On Nicknames

I was/am watching the TI5 qualifiers and I was well… I’m not sure what emotion I had, a mixture of disgust, irritation, and a drop in respect for a SEA competitive player who was taking part.
Why?
You can read the comments and view the picture here https://www.facebook.com/pmsfurryfish/photos/a.493649927343508.105461.116843381690833/906172916091205/?type=1&theater
It so happened that watching this game was a trigger for me to make this post and say something about it, it’s not to single this player out, but to talk about a wider issue of how players conduct themselves however they wish, without thinking about the bigger picture.

I’m from a very conservative family, where as a kid I was slapped for saying so much as “shit” or “damn”. I’ve witnessed my parents telling off young punks in public for swearing at the top of their lungs.
The general rule was, you have an education, you can speak multiple languages, so use that and express your emotions and thoughts in a respectable and logical manner. (Not saying that I agree wholeheartedly with this, but it’s just to let you know what it was like for me growing up, which probably contributed to how I think about this issue.)

I’m also currently part timing with a local NGO that’s pushing for eSports to become mainstream, and they’re working hard giving school talks and workshops, reaching out to the younger generation and their parents, so I understand a little about the difficulties involved in changing mindsets and trying to portray eSports as a legit, wholesome activity.

So now that I’m done with elaborating on my background, let me tell you why I find it unacceptable for players to use whatever derogatory or offensive nickname they want, and let me reply to certain comments.
Offensive nicknames would include vulgarities, derogatory terms, racist and sexist words/terms, symbols depicting something impolite…

1. There are people fighting really hard to show that this is a serious activity with a good future etc, but imagine if parents of young teens or elementary school children watch these games, see the nickname, and maybe hear the caster reading out the name. Does this help?
And no, you cannot control who watches the stream or game. So saying that only asians will understand the name (argument also not valid because I’m not just talking about this particular case), or that you aren’t expecting kids to watch this, also doesn’t make sense.

2. “No one else is offended, so I don’t see why you should be kicking up a fuss”
Is that what you’re going to say to a rape victim too? No one else was hurt or offended but you, so just shut up about it?
Maybe that example is a little too far fetched, but I am offended, and THAT IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I’m not saying you can’t think otherwise or have your opinion on it. Feel free to state your point of view on your own social media page, but don’t tell me what I should or should not be offended by.
Also, saying it’s the norm, doesn’t make it any more acceptable to me.

3. It’s not like I’m one of those goody two shoes that doesn’t randomly emit an expletive, I’ve been filmed by dendi learning to swear in Russian. And no, my mum wouldn’t be proud of me if she saw it. But there is a time and place for everything. That was a relaxed, comedy video (that I actually didn’t know would be uploaded) and at the worst, the use of Russian expletives reflects badly on me as a person, also, I knew what I was being taught to say.
Using an offensive nickname in a professional tournament is much trickier because
– since it’s dialect, not all the casters or viewers might be aware of it, and it makes them look like a fool especially if they keep repeating it while casting.
– even if the caster was aware, it’s not a match I’d like to televise and show my parents, future kids (if I have any), aunties, uncles etc, and say that this is eSports, this is what I’ve given up a great part of my time and effort to be a part of.
– eSports already has a bad enough reputation, is there any need to create a greater barrier with the rest of the world?

4. I’m angry cos I’m a feminist and it’s cos it’s an asian guy???
This sort of comment totally didn’t make sense to me… so, wrong on both counts. The picture might have showed 2 teams in particular, but my caption is a general one about nicknames in general.
So just stop bringing up all the possible offensive nicknames that are used and asking me why I’m not pointing them out and getting offended by them.
Also, I’m not angry because it’s an offensive name. I’m angry that a professional player in a professional tournament would conduct himself in this way.
Try to imagine how it might be like if Messi or Ronaldo, or Lebron decided to take on a nickname meaning something similar.

5. “It’s just a nickname, let it be, let them do what they want”
Yeah, I ‘m not actively reporting them anywhere or pming them or their managers to get it changed, or making it known to valve etc. I’m just stating what I feel on my facebook fan page, and now on my blog.

At the end of it all, I’m not insisting organisers, or valve or anyone do anything about it, even though I would very much like them to. It would be nice if players and managers were a little more deliberate in ensuring professionalism in tournaments, It would make it much easier for people, who are trying to help the scene from the backstage, to make a more convincing case. And this isn’t limited to choosing nicknames, but also punctuality, statements they release on social media etc.

Just to add on, I don’t think this is the first time that in game nicknames have been considered offensive. A zenith standin created a big hoohaa in the NA scene for having a homophobic nickname a couple of years ago, and another Singaporean player created a racist nickname and played in a minor tournament and invoked the wrath of many – after a repeated offence he was removed from his team.

