Forget the Olympics! A different kind of sporting event is taking place on the local front. World Cyber Games Malaysia Championship 2008 begins this week, with some of the country’s top cyber gamers taking part. The winner will travel to Germany later this year to take on the world’s best and a shot at the coveted WCG title.

Forza is the top Need for Speed gamer in the country while Si_Jali is hailed as king of Fifa.

World champions in the making
Siti Syameen Md Khalili

SOPHIAN Shahirul “Forza”, 26, and Rinie Ramli “Si_Jali”, 21, have only one thing on their mind this week: World Cyber Games Malaysia Championship 2008.

They are among over 700 participants hoping to win and get a shot at the prestigious WCG in Germany come November.

Forza is the top Need for Speed gamer in the country while Si_Jali is hailed as king of Fifa. They are arguably among the best in Asia and the world, and both fancy their chances well in the competition.

Forza, who dropped out of college, citing financial reasons, is bent on becoming a professional cyber gamer.

“I have travelled around the world, represented the country in international tournaments, and earned some good prize money. I have also been invited to showcase my talent at Computex (a technology fair) in Taiwan. These are big achievements for me, and I intend to work on my dream of becoming a full-time professional gamer,” he says.

And he is not sitting idle. He spends an average of 12 hours a day playing and perfecting his scores. Closer to competition day, he plans to add another four hours of “training session”.

Si_Jali, meanwhile, left medical college for the cyber gaming world. Some thought he was crazy to do so, but he has no regrets.

“I want to represent Malaysia in WCG. If that happens, it will be a dream come true,” he says.

Unlike Forza, Si_Jali does not spend that many hours in front of the computer practising his moves. He has a cybercafe business to take care of and also deals with information and communications technology products.

“My business takes up a lot of my time, but I am equally committed to gaming. Although I cannot find time to play like Forza, I try to put in as many hours as possible into training, especially when closer to a tournament.”

Growing acceptance for cyber gaming
Chandra Devi

THERE seems to be more acceptance for cyber games and competitions among parents and guardians these days. World Cyber Games provides a good barometer of how supportive parents have become of their kids’ involvement in computer games, says Lynette Yap, brand communication director, In2 Marketing and Consulting Sdn Bhd.

“Just a few years ago, many parents complained that their children were getting hooked on cyber games. They thought it was pure waste of time. As a result, many young cyber gamers took part without their parents’ knowledge. Today, however, we have parents calling in to register their children for the competition.”

Yap reasons that the change is brought on by the increasing number of young parents who themselves are cyber games enthusiasts and appreciate the value such games bring.

“It is also an inexpensive form of entertainment. A small amount of investment will have the kids having fun at home,” she says.

“I think parents and the community at large have become more understanding of computer gaming. In fact, they see it as a competitive sport rather than a time-wasting activity. We get a lot of support from parents who encourage their kids to take part.”

In2 has been a strategic partner for the World Cyber Games Malaysia Championship since 2002. As organisers of the event, the company is serious about promoting a healthy cyber culture.

“Computer gaming has had its fair share of adverse comments, especially on how it can disturb the natural development of children. All I can say is, nothing has been proven, and as organisers of cyber gaming competitions, we will take all measures to change the negative perceptions and promote cyber gaming competitions as a healthy sporting event in the country,” Yap says.

Also on In2’s agenda is working closely with the Government to help build cyber gaming as a strong business venture. The company is already working with Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to promote cyber gaming.

“Our first step towards creating business opportunities relating to cyber games and contributing to the growth of the industry in the country is to bring the WCG Asian Championship to Malaysia next year. We have the support from the Youth and Sports Ministry and MDeC. This is one of our initiatives to level up cyber gaming in the country,” Yap says.

Computer War boost
Siti Syameen Md Khalili

PARTICIPANTS at the World Cyber Games Malaysia Championship 2008 this week will not be short of computing power. Local information and communications technology retailer Computer War Sdn Bhd, through its events and gaming division, War.Mart, has prepared 350 units of PCs for the tournament.

Computer War’s manager Damien Law says the Intel Core 2 Duo E7200-based PCs boast high-end specifications, including the Intel Desktop Board DG35EC, two-gigabyte Kingston HyperX DDR800, 250GB Seagate SATA II hard disk, Treetop TC-D408 case and 380W Samurai PSU.

Gamers will appreciate the 250-megabyte Zotac GeForce 9600GT card, which will be available on 100 PCs, while the remaining 250 units will have the 250MB Zotac GeForce 8600GT card onboard. To ensure gamers get the best possible gaming experience, the PCs will be matched with 19- and 22-inch Samsung monitors.

“This is the first time we are supporting WCG. In previous years, we supported Asian Cyber Games, Kedah ICT Carnival 2007, PlayEX, Animation, Comics & Games Convention, Electronic Sports World Cup and numerous events held by game publishers. Through these events, we have made a name for ourselves as a major player in the gaming hardware market,” explained Law.

He added that the main objectives, however, are to deliver quality products and promote healthy gaming.