8 | October 56, 2019 CHINA DAILY HOLIDAYTREND Women becoming key consumers for esports China has listed esports as an official sport and medals will be contested at 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
By ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin found her own club when she had [email protected] different opinions on the team’s transition. As the second stop of the Girl “When the team began to partici Gamer 2019 World Tour, the Girl pate in more commercial activities Gamer Esports Festival arrived in that paid attention to appearances Seoul, South Korea on September 6, instead of skills, I decided to leave,” attracting four strong teams, two she said. “Fortunately, I received from China, and one each from support from some friends who South Korea and Singapore, PR became my cofounders later.” Newswire said. They have the same idea that After a whole day of fierce compe being competitive in games is of the tition, Team Charon from South utmost importance. Korea won the championship as “Compared with male players, well as the opportunity to represent female players have a slight advan Asia in the finals of the 2019 Girl tage in dealing with details while Gamer Esports Festival that will be they seem a little weaker in facing held in Dubai later in December. mental challenges,” said Li. At that festival, nine teams which “There are no obvious gender dif will include 45 female players will ferences in esports,” said Xu. “Every compete in the games of Counter thing is based on strength and Strike Go and League of Legends for performance in the games. We have a prize of up to $100,000. to seize every opportunity to partici Via GirlGamer Esports Festival, pate in competitions that can help the world’s leading event to cele improve the level of our players.” brate and promote women’s compet “It is proverbial that esports play itiveness in esports, participants not ers’ professional career is short only get the chance to show their lived, with body reflexes said to strength, but also receive support become dulled when they reach 21,” and encouragement from male play said Li. “We are making an effort to ers. develop related positions for those The situation where men would who are unwilling to leave the normally dominate the Chinese esports industry, such as game com gaming market is gradually chang mentator and anchor.” ing. The rising presence of female Esports has made its name world participants now extends to esports. wide. In 2003, China has listed China’s gaming market has esports as an official sport. entered a stage of indepth develop Esports will be an official medal ment, and female users are becom sport at the 2022 Asian Games in ing an increasingly important Hangzhou after being added as a consumer group in that market, The manager of the team is watching the members of the REGirls Club playing the Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds game in Beijing on demonstration sport at the 2018 which has bolstered the growth of Sept 8. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY Asian Games, the Olympic Council esports in China. of Asia announced in April. A survey released by the Game China’s gaming industry generat Publishers Association Publications “I began to play PUBG in the uni ed sales revenue of 214.44 billion Committee, known as GPC, and the versity and became an anchor to yuan in 2018, up 5.3 percent year Chinese gaming database Gamma Esports is welcomed play the game with fans after I onyear, a report from GPC and Data Corp shows that there are 290 bought my own computer,” she said. Gamma Data Corp said. million female esports players in by young people and “Some net friends of mine encour The report also said there were China by the end of 2018, an 11.5 per growing rapidly, so aged me to join in professional com 626 million game players in China, cent yearonyear increase from the petitions.” an increase of 7.3 percent from 2017. prior year. it’s important to let Even though she was not all that Kenneth Fok, president of the The REGirls esports club, which the young people confident, she had to try and posted Asian Electronic Sports Federation, is made up of female professional a good result. told Xinhua after the 2018 Asian fulltime gamers, has become one of involved have their She began her professional Games that the organization was the most eyecatching of all female voices heard and to esports career in her last year in the striving to build a bridge for esports esports teams since its foundation in university while her classmates to become a mainstream sport. June 2017. help them find their were busy with graduation practice. “In fact, esports has a broad audi The club’s players have an average way in the profession. “I dared not tell my parents my ence and should be presented on a age of 20 and spent most of their present job because I am sure they higher platform,” he said. “Mature time playing the popular games such Kenneth Fok, president of the will never agree,” she said. “I just concepts and norms from the higher Asian Electronic Sports Federa as Honor of Kings, Player tion told them that I found a job related platforms such as esports athletes Unknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) Coach Wang Yiling teaches tactics for the game Player Unknown’s with my major in the university in also need selfdiscipline in regular and Clash Royale. Battle Grounds to the team’s women players. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY Beijing.” life, strict training and diet can “We have won all the champion Now Long is the team’s com guide esports to be more stable, bet ships in domestic women’s competi dormitory, dining room and training about fashion and leisure. to her family’s financial situation manderinchief and has more than ter developed and accepted by more tions of the three games,” said Xu area for the team and the other six Several minutes later when they and came to the club from her 10,000 fans on live streaming plat people and families.” Binzhen, cofounder of the club. girls who came earlier. stare at their computer screen hometown of Suzhou, Jiangsu prov forms. Gamma Data noted in its report “Before recruiting players, we had They usually get up at around 12 again, the meticulous professional ince, in June. After about 8 hours’ training, the that among all players, more than set high standards on their game pm and begin group training under players work for the only goal that “I began to play shooter games in girls will go