"Beyond the Game"

While taking the usual weekend stroll in one of the most popular malls in town, I saw this World Cyber Games 2008 (WCG) poster and I kind of remembered the funny parts of my high school days.
There was this time when a few members of my batch would gather in a computer rental shop and hold e-gaming marathons, usually Defense of the Ancient (DotA), O2Jam and Counter Strike. Since I’m not a hardcore gamer (I haven’t played any other network game since the advent of Ragnarok when I was still in sixth grade), I don’t really understand the fuss about it. Actually, I always get irritated because after the last period, people would dash out of the classroom, skipping out on cleaning duties.

But really, when I passed by Cyberzone where the eliminations for the World Cyber Games – Philippines is being held, I was overwhelmed by the number of people and the “bishonen factor” of most of the attendees (I was so not gawking at them, okay?), all of them vying for the chance to compete in Cologne, Germany for the actual WCG 2008. I so want to take a picture of the event but I felt a bit shy because 1.) I’m a girl and they might think that I have fan girl tendencies; 2.) My dad, who is not a fan of photography, is with me, and; 3.) I don’t have my digital camera with me and though I have my cellphone with a built-in camera, its resolution is poor.

I kind of read the details of the events while waiting (and secretly scanning the area for bishies) for my dad who was then in a nearby shop. So I totally felt like a noob when I encountered a couple of titles that are so new to me – Command and Conquer 2 and Need for Speed. I’ve experienced playing Warcraft III and Counter Strike way back in elementary school days. I feel so familiar with DotA since most of my boy buds (and not so buds) talk and fuss about it. Guitar Hero, on the other hand, was made known to me unexpectedly while watching the first season of Gossip Girl TV series (I can’t remember if it’s episode 20 or 21).

Okay. So many adults frown upon the gaming hype but in on one stand point, these activities stimulate some positive outcome. You see, it takes a lot of brain power in order to formulate a winning strategy. Though gaming is not really a sport or something but in my opinion, it’s a medium of releasing frustrations. Once in a while, it is fine to let one’s mind wander into different realities. Everything just depends on the player if he’ll just let himself drown in fantasy. Great players should know when to stop, ne?

Playing cyber games is really an experience you need to take before judging the people who love them. I may not be a kick-ass gamer but I know I’ve had a taste of it.

Sweetness,
Allyne

*“Beyond the Game” is the official slogan of the World Cyber Games Tournament. I don’t own any credit for the said line.