About 20 years ago the Ukrainians were covered by a new mod called computer clubs. Especially popular were they in adolescents, ready day and night to play games, wasting all his pocket money. Then gamers-fans and had no idea that several years later will be held in Kiev international championship in eSports and achievements of Ukrainian gamers get into the Guinness Book of records. “Today” talked with professional players and found out which games can be “nailed” the predecessors of the modern gamer, like a run-down of the computer clubs turned into a sports arena and how to become a famous gamer with millions in prize money.
WHERE TO START. The first computer clubs was a small room with two dozen computers and was located in the basement. “Everything was very poor. Going guys, looking, who and how plays. Then he began to hold competitions to determine who is cooler. Then the prize money for winning the tournament was only 150-200 UAH”, — says “Today” professional Cyberathlete Roman Maksymchuk. And according to Alexander Duchenchuk, head of the community organization eSports events, only one Podolsk district, such clubs had a dozen. “Clubs have decided the main problem of the time — the ability to just play on the computer because many gamers weren’t even home personal machines. And those who was the lucky winner of this comp, had another headache — disgusting Internet via IP telephony. You’re playing, and someone in the next room you need to urgently call on the landline! It is clear that the parents were strongly opposed tournaments at home. In the clubs all the computers were connected to one network — it was the only way to play with other players”, — says Alexander. He adds that with the advent quality the Internet the opportunity to play with players from around the world.
THE LEAGUE AND THE FEDERATION. On a serious gaming level Ukrainian players began to emerge in the early 2000s. “the First team that went to the international performance, gathered in their composition best players from all over Ukraine. They were advanced not only in our country but throughout the CIS. Of course, the West in this respect was in the lead, but we successfully caught up with them, and as a result, our players did not let the title “Counter Strike” from 2005 to 2009″, — says Roman. In 2002, the capital hosted the international cibercorner, and in 2004 in Ukraine there was a Federation of computer sports. A year was created Ukrainian Cyber Professional League. As for computer clubs, from the beginning of the 2000s, they gradually began to drift away into oblivion. They were replaced by specialized eSports platform, equipped with the latest technology. Today these cyberarena also hosts slot tournaments, and fans come to watch sports. In 2012, Ukraine held the national tournament in computer games, and at the end of December last year was a landmark event — the first cyberformula team from the football club “Dynamo” (Kiev). Such virtual teams is not new for many Western football clubs. Your slug is the Spanish “Valencia”, German “Schalke” and English “Manchester city”.
CYBERSALE. Today’s professional gamers do eSports organization, which in Ukraine is four. The most advanced — “Born to win”, which appeared in 2009 in the format of the club. The team became the first, winning almost all major cibercorner the world for one year, and even got into the electronic version of the Guinness Book of records, and in 2011 for first place in the international tournament had the biggest prize money in the history of eSports — $1 million Today, the organization consists of about 30 professional players. According to athletes, the next step for Ukraine should be the opening of special schools and institutions offering to train professional gamers.
The first computer clubs. Gamers played on antiquated computers and competed, which is cooler.
GO INTO PAIRS AND LEARN CHINESE
A career in eSports the players start at school. “I started playing in Junior high, participated in online competitions. Over the years, the hobby grew into a serious occupation. Family, of course, was against it, but their opinion changed dramatically after I won $400 by participating in its first tournament, which was held in Moscow”, — tells the novel. Now the guy was 20 years old. He’s studying to be a translator from Chinese and plays for a team in “League of Legends”. “It is very difficult to combine study and play. Can’t wait to graduate from the Institute and is entirely dedicated to eSports,” adds guy.
But girls in this sport are almost there. According to gamers, the whole reason that the weaker sex is too emotional. “I’ve been playing “DotA” for six years and my passion for the game even paid impairment of vision. Now I take part in Amateur gaming tournaments, studying advertising and PR, but in the future I plan to devote myself to journalism,” says Catherine.
THE OLD “SHOOTERS” AND THE CULT GAME “THE LINE”
The first games in the 90s were playing gamers, was the legendary “shooter” first-person called “Counter-Strike” and “Quake” (the game is considered the founder of computer competition). “In Quake played one on one, two on two and five on five. The graphics were awful — square characters, flat location,” says gamer Alexander Duchenchuk. “In those years, nobody noticed in these games, some flaws. Now understand that the “shooters” of those years was absent even trivial physics. Now if you fall or jump from a height, you can break his legs, but the schedule has reached maximum realism”, — says Roman Maksymchuk. In the late 90’s there was a fantasy game “StarCraft”, where the main characters are aliens from other galaxies. The goal was to build a city, the formation of troops and battles with other players.
