and miscommunication surrounding the topic of gaming and the firm aims to address this by gathering like-minded people and to speak as one big voice, the spokesperson added.
Flyers providing details of the tournament and the events therein will be distributed at the universities two days prior to the tournaments to attract more crowds, as well as carry out promotions on TV and radio.
The commitment given by the event’s main sponsor as well as the universities are very important in catalysing the esports industry here in Malaysia, hence shaping a healthy ecosystem that can instil the concept of ‘Healthy Gaming’ among university students across the nation.
The chief consumer and home business officer the parent company of the prepaid plan noted that the tournament is in parallel with the firm’s aspiration to become the network provider of choice in fulfilling the digital lifestyle of its customers, especially local fans of esports.
It also provides Malaysian youths with the platform to empower themselves where they are able to improve their skills and eventually excel in the gaming world.
The Malaysian Budget and e-sports
Under the Malaysian Budget for 2019, the Government promised to allocate RM10 million for e-sports to the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), recognising that this is an activity and industry which is increasingly popular among the younger generation, involving software engineers and gaming developers.
OpenGov Asia reported that the budget announcement gives legitimacy and empowerment to the youth to pursue their passion for eSports and games, according to an expert.
