Chapter 1 Revised
Chapter 1 Revised
NEXTGEN
A PROPOSED NATIONAL
ESPORTS GAMING COMPLEX
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of the
College of Engineering, Computer Studies, and Architecture
Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements of the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
September 2020
ABSTRACT
NEXTGEN
A PROPOSED NATIONAL
ESPORTS GAMING COMPLEX
CHAPTER 1
E-Sports (also known as Electronic Sports) are organized video games which have
become a worldwide sensation, otherwise known as a phenomenon that provides space to
a fundamental element in today's popular digital youth culture. While the study of
computer games, in general, has gained acceptance and support in the academic world
especially as a means of instructions, the scientific investigation of computer gaming as a
source of learning, also called as esports, is still on its way towards familiarity to people.
In this sense, computer gaming is accepted as a mere leisure activity; thus, parents
and other adults do not encourage and support the activity in the same manner which
garner their attention to the negative effects of playing such sort of game including online
games addiction and social isolation. Going back to its historical track, its popularity
which has been developed from a mere “pustahan” (betting) to official tournaments
resulting players to even enhance their skills as they measure and compare their abilities
with and against other players. From there, various organizations have developed
competing systems to handle these players and make it possible for them to compete.
In fact, esports is considered as an official sport in various part of the world such
as Korea, China, Russia, Hungary and Denmark, esports is considered as an official sport
(Jonasson & Thiborg, 2010).
To further elaborate this esports, discussed the fundamental similarities that exist
between physical and digital games; nevertheless, there are also differences in the
activities which pertain to the setting of the game Snavely (2014). Additionally, video
games are often described as a simulation or a virtual reenactment of a real event.
Influenced by George Dickie’s definition of art, Kutte Jo ¨nsson (1976) highlighted that
esports competitors spend a significant amount of time playing video games, practicing for
competitions. The kind of commitment is similar to the time spent by athlete’s playing
physical sports, as mastery of certain skills takes years to achieve.
Despite the similarities, stated one characteristic which separates a game from a
sport is the physical application of skill. Similarly Freeman and Wohn (2017). The
traditional definition of modern sport involves that it is a physical, competitive and
institutionalized activity Jonasson and Thiborg (2010).
Southeast Asia consists of 11 countries and those countries currently hold over 640
million people. Would you believe that 9.5 million of those people are esports enthusiasts,
united under one common interest? It’s true. Southeast Asia has the fastest-growing
esports audience in the world. In fact, the growing number is set to double by the year
2019. Currently, there are 6 countries that contribute to the massive growth of esports in
the region. Vietnam has 2.8 M (5.2%), Malaysia has 1.8 M (7.9%), Thailand has 1.1 M
(3.7%), Singapore has 0.2 M (5.1%), Philippines has 1.4 M (3.1%), and Indonesia has 2.0
M (3.1%).
house high-tech establishments and big gaming hubs, academies have been established to
teach aspiring esports players and competitors; the lessons include basic and complex
strategies for competitive gaming.
Table 1.1.0
SEA The Big Six :
The fastest growing region Esports Enthusiasts & Share of online population
The number of Southeast Asian Esports Enthusiasts will grow with a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of +36.1% between 2015 and 2019, reaching 19.8 million.
This is the fastest growth in that period globally. In comparison, the number of Latin
American Esports Enthusiasts will grow with a CAGR of +24.7% between 2015 and
2019, while the global average is +19.1% for the same period. Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, also known as the Big 6, account for more
than 98% of Esports Enthusiasts in the region.
The reasons why the esports market is booming in the region is due to growing
regional incomes. According to a Newzoo report from 2015, the “Big Six” countries in
Southeast Asia for esports are Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore. The report stated that these countries account for 99 percent of the region’s
esports revenue. The “Big Six” countries mentioned in the report have flourishing
economies and a growing middle-class population. As populations grow, more disposable
income is spent on hobbies and leisure activities which includes video games.
Southeast Asia’s plunge into the global esports market can also be attributed to the
region’s familiarity with English. According to Newzoo, this is the main reason why the
ASEAN market could be easier to penetrate compared to countries like China for instance.
In Singapore and the Philippines, English is already an official language.
Table 1.1.1
Numbers of online gamers in South East Asia Region
The heightened interest in gaming has also led to ta corresponding surge in interest
for esports. The once-niche competitive gaming and spectator event segment has been
propelled to stratospheric heights with multi-million-dollar prizes and massive audiences.
According to market intelligence firm Newzoo, esports audiences is expected to climb to
290 million by 2021.
The huge interest offers opportunities for brands to leverage gaming to establish
their mindshare with younger audiences, especially among the millennials and Gen Z.
Gaming also serves as a common language for brands to bridge the gap and engage
meaningfully with a generation of consumers who might not consume traditional media
such as the television.
The esports industry has really flourished in the past decade and will continue to
do so. With a growing youth population, there is no reason why Southeast Asia shouldn’t
become an esports and gaming hub as long as ASEAN governments continue to provide
the right avenues and resources for upcoming players and local video game designers.