From 2003 to 2008, all Ukrainian gamers captured multiplayer online role-playing game “Линейдж2”, popularly referred to as “line”. You had to create your character, raise its level, to form a coalition with other players. The line ” played all houses. Gamers have unleashed a bunch of real money to buy in-game values. There were those who made a good living. For example, one of my friends that had a server with the game for six months bought an apartment and a brand new BMW SUV, — says Maksymchuk player. When the passion for “the line” had died down a little, there a multiplayer online battle arena called “DotA” and “League of legends”, combining elements of real time strategy and role-playing computer games in the disciplines in the Championships on computer games. “Five players on each side, and their task is to demolish the main base of the enemy. Different ways your team should get an advantage in the game — capture enemy targets or the destruction of enemy characters. Sounds simple, but to understand the nuances, not enough for weeks”, explains the athlete.
“Shooter”. The first game was with terrible graphics.
Evolution. Over the years games have become realistic.
HIGH PRIZE MONEY AND A PENSION IN 30 YEARS
To become gamer everyone can. There are no age restrictions, but training will have at least 12 hours a day! “ESports is considered an intellectual sport, like chess, but in chess if you have time to think about it during the game this time just not there,” says Duchenchuk. “One second we need to realize how to make the three movements of the character in order not to lose any of his abilities. For example, the motor skills of my fingers — 620 actions per minute”, — says Roman Maksymchuk. Players work not only coaches, but even psychologists. “Tensions are very high. For example, is a 40-minute game, and at stake is a prize pool of several million dollars. You play five on five, and suddenly one of your team “dies”, and while he will “rise” will be held for 80 seconds. During this time, the enemy can finish the game. In such a situation it is easy to break. In my practice there were no precedents, but there was a case when during a training session almost came to blows,” says Roman.
Money to the gamer enough to keep a family of four.
The frayed nerves of players kompensiruet good cash reward. In addition to the fixed rate, the athletes will have the winning prize money, royalties for online broadcasting, sponsorship contributions. By conservative estimates, earned enough money to in abundance to support a family of 4 persons. Only the salary of the gamers can make up to $2 thousand, and the prize at times higher. However, as in other sports, career gamers ending early. On retirement they go out on average in 30 years. “For thirty years, many are already beginning to think about starting a family. When you play, time for personal life does not remain,” says gamer Ekaterina Fedina. “Over the years, the ability to perform a certain number of actions per minute decreases. After a career in eSports the players move on to coaching positions or realize themselves in the profession for which they studied in institutions,” says Duchenchuk.
Playing. During the tournament the level of intensity of the gamers always reaches a maximum.
Awards. For winning athletes receive a substantial prize.
“LOSING TOUCH WITH REALITY”
According to the psychologist Natalia Kukhtina, any sport leaves an irreparable mark on the player’s health, but the marketing is much worse in this regard, and the damage he can inflict on the human psyche is irreversible. “Computers and the Internet is part of our life and we can’t go anywhere. We all need live communication and virtual communication creates for our brain and psyche surrogate product of communication. It as it is, but it is not live and the virtual,” says the psychologist. According to Contineu, the greatest danger are those games in which there is an element of violence or aggression. “The brain ceases to distinguish reality from virtual experiences. People carry the game into real life, and it’s scary. Reduced the survival instinct, lost value of life, the constant lack of adrenaline. For example, people can climb ladders, on the roof of the train and not realize the fact that if he killed, it will be forever and he will not rise, as in the game. Therefore, we have such a large number of suicides, extreme acts committed by young people. About 30 years ago the boys played on the streets in “war games”, and it was fine. It is a genetic need, but now it is trying to meet through games. No psychologist who will return to players in real life, to restore their mental state, they will be extremely difficult. To resist the computer and the Internet impossible,” adds kuhtina. The fact that the players take the “retired” very early, according to the specialist, it is quite understandable. “People burn out emotionally, then, it is mentally draining. Players are no longer able to concentrate, react quickly. This happens with professional pianists, when the musician wants to play, but can’t from exhaustion,” says the psychologist.