So the question isn’t “What’s the problem with using whatever name I want”, but rather, “why cant you choose a neutral nickname to avoid controversy?”

Garena Carnival Ticket Giveaway! Daily for 10 days!

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It’s been a while since I ran a giveaway, and I’d like to thank Garena for providing my followers with an opportunity to attend the annual Garena Carnival.
Featuring international cosplayers, as well as mini games and freebies at their game booths for League of Legends, Blackshot, Core Masters, Mstar, Fifa Online 3, Path of Exile or Point Black, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
The Asterisk* girls will be dropping by as well! And not just the League of Legends team, but those from our DOTA 2 team and CS:GO team as well!

Check out the schedule here, there are 3 competitions happening, one each for League of Legends, FIFA Online and Blackshot! http://carnival.garena.com/about.html#floor-plan

SO ON TO THE GIVEAWAY…

I’ll be giving away 1 Garena Carnival ticket a day, for the next 10 days!
It’s valid for day 1, 13th June 2015, and each ticket is worth SGD$10.

*I’ll be picking winners daily at 12midnight +8GMT.
*I will pick from people who share this poster (at this link https://www.facebook.com/pmsfurryfish/photos/a.117917218250116.7284.116843381690833/904298926278604/?type=1&theater ), please set your profiles to public so that I can see who shared it.
*No new post will be created, so even if you don’t win on the first few days, I might still pick you on the subsequent days!
*I will use a random number generator to pick, so as to be FAIR
*if the same person is picked twice, I will generate the number again
*Winners will be contacted via facebook private message. Failure to reply by 5pm the following day means you forfeit the prize and I will pick a new winner
*Only winners who will come to Singapore for the event will be eligible.
*Transport and accommodation are not included. Only the ticket is.

 

More information on the Garena Carnival :
Official Carnival Microsite – carnival.garena.com
Click “Going” of the FB events page for daily updates & giveaways –https://goo.gl/ueWL7V
Get your tickets here – http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/garena0615

Garena Carnival is having an early bird special special: Get tickets before 1st June and receive 320 GS (Worth SGD 10) free for each ticket purchased.

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List of Winners

Day 1 : Ray Koo
Day 2 :
Day 3 :
Day 4 :
Day 5 :
Day 6 :
Day 7 :
Day 8 :
Day 9 :
Day 10 :

The CPL Championship – DOTA 2 Edition : UPDATES

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We are currently at 43/64 teams!
A few teams who have signed up have yet to make payment, and we’d like to encourage you to do so to secure your timeslot.
The Saturday 27th June 2015 12pm-5pm and 5pm-10pm timeslots in particular are very popular, and they are almost full.
Teams which sign up later will be allocated into timeslots which have space, regardless of the timeslots they prefer.

ON-SITE ACCOMMODATION
In light of some queries received, we have decided to offer teams a special on-site accommodation arrangement.
Teams who are interested in participating in The CPL Championship DOTA 2 Edition may top up a small fee to stay on-site at the event venue.
This is a great idea for overseas teams who are travelling on a budget, and teams who might wish to have a small training camp at LAN together.
This offer is only valid for members from teams who have signed up and paid for the registration fee.

A sleeping space costs SGD30 per person for 1 night, or SGD50 per person for 2 nights.
If you also require a LAN connection, power plug and sleeping bag in addition to the sleeping space, it’s SGD 119 per person for the whole event.
(The SGD 119 package is recommended for teams who might want to train together on site. However, do note that computers are only provided for the competition games, but you are welcome to bring your own computer/laptop for training.)

If you wish to take advantage of this package, please fill up the google document below!

COMPETITION INFORMATION
Prizes : SGD3000 in cash, and additional products for the top 16 teams
Registration Fee : SGD25 per team
Timeslots :
Friday 26 June 2015 8pm-1am
Saturday 27 June 2015 1am-6am
Saturday 27 June 2015 12pm-5pm (Full)
Saturday 27 June 2015 5pm-10pm (Almost full)
Teams who wish to register may do so at this link http://campusgamefest.org/cgf-highlights/game/official-tournaments/
Rules and regulations are available at this link http://campusgamefest.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Dota2Rules.pdf

 

ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES APPLICATION FORM

[GAMING/REVIEW] Battlefield Hardline (PS4) – 5 Reasons why you should play it.

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[Read my first post on Battlefield Hardline (BFH) here http://wp.me/p3ID2Y-z1]
Battlefield is long known for their huge maps, big teams and a multitude of vehicles to pilot.BFH keeps true to these features, and then adds more.

Here’s 5 reasons why you should play BFH

1) It plays like a Drama Series
The game was designed to be more than just a game. The single player mode will keep players riveted as each level continues like a different episode in a TV Drama. What Visceral contributed to BFH was the storyline and a character driven plot based around the protagonist, Nick Mendoza.
There’s plenty of dialogue and cut scenes, and really, sometimes you forget that you have to something other than just watching the plot unfold.
It was especially absorbing for me playing the single player on the PS4, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be just as enthralled on any other platform.