running in the residen half are aged under 25, with many skill levels and integrity because we the guidance of their coaches at matters to them – to be the champi my first year in my senior high tial area. born after 1995 and in the 2000s. aim to build a professional team that around 1 pm from Monday to Friday. ons. school and my mother didn’t pre “It is a simple and effective way Compared to those born in the can prove female players can also The training includes team battles “It has nothing to do with gender,” vent me from playing,” she said. “To for physical exercise and relieving 1990s, those born in the 2000s are reach the level of male players.” that can last until 10 pm. The players said Qian Yiqiu, 18 also known as reduce the burden on my family, I the pressure,” said Li Muzi, the more active in the game market. Living in a 200squaremeter and coaches will review their strate Xin in the game PUBG. “We are all decided to become a professional manager and founder of the “Esports is welcomed by young apartment in Yizhuang, in the gies and failures after the games are clear that it is teamwork and the player instead of entering college.” REGirls. “Sometimes, failure in people and growing rapidly, so it’s southeast suburbs of Beijing, four over for the day. most important is what you can do However, Qian’s teammate Long games may bring them into a bad important to let the young people young girls of the PUBG team that Before the weekend, the girls for your team.” Hongmin is not so lucky to get the mood, so they need a way to release involved have their voices heard and was set up several months ago quick remain cut off from the world and As the youngest player in the club, support of her family. their emotions.” to help them find their way in the ly got used to the life of being profes concentrate on their computers. Qian is now recognized as the best Long, 23, came to the club after Li, 25, was once a professional profession,” he said. sional esports players. During the short breaks between player in her team. graduating from China West Nor player of Honor of Kings in a domes The apartment has become their games, the girls also enjoy talking Qian gave up her college offer due mal University in June. tic esports club and got the idea to Ye Qian contributed to the story Chinese cities tying up with esport events to bolster tourism
By ZHOU HUIYING in Harbin ors, assassins and archers, fighting tions held in the park every week with or against each other in the end could attract thousands of Over the past few years, it has game. players to participate.” become increasingly attractive for Within the 600,000square “It is a successful combination of domestic tourism cities to host meter park that ran from Jan 5 till the world’s largest ice and snow esports events and the related Feb 28 this year, the Honor of Kings theme park and the most popular theme exhibitions because of the theme area expanded its construc mobile games in China,” she said. “It booming esports business. tion site to 43,200 square meters is also a crossover fusion of the most The finals of the 2019 Internation from 15,000 square meters in the advanced ice and snow sculpture art al Dota 2 Championships held in previous year. and the most fashionable digital cul Shanghai recently attracted more About 400 sculptors worked tural and creative products.” than 80,000 spectators from all over together for 30 days to finish the “Favorable development of tour the world. area with 65,000 cubic meters of ice ism always connects with culture, so For most Chinese esports fans, it and snow, bringing tourists a unique it is no accident that esports and was a rare opportunity to enjoy the game scene in the real world. tourism complement each other,” live competitions because this was Tourists could enjoy a magnifi said Zhou Lin, a travel researcher the first time the country hosted the cent 3D light show that narrated the with the Heilongjiang Academy of annual event which has been staged stories about the heroes in the game Social Sciences. “As an emerging in Europe and North America since every evening in the area. cultural format, esports games have 2011. The perfect combination of tradi been widely accepted by young peo Dota is an acronym for “Defense tional ice and snow sculpture art ple who are the main force of cultur of the Ancients”, one of the world’s The Honor of Kings theme area within the Harbin Ice and Snow World has expanded its construction and modern science and technology al communication and tourism most popular multiplayer online area to 43,200 square meters from 15,000 square meters in 2018. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY brought spectators a visual shock of consumption.” battle arena games in which players trying to integrate the real and the “Famous tourism cities can be level up as their heroes and try to virtual reality. seen as a highlight of esports destroy their opponents’ bases. Wang added: “The previous beautiful scenery of the host city province, created the game scene of “The popular game has attracted events and the events can also “I have played Dota for more than matches were held overseas, so we and different local customs also add canyons depicted in Honor of Kings hundreds of millions of active users attract more visitors,” she told Chi 10 years. The game has strengthened had no choice but to watch them more flavor to their travel. for two consecutive years. and most of them are young people na Daily. “Harbin Ice and Snow the bond among my friends and me,” online. We are so excited that it has Starting with Tencent Games in Honor of Kings, a superstar who are also our target customers,” World is a new attempt to combine said Wang Jin, 25, a Stateowned come to China this year.” 2017, Harbin Ice and Snow World, online game created by Tencent said Zheng Yingzhuo, a staff mem online and offline products, which enterprise employee in Shanghai The strong tension and impact of one of the world’s biggest ice and Games in 2015, has over 200 mil ber from the sales and marketing can help promote cultural innova who attended the event with some competitive sports naturally attract snow theme parks in the capital city lion registered users who can play department of Harbin Ice and Snow tion and build the tourism brand in ingame friends from different cities. adventurous travelers, while the of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang dozens of hero roles such as warri World. “The professional competi the province.”