Opinion: The importance of social gaming outlined in Whangārei's new gaming hub

Whangārei gamers, like Trinity Te Paa seen here playing Fortnite, will be able to take advantage of a social approach to gaming. Photo / File

I don't know whether it compliments my memory or is an indictment on my personality that I remember, as clear as day, the first time I got my Playstation 2.

Over a decade ago on a cool Hawke's Bay morning, I woke up on what could have been my 10th birthday, to find the then top of the line gaming system hooked up to the TV.

It was and still remains the only time my parents ever let me play the Playstation in the morning, let alone on a school day. I can still remember hearing Mum gasp as an accidental button press caused a virtual Homer Simpson to kick out at Marge in the classic game, The Simpsons: Hit and Run.

Questions of domestic abuse aside, this representation of violence seems all too tame in today's world of first-person shooters or games like Grand Theft Auto, where the luring and subsequent assault of a stranger is encouraged if you want to increase your bank balance.

But I'm not really here to talk about violence in video games because Lord knows that drum has been beaten to death.

What should be discussed is Whangārei moving in the right direction with regards to gaming and pushing its social aspect.

Last weekend, Esports Gaming Whangārei (EGW) officially opened its doors on 2 Reyburn Street and encouraged people to test out their 20 high-end computers and get a vibe for what is claimed to be, Northland's first dedicated gaming lounge.

EGW owner Tony Grose said, (in a prior article by the Northern Advocate), the lounge was a great place for gamers to congregate with like-minded people in a fun, social environment to do something they enjoy.

The space would also act as a base for Whangārei's gaming talent interested in pursuing Esports as a hobby or a career.

Esports, defined by the New Zealand Esports Federation, is the simple abbreviation for 'electronic sports', a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by the competitive playing of video games.

In recent years, Esports has grown immensely as a career path for young people, which was excellently laid out in a piece by the NZ Herald's Cheree Kinnear, which I recommend you read if you have any interest in gaming.

In her article, it states Esports brought in more than US$900 million (NZ$13,811,656) in revenue in 2018 and is expected to become a billion-dollar industry by the end of this year.

Last year, the highest earning individual player, Jesse Vainikka, pocketed US$2,290,631.60 (NZ$3,515,268.42) of prize money – most of which was won at the Dota 2 Championships alone.

Upon hearing these numbers, many are quick to assume Esports is the next 'get rich quick' scheme for young Kiwis with a passion for the keyboard or controller. But as Kinnear outlines, not all people enjoy similar success to Vainikka.

The article states only the top five of New Zealand's 180 professionally recognised players have earned more than NZ$35,000 in total winnings over their career, with New Zealand's highest paid Esports gamer, Sean 'Gratisfaction' Kaiwai, only earning NZ$90,000 from tournament winnings over the past four years, according to esportsearning.com.

Even with money flooding into the industry, it seems to succeed in Esports is just as hard as any sport, perhaps even more so with the amount of competition.

But it's people involved in gaming for the fun of it who are benefiting from spaces such as EGW, as well as the wider community.

Esports Gaming Whangārei's 20 high-end computers will be a valuable resource for gamers looking for a more social experience. Photo / Supplied

Gaming has had a strong reputation for many people as being a harmful hobby. People envision your typical hooded teen, hunched over in near-darkness in front of a luminescent screen for hours on end.

The depressing reality is that some people do do this and the point to make is they could be doing the same thing but in a comfortable, respectful, social environment like EGW.

The social side is only one aspect to the benefit of these spaces. On a gaming level, people have access to high-end computers in close proximity to one another, aiding game-play while operating as a team.

It also means no one has an advantage over another person as everyone is working with the same gear, as opposed to those with more disposable income splashing on the latest equipment trumping those without.

Looking to the future, Grose said he hoped to open up EGW as an education facility where people of all ages could improve their IT skills with things like coding and graphic design.

Esports Gaming Whangārei owner Tony Grose is hoping for a big turnout from Northland's gaming enthusiasts. Photo / File

With more jobs relying heavily on IT, it makes all too much sense for everyone to upskill in this department, and I hope councils and other bodies get on board in pushing this idea.

But the question remains, will people reject or feel uncomfortable leaving the security of their bedroom or lounge to come to a public place like EGW, in fear of judgement?

That's really one of the biggest obstacles in the way of society's acceptance of gaming. People of older generations in particular are too quick to condemn it as a bad habit rather than a perfectly normal hobby, mostly due to it's reputation for violence.

I've always had trouble with that reasoning because the amount of violence people view every day is rarely different to what we see in a video game. As for people concerned with gaming's impact on someone's health, there should be just as many fears before sending your child in junior rugby or football due to the lack of knowledge around the long-term health effects.

At the end of the day, we want to be inclusive and not to shun. We want people who may be considered by some as shy or not particularly extroverted to feel comfortable wandering down to the local gaming lounge, just as a punter would to their local tavern.

And who knows, we might find ourselves seeing the next Richie McCaw of the gaming world coming from Whangārei and I think we can all agree, that would be a great sight to see.