Philippines is striving to become the hub of esports in the SEA ( South East Asia
region. As a country with a total of more than 42 million gamers, Philippines has the best
potential to lead the development of esports in the region. The country has a large pool of
players, an increasing number of esports events and most importantly, backing from the
Government of the Philippines.
In the Philippines, the growth and popularity of esports started in the 2000s. This
was a time when other countries were already investing in the esports league. Initially, the
esports business in the country was dominated by amateurs. Amateur players and video
game enthusiasts are known to frequent local internet and computer shops in the country
to play video-games. For players, these games are just hobbies that can serve as
entertainment after class hours or during the weekends. During this time, nobody saw
esports as a platform to play professional and earn lucrative deals.
For the majority of gamers in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia in general
mobile is the platform of choice. Nevertheless, PC games and to a lesser extent console
games are also popular: 74% of the Philippines’ online population play games on mobile,
65% play PC games; and 45% play console games. The interactive chart below shows that
the majority of men and women in the urban online population play games on mobile and
PC. However, only 40% of women play games on console.
Table 1.1.2
Numbers of majority gamers platform In the Philippines
Table 1.1.3
Share of gaming online urban population in the Philippines
(Share of Men and Women)
who play video games
Table 1.1.4
Age of active gamers in the Philippines
MALE FEMALE
Newzoo 2020 | Source: 2019 Consumer Insights for Games and Esports
Matchmaking is split into regional regions in Dota, with the Philippines being a
member of the matchmaking market in South East Asia. The region is known for being the
one of the world’s most dangerous and salty. Then after, because of a lack of leadership
figures (captains of the teams), the competitive scene in the country (despite being
reasonably active) is seen as fodder for more advanced areas such as the EU, China, and
the CIS. Three organizations have emerged from the ashes in spite of all this, and today
we will be looking at the joy of the Filipino team TNC Preator.
The International (TI) is the game’s annual Magna Carta, so to say. In it, 16 teams
compete for the Aegis of the Immortal, a trophy that solidifies their title as the best team
in the world. In 2016, TNC had just picked up DeMoN and were required to go through
the open qualifiers due to the roster change. The team, consisting of Marc ‘Raven’ Fausto,
Carlo ‘Kuku’ Palad, Sam ‘Sam_H’ Hidalgo, Nico ‘eyyou’ Barcelon, and Jimmy ‘DeMon’
Ho slugged through the first open qualifier, dropping the first one. However, the Filipino-
based squad was able to come through the second qualifier, thus cementing their place in
the SEA regionals.
Figure 1.3. The Philippine TNC Predator Team
Following a disappointing last place result in the event after losing against
Mineski, players Raven and Sam_H would depart from the organization, allowing Kim
‘Gabbi’ Villafuerte and Micheal ‘ninjaboogie’ Ross Jr. to complete the team. With the
new roster qualifying for multiple tournaments and placing 5th-6th in the Kuala Lumpur
Major, things seemed to be looking up for them, as they had also managed to obtain a spot
in WESG 2018. Despite these successes, the first two months of 2019 were shaky and
following their failure to qualify for Dreamleague Season 11 and the Starladder ImbaTV
Minor, ninjaboogie bade farewell to the squad, and eyyou marked his return to the team on
March 20, 2019.
This arrival marked the beginning of another rise for the Filipino group. In the
beginning, the new squad seemed to be unstable, with failures to qualify for the MDL
Paris Disneyland Major and OGA Dota Pit Minor. The future of the group was unclear.
However, they managed to throw those accusations out of the window by winning WESG
2018 and qualifying for the recent ESL One Birmingham Major by taking the spot from
Mineski in a dominant 3:0 series in their favor. Alongside that, a resounding fourth-place
finish in ESL One Mumbai paved the way for TNC to be a top contender in the
international community.
Figure 1.4. TNC hoisting their trophy and prize during WESG 2018. Photo from TNC Predator.
More recently, the team was able to qualify for the upcoming Epicenter Major
2019. This victory, alongside their 5th-6th place finish in ESL One Birmingham, seemed
to cement their status as a tier 1 team. While there still may be debate and discussion
regarding the stability of the group, there is no question that they have proved to the entire
Dota community that the Filipinos are a force to be reckoned. And albeit wishful thinking,
perhaps this is the year that TNC Predator will be able to obtain their highest placing in
The International. Establishing for one and for all that the Filipino community is a serious
contender in professional Dota, and that they are here to stay.
The esports community must deal with lack of governmental programs and support
like establishing a centralized organizing body which must address the continuing
negative view on gaming in Philippine society. The industry also must deal with its
members and be conscious of its effect on the Philippine youth, which comprises the
majority of the esports population (Ignacio, 2016).
