Established 1961 15 Technology Thursday, May 24, 2018 ‘Overwatch League’ eSports dreams of rivaling mainstream standards The league has developed its own stars and legions of followers

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Gladiators Global ambitions stand what the feeling is to be a sport person. becoming as well known as the Los Angeles The popularity of the Overwatch League can There is also an element where you feel you are Lakers? Or the Boston Uprising one day rivaling be seen during a screening of a game at the at a theme park, with all those big screens, the the New England Patriots for prestige? It may Blizzard Arena in the Los Angeles suburb of beautiful set. When the game starts, it gets you seem like a distant, unlikely prospect, but the Burbank. Hundreds of spectators, some dressed in so pumped.” founders, participants and fans of the Overwatch the colors of their chosen team and others The grand plan for the Overwatch League is League eSports dream of it one day becoming a dressed as characters from the game itself crowd to create a true global competition, expanding to reality. In a relatively short space of time, the into the arena to watch the two six-member 28 teams, and featuring regular matches between league has developed its own stars and legions of teams go head-to-head in the videogame which is teams on opposite sides of the world, such as followers who follow the tournament either virtu- shown on a giant overhead screen. Paris taking on Beijing. “That’s something which is ally or in person at live events. Launched in unique not only for eSport but for sport,” Nanzer January, the 12-team competition comprises fran- says. “There is not a sports league in the world chises representing three continents, with nine where you have that sort of global competition. It teams from the United States and one each from makes sense because Overwatch is a truly global Britain, China and South Korea. Being here, game. “The dream is not a one-off event in a big The league’s models are the major US profes- stadium. The dream is week-in week-out to have sional sports leagues such as the National Football I get it. You care millions fans around the world to have the oppor- League or the National Basketball Association, about the game tunity to engage with this content live. with a postseason culminating in a July 26-28 grand final where a $1 million prize will be up for Professional players grabs. “The business model for the Overwatch Unsurprisingly, the Overwatch League has League is no different than the business model for already attracted attention from the titans of the any sports league,” Nate Nanzer, the league’s In addition to the fans who crowd into the traditional US sports league. Robert Kraft, the bil- BURBANK: The New York Excelsior (L) and Shanghai Dragons play during Stage 3 of commissioner, told AFP. “We create content, we venue to watch live, hundreds of thousands of lionaire owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, Overwatch League Inaugural Season videogame play at Blizzard Arena. — AFP put on matches, we put on 12 matches a week, we fans across the United States and the rest of the and Stan Kroenke, the tycoon whose sports fran- build an audience around those matches and we world watch the action unfold online via the chises include English Premier League side worth $3.5 million. His daily regime resembles that tics who question the ability of watching video monetize that audience through media rights, mer- Twitch social media video platform, anxiously fol- Arsenal, have reportedly spent around $20 million of a conventional athlete, with fitness exercises, games being able to appeal to a broad base. chandise, sponsorship, ticket sales, etc.” lowing the exploits of players with names like to create teams. At the sharp end of the competi- training and video analysis. Being healthy is part of “People ask me all the time, ‘Oh isn’t that crazy Overwatch itself is a first-person shooter video Verbo, sinatraa or Munchkin. tion are the players. Jacob Lyon, 21, who plays being a successful gamer, Lyon said. that people watch video games?’” he said. “I’m game which sees teams of six players battle rival “I never considered myself a sport person, I simply as “Jake” is one of 130 professional players “With the league structure, when you’re play- like, ‘Isn’t it crazy that people watch golf and ten- teams in a fast-paced, futuristic setting. The game am not a fan of traditional sports (...) I never got drawn from 18 nationalities who plays in the ing week on week on week, you have to be able nis?’ The reason why you watch those things is was developed by Blizzard Entertainment, the why everyone is so into sports,” said Alex Parrish, league. Lyon has signed a one-year contract guar- to be consistent and effective over a long period because you probably also play and you want to California-based company best known for creat- a fan from Houston, Texas. “Being here, I get it. anteeing him $50,000, with the potential for that of time,” he said. Nanzer, meanwhile, is convinced see who is the best in the world. It’s the same ing the “World of Warcraft” online phenomenon. You care about the game, the players, I under- to rise through prize money payments from a pool that eSports are here to stay, brushing off skep- thing here with eSports.” — AFP