2) New Content
I don’t know about you, but I like games that don’t just stay static. Patches and DLCs are a very welcome feature for me, because sometimes they are game changing, and they breathe new life into it.
Whilst the Visceral staff were not able to comment on whether any DLCs were planned, they did say that there will be added features coming out for the BFH Premium members.
These include maps, Gun Bench (Which can track kills!), Challenge modes, tournaments and ladders, and Legendary status (which allows replayability).
There are a bunch of other perks for premium members, but I think that the above it are well worth the upgrade already!
Check out the whole list of premium features and perks here http://www.battlefield.com/hardline/news/battlefield-hardline-premium

3) New Game Modes
The new urban warefare setting has allowed the team to create a whole lot of new modes for BFH.
For example, “Hotwire” where teams capture objective vehicles, “BloodMoney” where teams have to pick up or steal cash and deposit it into their own vault, “Crosshair” where the cops have to escort a VIP and fend off attacks from the criminals within a timelimit of 3 minutes.

4) Competitive Modes!!
I’m one of the gamers who will never be satisfied with just playing a game for enjoyment, and BFH satisfies my need to take gaming to the next level – Competitions! It’s just rewarding for me to be able to match my progress and skill level against others. So for those of you who share my thirst for blood, do try out the competitive modes “Rescue” and “Crosshair”. You get 1 life per round (ie, you don’t respawn until the round is over); at halftime, you switch sides and teams play a BO7 (best of 7).

5) Cool stuff
If you haven’t seen this video of the in game motorized couch, watch it here

The American Dream, a motorized sofa, is the fastest land vehicle in BFH, and it’s only available on one map, provided you can find it!
It’s location is hidden, and it spawns once per match. It seats a total of 4pax (including the driver) and can be repaired.
It’s a tribute to Paul Mathus, the Director of Product Development, who in his younger days submitted a video of  himself on a motorized couch in his entry for “Battlebots”.
It appears from 28 seconds in, it’s awesome.

I can’t wait to see if there are any more hidden gems in the game, or whether any will sneakily be added!
Even if none are, I love the personal touch and cute story behind this one.

***

Here are some pictures from the event in HongKong which EA so kindly sent me up for!

Here’s how we were welcomed into the gang of criminals, mugshot!
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Some pretty BFH branded gear provided for our use at the game testing areaDSC_9176

Yep, that’s me in the reflection!DSC_9178

Travis Hoffstetter, who gave the press interview together with Forrest Tarleton.DSC_9185

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Free Stuff! a Duffel bag, BFH PS4 review set, a cops money clip and a brochure. Not pictured here is a BFH poster .
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The various journalists and media trying out the game on PS4. Some just kept going at it in Blood Money, while others went for the single player storyline (ie, ME!).DSC_9196

Post-interview with Travis

Picking lucky winners of various products sponsored by Sony – including a grand prize of 1 PS4!DSC_9200

One of my fellow Singapore journalists won a 1 month subscription.
Sadly… I have no luck… 🙁DSC_9198

Just a parting shot of the BFH headset.DSC_9199

[A big thank you to EA for sending me up for this event. It was really interesting and I got to meet media from around asia, as well as the development team who created this awesome game!]

[GAMING] Battlefield Hardline (PS4)

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EA has generously decided to send me up to HongKong (17-18 March 2015) for their Battlefield Hardline launch!

I’ll have a hands-on preview session as well as a group interview with Travis Hoffstetter, Senior Designer at Visceral Games.

I usually talk about the hardware I use, so it’s going to be interesting reviewing a game instead. From my experience and research, the Battlefield franchise is well known for its large team vs team battles (team size and map size – wise) as well as allowing gamers to pilot many different vehicles. Battlefield Hardline, true to tradition is set in a huge landscape, and will feature urban warfare.

Instead of having nation wars, Battlefield Hardline will have a cops vs criminals theme, and will feature new competitive modes and game modes. The Battlefield 4 single player was criticized for being somewhat weak, but in Battlefield Hardline, the single player mode is inspired by modern tv drama and promises to be extremely exciting.

So well, that’s it for the preamble. I’ll update with more information from the press event!

Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with the trailer and links =D

Get a piece of the action in the all-new Battlefield Hardline that brings you speed, strategy, and story.

Watch the official launch trailer for Battlefield Hardline: http://youtu.be/wI_sfiwYwd8

Battlefield Hardline will be available March 17 in Asia on Origin for PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Players can pre-order Battlefield Hardline now by visiting http://www.battlefield.com/hardline/buy or Origin at http://www.origin.com. Press assets for Battlefield Hardline are available at http://info.ea.com/products/p1478/battlefield-hardline.