Playlipinas: From Cybercafe Pastime to Door-opening Gold Mine by De Castro, Justin Kyle (Aliboyog)

Henlo!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-30 08:06:18 UTC

I am Justin Kyle A. De Castro, a Second-Year Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (EMC) student from MMCM.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-30 15:27:10 UTC

From my course, it is obvious what I have my eyes on in our country's pop culture - Entertainment! As such, my gateway interest, at Rank 5, is Internet slang, because how can I understand what's fun, if I don't understand anything at all? Plus, such terms have bled over into daily communications, to the point where knowing them keeps everyone on the same page.

Literally me

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 02:23:06 UTC

Here's the tea, sis! Istg ngl frfr

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 02:24:59 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 02:26:37 UTC

A direct connection to this interest in Internet language and slang is my interest in memes, at Number 4! I believe this continually evolving form of media is not only a method to deliver laughs from its comedic/satirical content; they are also a record of Internet history and culture, as its forms and contents adapt to the world's (and country's) events. This makes memes both humorous and fascinating!

Election memes

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 04:33:55 UTC

Ikaw ning baki, love?

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 04:34:53 UTC

The VP's confidential funds issue

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 04:40:32 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 05:10:26 UTC

It is also undeniable that foreign forces have a grip over Philippine Pop Culture, and one form I took a liking to is Japanese animation, anime at Number 3. The art is just crisp and inspiring, and the storylines are inventive - you almost always have a story to enjoy among its near-endless genres. Such a global phenomenon is a big factor of my general interest in art as well!

Spy x Family is a wholesome, fun anime.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 05:20:01 UTC

Not formally watched, but I've read and seen a lot of things about this one!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 05:25:11 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 05:45:58 UTC

My first runner-up for the most interesting part of Philippine Pop Culture is video games in general! I really enjoy not only playing them, but also appreciating the genius behind the game design, both in audiovisual art and mechanics, and especially, figuring out the experiences that their developers intend their playerbase to undergo. Such intricacies are what got me to pursue the EMC course.

Gris. Story through symbolism.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 07:30:25 UTC

Genshin Impact. One of the mainstream games in the Philippines - its storytelling has recently gotten drastically better with Fontaine.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 07:34:16 UTC

Game Jams amaze me with all the mechanics developers come up with.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 07:35:26 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:04:38 UTC

And finally, my top interest in Philippine Pop Culture is a sub-section of video games, esports! This interest is set further ablaze by my involvement in MMCM Azure Pantheons, the school's official Esports Club. Essentially, these are competitive, primarily team-based games, where players can test their game knowledge and skills either for honor and/or financial rewards. I am actually amazed by how the culture around esports has grown in the Philippines, and that is why I chose it as a topic.

My new home~

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:14:40 UTC

DOTA 2. The first to ignite my love for esports.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:26:02 UTC

Valorant. A popular esports game in the Philippines that I am currently enjoying, too!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:28:10 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:29:41 UTC

Esports IS sports, just done through electronic devices.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 10:45:45 UTC

Just like basketball, volleyball, and any other sport that boomed in the Philippines, esports has had its humble beginnings. Guevera (2023) notes that the early 2000s was the era that esports started sprouting its roots. Internet cafes were full of kids and kids at heart who poured their hearts out into learning and winning in Counter-Strike, Crossfire, and Dota 2.

Counter-strike.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:25:10 UTC

Crossfire.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:27:20 UTC

Both were shooter games.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:41:52 UTC

Still, despite cultivating hundreds of thousands of talented and competitive individuals, all of their prowess was only visible locally, within their computer shops. But then, the early 2010s came in clutch with the inventions of video-sharing and streaming platforms, such as YouTube and Twitch, allowing our aspiring and would-be prodigies to show to literally anyone just how good they are!

YouTube

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:50:18 UTC

Twitch.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:52:10 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 11:57:00 UTC

From here, agencies could easily scout for talents, and form teams that they would then train and send to competitions, both to give them the thrill of having their skills and expertise clash with fellow masters, and to hopefully bring honor to their organizations' names. The earliest example is said to be 2011's Mineski Pro-Gaming League, an enormously successful event that attracted multitudes of people, and pushed them into the esports industry.

For your reference.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:15:19 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:22:28 UTC

The mentioned event caused a domino effect that would boost the growth of esports enthusiasts until today. In fact, a steady 12.9% yearly increase in the Philippines' gamer population was observed during 2017-2021 (Inumerable, 2022). Still, what could be considered the greatest turning point for the Filipino esports community is the accessibility offered by Mobile esports games, especially Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and the other PC competitive games that are being ported to phones.

For your reference.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:24:57 UTC

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:26:23 UTC

COD: Mobile. Yet another shooter game.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:27:20 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 12:45:57 UTC

I have felt this domino effect hit even the school I am currently enrolled in, MMCM, and I am sure other Davao schools were hit, too. Most of the university students in my region felt compelled to break into the esports industry, and so, they established organizations dedicated to the esports cause. I can say this because Azure Pantheons, even before being established, already connected with esports groups under universities, and scouted possible inter-school esports competitions to join.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 13:08:13 UTC

However, you could still argue that this set of occurrences is too localized to consider as proof of esports' transformative power over Filipino culture, so let us explore some wider-scale events that embody the nation's interest in esports.