The Philippine eSports Organization (PeSO) is an esports entity that is the official
Philippine representative to the International esports Federation (IeSF), which is one of the
largest esports associations in the world. It carries the interests of the Filipino esports
community on the international arena. With the wealth of experience and local
connections that they have, PeSO is determined to bring the Manila Major to the Filipino
crowd along with one of the best events production teams in the world in the form of PGL.
Source: Teachbeat.ph
PeSO has developed a reputation for its long-standing esports experience, such as
the conduct of National World Championship qualifying, and has been a member of the
International Esports Federation (IESF) since 2012.
The organization PeSO has done a good number of events over the past few years,
with the esports festival in cebu serving sa their flagship exhibit. Generally, these events
are among the largest in the Philippines in their respective years, even attracting
international teams as MVP.Phoenix, Orange and MiTH.Trust, among others.
PeSO is tasked as the local organizer and partner of PGL. Their tasks include
dealing with the venue, internet, gov’t permits, suppliers, and making recommendations
for Valve & PGL. Going in line with its aim of delivering quality eSports and gaming
events here in the Philippines, there have been no significant delays in their LAN events
and generally, the organization has been able to deliver on the targets that they have set for
each respective tournament that they made, quickly gaining a large following in the
process.
Turning the Philippines into a truly world-class destination is the primary reason
why the Philippine eSports Organization has strived to bring the Spring Dota 2 Major here
to the country. With the wealth of experience and local connections that they have, PeSO
is determined to bring the Manila Major to the Filipino crowd along with one of the best
events production teams in the world in the form of PGL.
The Philippine esports scene is still developing, however, and is not without its
own setbacks. The community still has to deal with lack of governmental support, needing
a centralized organizing body, and must address the continuing negative view on gaming
by Philippine society. The industry also has to deal with its members, and be conscious of
its effect on the Philippine youth, which comprise the majority of the esports population.
The economic stability of the industry also still needs assistance, especially since issues of
gambling and match-fixing scandals are beginning to penetrate the esports scene, and also
in order for the industry to keep itself in operation.
Nonetheless, esports in the Philippines has yet to reach is peak; although it has
already shown signs of progress, there is still a lot of work to be done. The researcher
hopes that this study itself will be a step forward for the entire esports community in the
Philippines now that there has been a chance to look back at the past, there should now be
more room to focus on the present, and make the necessary changes to it so that Philippine
esports can continue to progress further in the future.
The major goal of the analysis is to provide in the Philippines an esports gaming
complex, that would have world-class facilities, greater heights, and place our nation on
the map being the most prosperous and appealing center for esports excellence, and by
helping to grow all Filipino esports gamers’ skills and awareness in the game, and to
achieve success at interntional level esports tournament and demonstrate that the
Philippines is indeed a formidable contender in the esports scene. The project will also
aim to organize and host all kinds of events from small-scale events to international-scale
events.
To provide a supportive environment where aspiring gamers can hone their skills
and kickstart a fruitful career in esports and a large gaming complex that can host
all kinds of esport events.
This study is essential in improving and providing a better insight for the future of
esports in the Philippines. The proposed National esports gaming complex will not only
benefit locally, but it will also jump start the objectives of the government that supports
our gaming community to promote its excellence.
The initiative will assist our athletes in preparing and expanding their expertise in
foreign and national tournaments for greater competence, the idea would target Philippine
Esports Associations, amateurs and professional gamers, parents, prospective
academics,tourists and communities such as youth who someday value becoming a
professional gamer.
1. Esports Athletes. It can provide information for the esports athletes about the
current situation, the familiarity and support of the student-athletes’ community
towards esports. Thus, it can also help in their performance and future
competitions.
2. Esports Community. It can help the esports community where people lack
familiarity with it. With the understanding of the community to online games,
there is a tendency to minimize their misunderstandings and misconceptions.
4. Parents. This study will help the parents to have enough knowledge about the
impacts of online gaming among their children.
5. Readers. This study will help the readers to have the understanding about the
impact of esports industry.
6. Tourist. This study may help travelers and tourists in understanding on how
dedicated the Filipinos are when it comes in esports.
7. Future Researchers of Related Topic. This study will help the future
researchers to investigate and to analyze a gaming complex. Visiting sites,
interviewing people who often go at a gaming complex, organizations, facility
related to leisure, entertainment, & gaming, and having a reliable data could be a
big help for the researchers to be more accurate.
The expected result of the study will be an effective architectural plans and
visualizations for a gaming complex which provides comfortable settings, futuristic
design, performance and living, to support the esports athlete that would use it. Because of
these features, what it lacks is more world-class spaces for gamers to physically gather on
a grand scale.
This study will play a vital role in the development of esports gaming industry over
the years. Esports gaming complex can help boost the growth of esports in our country
and attract a large of numbers of investors in the field of esports. This project will help to
boosts the image of esports industry.
The researcher will also study the architectural solutions that are applicable to the
National Esports Gaming Complex that touches the considerable factors that could uplift
its status in terms of facilities