Drivers brace omy, and illegal wildlife trade has transformed for Egyptian The Internet: A with it,” said Rikkert Reijnen, director for wildlife crime at the US-based NGO. “All those who profit form wildlife crime have moved into ride-hailing laws dangerous place the online space.” Besides turtles, other sought- after reptiles on the black market include CAIRO: New legislation regulating ride-hail- snakes, lizards, and alligators. Owls, birds of ing services in Egypt may have been wel- for wild animals prey, toucans, cranes and other protected bird comed by Uber and competitor Careem, but PARIS: From ivory baubles and leopard coats species were also on the virtual bloc. some behind the wheel fear they could be The market for mammals is more varied, driven out of business. After various twists to rare turtles and live bears, the online market for protected wildlife is booming, according to ranging from body parts-rhino horns, cheetah and turns, including a ban on ride-sharing as and leopard furs, and a pair of coffee tables recently as March, Egyptian lawmakers an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) investigation released yesterday. made from elephant legs-to a menagerie of pro- passed a bill in early May, pending approval tected species, trapped in the wild or raised in by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The laws Experts from the NGO spent six weeks last year combing the Internet in four countries- captivity under doubtful conditions. “Of the will require drivers to pay 3,000 Egyptian many threats to our planet’s wildlife, the illegal pounds ($170, 140 euros) for a special license, Russia, France, Germany and Britain-for adver- tisements hawking endangered animals, trade of live animals and their body parts is one a huge outlay in a country where the average of the most inhumane,” said Reijnen. Most of the monthly salary is around $200 and many peo- CAIRO: An Uber employee (R) assists a driver at the company’s headquarters whether dead or alive, in pieces or whole. The haul was impressive: 11,772 individual live animals were on sale in Russia, including ple take multiple jobs to make ends meet. in the Egyptian capital. — AFP big cats, monkeys, lemurs and at least one bear. “It is too much for an Egyptian,” says articles or animals in 5,381 ads spread across 106 websites and social media platforms. Total IFAW praised the “precious work” and com- Khaled, who has been bolstering earnings UAE firm Careem, the new bill “sends out a centers. The ride-hailing market is enhancing mitment shown by major online peer-to-peer from teaching Arabic by working for Uber asking-price value? Just shy of $4 million (3.2 strong signal that Egypt continues to be open “investment, development and transport”, said million euros). More than four-fifths of the platforms such as e-Bay, which has trained its these past few months. “As soon as the law is for business and investment”. A couple of Mohamed Badawi, a businessman and Member personnel to join in the fight against illegal implemented, I will leave Uber,” he adds, since items were live animals, including a large share months ago, the firms feared that would no of Parliament’s transport committee. of marine and fresh-water turtles (45 percent), wildlife trafficking. But national regulations are 20 percent of each client’s payment goes to longer be the case. In March, a lawsuit brought Demand for the service in this country of lagging behind, especially for commerce on the the firm, making it hard to turn a profit. birds (24 percent) and mammals (5 percent), by conventional cab drivers saw a court ban around 100 million people is high, amid frus- the report said. internet, the reports said. As a general rule, sell- Another driver, Mohamed, 27, bought a car to ride-sharing. Uber and Careem appealed, tration with traditional taxi drivers, who ers-often connected to criminal organizations- work for the firm, so may invest in the licence, And while it is possible to sell and buy cer- securing a suspension of the ruling in April, sometimes refuse to turn on the air condition- tain endangered species with permits under the know they are breaking the law, but buyers but only if Uber guarantees earnings and pro- pending a verdict by a higher court. ing or the meter. may be less aware. “They just want some exotic vides support. “If I have to pay fees without Convention on International Trade in Both ride-sharing companies have invested But some fear passage of the bill will not Endangered Species (CITES), 80-90 percent animals,” Sissler-Bienvenu said. IFAW has for- having the security of a normal job, I might as heavily in Egypt. The country is “one of end the political and legal uncertainty, espe- warded their findings to national and interna- well be a taxi driver,” he says. of the transactions proposed were probably Careem’s largest markets” where the company cially since taxi drivers will continue to fight the illegal, said Celine Sissler-Bienvenu, IFAW’s tional authorities. Similar reports from the NGO But the legislation has been given the has invested $30 million and has more than loss of their turf. Ramez Wagih, an accountant in the past have resulted in legal proceedings thumbs up by the ride-hailing firms, with Uber director for France and francophone Africa. 100,000 drivers, according to Kato. in the morning and Uber driver in the after- “The internet has transformed the global econ- against both sellers and buyers. — AFP Egypt managing director Abdellatif Waked With a local customer base of four million noon, spent weeks tied up in bureaucratic red describing it as a “historic step”, after years of people, Uber plans to invest around $100 mil- tape, before officials gave him a temporary legal uncertainty. He says it paves the way for lion in Egypt over the next five years. The firm license. And the 36-year-old is buckling up for “increased investment, the creation of many says it created 150,000 new job opportunities more mishaps ahead. “The problem has taken jobs” and further Uber expansion in Egypt. in the country during 2017 alone, including at too much time to settle and it will still take For Ramy Kato, Egypt managing director for one of its largest worldwide customer service more,” Wagih says. — AFP Facebook face-off: EU gets little news from Zuckerberg From ships BRUSSELS: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg vent the breach, he added, promising the sailed through a grilling from EU lawmakers company was now better prepared and was about the social network’s data policies as working on further improvements. The dozen to satellites: lengthy questions left the 34-year-old MEPs then asked their questions, ranging American little time to answer. Betraying little from the German conservative leader asking emotion, Zuckerberg apologised to leaders of Zuckerberg why his giant firm should not be Scotland aims the European Parliament in Brussels for a broken up as a monopoly to complaints from massive data leak, in his latest attempt to Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, and an ally of for the sky draw a line under the damaging scandal. French nationalist Marine Le Pen, that However, he avoided answering numerous Facebook was now biased against right-wing GLASGOW: A shipbuilding hub since the specific questions, notably around opt-outs parties. That left barely 10 more minutes of days of the British empire, the Scottish city of from targeted advertising, the sharing of data the allotted time for replies-though Glasgow is now reaching for the stars with a between Facebook and its messaging service Zuckerberg spoke for a further quarter hour growing space satellite industry. Glasgow WhatsApp, as well as Facebook’s collection of before the Italian speaker of the legislature, builds more satellites than any city outside of data on non-users. President Antonio Tajani, brought a somewhat the United States, according to space industry He spoke for over half an hour in total, disorderly halt to proceedings. experts, specializing in small “CubeSats” that mostly repeating assurances and descriptions Over shouted complaints and repeated can be used for anything from weather fore- of Facebook plans that he detailed to US law- questions, the Facebook CEO and his adviser casting to global positioning. “Scotland has makers during 10 hours of hearings in promised follow-up written answers; at least always been famous for making ships-and Washington last month. Though some ques- one lawmaker, Swedish liberal Cecilia today we’re making spaceships,” Peter tions were sharp, there was no chance for the Wikstrom, also found time to pose for a sou- GLASGOW: Manufacturing operations manager Daniel Bryce works on a Anderson, head of business development at Europeans to follow up if they felt the answers venir photo with the youthful tech supremo, satellite at the offices of US satellite firm Spire Global. — AFP satellite maker Clyde Space said. fell short. Investment analysts heard little new who uncharacteristically wore a dark suit and The company’s offices are just a few and Facebook’s share price showed no reac- tie for the occasion. British Conservative Syed meters from the imposing Finnieston Crane, a decided to move a satellite monitoring base efited from a high-skilled workforce already in tion to the event, holding at the level to which Kamall complained the hearing was a “get- relic of the River Clyde’s shipbuilding past from Britain to Spain to “preserve security”. place from the days of the DotCom boom when it has recovered after taking a hit on the scan- out-of-jail-free card” for Zuckerberg and said once used to lift tanks and steam trains onto Prime Minister Theresa May has created a the area was known as “Silicon Glen”. dal. “I asked you six ‘yes or no’ questions; I got Facebook’s reluctance to detail some of its ships. Clyde Space launched Scotland’s first taskforce of engineering and aerospace “Silicon Glen was where a lot of handset not a single answer,” said Philippe Lamberts of workings left regulators trying to “cure a dis- ever satellite in 2014 and within two years it experts, led by the UK Space Agency, “to manufacturing took place, small electronic the Greens, one of 12 party leaders and lead ease without knowing what the illness is”. was producing six satellites every month. That develop options for a British Global Navigation devices with radio technology, and that is very legislators whose questions to Zuckerberg The MEPs also faced criticism. Dominique set off a period of rapid growth in the space Satellite System that would guide missiles and similar to what we are doing so we were able took up nearly half of a hearing - broadcast Deckmyn of Belgian paper De Standaard industry, which insiders hope will get a further power satnavs”, the government said. to tap into that skillset,” Spark said. The bur- live after complaints about an original plan for tweeted: “First, they used up all their time boost from rumored plans to build two new geoning space industry has inspired smaller a closed-door meeting. Zuckerberg had speaking to make themselves look good, then spaceports in Scotland. ‘Costs more than gold’ startups such as AlbaOrbital, which is prepar- agreed to meet the lawmakers to answer ques- complained loudly that Zuckerberg had no Britain’s plans for a home-grown space In Scotland, the space sector has grown by ing for the launch of its first satellite, Unicorn1. tions about how political consultancy time left to answer.” In his opening remarks, industry have been stepped up amid concerns over 70 percent since 2010 to a turnover of The satellite, put together in AlbaOrbital’s Cambridge Analytica improperly got hold of Zuckerberg said it had “become clear over the it will be banned after Brexit from bidding for £2.7 billion last year, according to aerospace office on the south of the River Clyde, will be the personal data of 87 million Facebook last couple of years that we haven’t done contracts on the European Union’s £9 billion trade body ADS Scotland. The industry strapped to a larger payload and ejected from users, including up to 2.7 million in the EU. enough to prevent the tools we’ve built from (10 billion euros, $12 billion) Galileo global employs some 7,500 people, the group said. a spring-loaded launcher like a jack in the box. being used for harm as well.” “Whether it’s positioning system. The UK wants complete Clyde Space shares an office complex with US “It costs more than gold per kilogramme to ‘Sorry’ and souvenirs fake news, foreign interference in elections or access to Galileo as it played a major role in the satellite firm Spire Global which has built 80 launch a satellite, so the idea of making a small- He used an initial 10-minute address to developers misusing people’s information, we development of the system, which is expected satellites in Glasgow since 2014. Spire’s lead er cube made a lot of sense,” Tom Walkinshaw, apologies. “That was a mistake and I am sorry didn’t take a broad enough view of our to be fully operational in 2026, but the EU has engineer Joel Spark said the company had ben- CEO of Alba Orbital, told AFP. — AFP for it,” he said. Not enough was done to pre- responsibilities.” — Reuters