ALLG Mindanao for Mobile Legends. Our teams got to playoffs!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 13:15:17 UTC

Lots of school-based teams in this one, too.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 13:21:38 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 13:23:11 UTC

Various factions of the Philippines has dipped their toes in the esports industry.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 13:56:05 UTC

Starting off strong, we have the fact that in 2017, the Filipino government started officially recognizing professional gamers, competing in various esports, as athletes, allowing them to gain athletic licenses most commonly required for international travel (Regalado, 2017). This change of the law made it so our Filipino esports teams, primarily Execration and TnC for DOTA 2's The International 7 competition, could now easily go and play for our nation.

For your reference...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:01:52 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:11:26 UTC

Even the education sector sees value within the esports industry. The Manila branch of the Lyceum of the Philippines University was the first Filipino school to ever establish a Bachelor of Science in Esports course, with two majors, Game Development or actual Esports Management (Balao, 2021). Now, the bigger fish here is that the Commission on Higher Education had to approve this, and it is proof that esports is truly changing the Filipino mind.

For your reference... once more...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:15:40 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:32:43 UTC

And finally, to seal the deal, we look over at the business side of things. A company as big as Smart Communications (Fudge, 2020), investing in the Philippines' esports industry, that's nothing to scoff at! It is also worth noting that the Philippines does have an esports federation, wittily named PeSO (the Philippine eSports Organization, looks like the stars aligned for this one). Other investors, such as Mineski Philippines, Gariath Concepts, and TNC are also big-time event organizers and internet cafe chain holders, whose involvements will make it easier to organize esports-related events.

And one more reference... the nail on the coffin.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:36:22 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:38:32 UTC

To compound this, the experts that Ordoñez (2022) interviewed stated that involving oneself in esports, mainly as a player, could be a viable career path. Looking at how even local tournaments offer lucrative prizes for winning, and how national/global tournaments offer ridiculous amounts of money to the victor, I can see why they would come to this conclusion. Still, for students who aspire to become players, it is a gamble that requires a lot of skill.

Reference number... 3.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:44:48 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:46:41 UTC

Now, why and how, as a pop culture movement, has esports easily boomed and ingrained itself into our Filipino way of living as a whole? Let us view this under the critical lens of the Carnival Theory.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:53:48 UTC

It's them!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:54:53 UTC

An example.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:56:58 UTC

Services 96% of the country...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 14:58:27 UTC

Esports is a much-needed satirical twist to sports.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:12:46 UTC

Sports, especially the Olympics, are commonly defined as competitions that require feats of physical prowess. Esports players, on the other hand, compete while sitting down, with the most physical feats being hand-eye coordination and dexterity of the arms, hands, and fingers - an upside-down image. The funniest thing, however, is how it has come full circle - esports are now officially part of the Olympics! Now, this is the global scale, but it can still be applied to the Philippines through the E-Palarong Pambansa.

Olympics... Esports...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:14:56 UTC

When searching 'sports,' gifs that come up are physical...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:16:01 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:21:18 UTC

Not only does esports challenge the traditional Filipino view of sports, such as Manny Pacquiao and boxing, and the PBA, it also provides a new form of sports made and popularized by the new generations, for the new and upcoming generations, while being just as, if not more, profitable. At its core, though, esports is a carnival for us the same way traditional sports are to the old - a communal expressive form, a way to enjoy deliberate and orchestrated conflict, albeit this time even more safely through virtual means. That's why it boomed, because it, just like sports, is entertainingly emotional (team/player support), and expertly educational (how to play good), just like a carnival.

Guns and death... but virtual!

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:25:13 UTC

E-Palarong Pambansa...

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:27:00 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:33:54 UTC

However, the truth is that esports has become so much more than a digital, satirical mirror of sports - it is now its own league. Maybe soon enough, sneaking out to play competitive video games will no longer be necessary, as sectors of the Philippine government, and even the non-government, have slowly been adapting to accept esports as an economic gold mine - a marketplace, one of a carnival's marks. What was once prohibited is now encouraged, and the profane has become the other mundane, for better or for worse - the carnival is still running, but its unique charm has been absorbed into mainstream culture.

The carnival... performances through esports skills. Emotions in victories and losses.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:47:29 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:51:01 UTC

Still, as stated in the lesson contents, the show must go on. We must remember that esports are still video games, meaning they are also technology-dependent. Maybe advancements in the future will polish the dusted carnival, but for now, millions of people are still enjoying esports' rides. Also, with the creative minds of our developers, who knows if there will be new spectacles? Valorant is just 3 years old and look at how big it is now, even in the Philippines - nothing is impossible in the carnival.

jkdecastro — 2023-10-31 15:53:06 UTC

That's why I think esports is here to stay - people will keep reinventing it through new technologies and games, and the Philippines will keep playing, adapting, and enjoying them. After all, it brought fame, and finances to the Filipinos, so why not keep going? Esports in the Philippines will just be like a well-maintained carnival adding new rides that attract new and returning people - endless.

Grotesque and upside-down...

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 02:52:30 UTC

Nowadays, performers and audience alike still enjoy the esports carnival...

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 02:57:56 UTC

New spectacles looming...

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 02:59:32 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:00:22 UTC

Thank you for reading it all, and apologies for my long paragraphs! I really enjoy the topic.

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:10:46 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:11:26 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:12:11 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:13:20 UTC

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:14:05 UTC

Motivations to spectate...

jkdecastro — 2023-11-01 03:34:38 UTC