Let's get ready to Rumble!

It’s the best time to be a gamer right now, with Comic Con Africa around the corner and the looming release of the stylishly chic PlayStation 5, it’s a whole new level of Christmas for gamers like myself.

My love for gaming started when my parents purchased an 8-bit tele-game station that held classic games like Lion king, DynoWars and Rolling Thunder.

I’d sit up and play on it for hours and it would often be incorporated into my punishment “No more games until you get your grades up.”

As I grew up, the platform evolved from the tele-game station to PlayStation, Xbox and PC consoles, the picture growing from glitchy 8- bit motion graphics to state of the art seamless 4K resolution game play, that put players smack dab into a world of limitless wonder.

I love the comfort I get from it, even if I am hurling insults out of frustration, like when there is a boss that is proving difficult to beat. (I’m looking at you, Mishima Jinpachi ).

The Gaming industry market is roughly worth $159bn in revenue and accounts for a market that spans most ages and races.

In South Africa, the industry is gaining a voice of it’s own and thanks to events like Comic Con Africa and the Rage Expo, more people are being exposed to it and more gamers can now participate on a pro level.

I spoke to Ju-an Delport and Meelan Vanmali, fellow content creators and gamers who are also the social media managers for SAG3 Gaming, an online community for gamers in South Africa.

What's your favorite game of all time?

Ju-an: Definitely The Last of Us. I just fell in love with the characters, the overall setting and the story really sucked me in from the get-go.

Meelan: For me, it was always the very first Assassin's Creed game. However, after playing Assassin's Creed Origins, it has definitely become my favorite.

What's a game you thought you'd like but hated?

Meelan: Just Cause 3! I absolutely loved playing the 2nd one and I had high hopes for the 3rd installment. I was so disappointed at how repetitive the game became and it had a very mundane story line.

What's a viral game everyone seems to love, but you don't like it?

Ju-an: Watch Dogs. I loved the premise and I really liked the idea of playing as a secret hacker, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to.

What's a game you didn't expect to enjoy but ended up liking?

Meelan: Dishonored. It was a very different type of game compared to what I normally play, and I wanted to expand on my gaming library at the time. The mechanics, story element as well as how the game was designed are Amazing! I had such a blast of a time playing it!

Ju-an: Detroit Becoming Human. I was not a very big fan of interactive games until I played this, but I gave it a shot anyways and Wow, I absolutely loved it! I played Heavy Rain directly afterwards and fell in love with that too! Definitely one of my favorite story games of all time!

What game have you spent the most amount of hours?

Meelan: Currently it is Rainbow Six Siege! Clocking in just under 400 hrs.

The Gaming industry market is roughly worth $159bn in revenue and accounts for a market that spans most ages and races.

If you had to marry the last video game character you played, who would it be?

Meelan: It would be Jesse from Control! Also, another amazing game to play!

Ju-an: Ellie from The Last of Us Part 2.

If you had to live in a world of the last game you played, what world would it be?

Meelan: Control is set in New York City so that’s where I would be!

Ju-an: Post-apocalyptic Jackson, Wyoming , the setting of The Last of Us Part II

What do you think of the gaming community in South Africa?

South Africa's gaming community is still very young, but it’s been growing every year at a very rapid pace. With the age of social media, gaming has become more accessible to people be it in the form of streams, let's plays, game play and competitions. Gaming competitions (Esports) have also become a lot bigger compared to 10 years ago and the ever-growing prize pools at these competitions are evident of this. Gaming has also become a lot more acceptable in recent years to a point where many see it as a way to make an income be it from Twitch streams, YouTube, Esports etc.

Is it inclusive of all races and gender? If not, why do you think that is and what can happen to improve that? If yes, what factors do you consider brought this about?

Yes, we believe it is very inclusive. Having attended Comic-Con and rAge in Joburg and a few events in CT, it is very evident to see how diverse the gaming/geek community is. It’s so amazing to see everyone from all walks of life having a big geek out and enjoying themselves to the fullest! Unfortunately, we are aware of the gender abuse that happens especially in the online gaming space. It’s sad to see that this still happens in this day and age especially when majority of gamers just want to come together and have a fun time while playing the games they love. This is a long-standing problem in the online community which needs to stop!

In your opinion, what is the best games console?

It depends on your style of play and affordability. We get asked this type of question a lot and ultimately, it’s what your intentions are with a gaming console/PC. Personally, we enjoy the PlayStation because of the many exclusives that Sony offers and the ease of use of a console. Sony has an amazing library of games that we just love playing. However, we would also love to get an Xbox to experience Halo and Gears of War.

Are PC gamers superior to console players?

I don’t think that PC’s are superior. It comes down to what you can afford and what you are looking for. If you are able to spend the cash for a monster of a gaming rig and can afford to upgrade the components every few years. I say why not!

Have you ever watched a Twitch stream?

Yes, we do watch Twitch streams! We love supporting our friends as well as new and local Twitch streamers. One of our favorite streamers is: https://www.twitch.tv/theed3

Have you ever streamed yourself on Twitch or YouTube?

Yes, we used to stream on Twitch and have uploaded videos to YouTube.

We are currently in the process of working on something new. So watch this space!

Have you ever used a walk-through?

Ju-an: Yes, I love watching the walk-throughs of Horror games that I will most likely never end up playing lol!

What's the best weapon you've ever used in a game?

“The Warlock’s Risk runner" it puts a constant stream of electricity flowing through your fingertips. On the surface, it is a completely ordinary sub-machine gun, one of Destiny 2’s new weapon classes. However, when its exotic perk activates, this beast can fire constantly, chaining lightning between enemies. If you take any kind of arc damage while Risk-runner is equipped, it will become charged due to Arc Conductor, its exotic perk. In its charged state, you will take less arc damage and all of your shots have a chance to chain lightning between enemies while returning bullets to the magazine. Effectively, activating Arc Conductor allows you to fire endlessly into your enemies. As long as your shots are true, you will never have to reload”.

What groups or communities are available for Gamers in SA?

There are so many amazing groups available for the gaming community on Facebook such as:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ZAGAMINGALLIANCE/ (ZAGA)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/208791883189579/ (ZAPA: ZA Playstation Association)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/871726936292791/ (XboxPlayersSA)

In your opinion, what is the worst game of all time that you've played?

Ju-an: The worst game I've played is WWE 2K20. The graphics, bugs and the overall game play is just a mess. I loved playing the WWE games on PS2 and really had great expectations for this one seeing as I haven't played one in years, just to be disappointed. Spending your money on a game that looks and feels half-finished and rushed is just upsetting.

Is there a competitive gaming arena/sports event spirit in South Africa?

Yes, we believe there is an amazing gaming spirit here in South Africa. We have attended many events which have hosted gaming tournaments and have been blown away every time at the vibe and atmosphere that the crowd brings. The biggest one in recent memory was at Comic-con in 2019 where they had an amazing setup for the CS:GO championship event. We were so amazed by the size of the crowd watching the tournament! The atmosphere at these tournaments are the equivalent of watching a rugby derby between two big provincial teams.

What games would you recommend ( on each console) for a first-time gamer? And for a professional?

If someone was looking at buying a console now during 2020, we would suggest waiting for the release of the PS5 and Xbox series X.

However, for a first-time gamer on Xbox we recommend Xbox Games Pass as it offers hundreds of great games for a low monthly fee.

For first time gamers on PS4, you can look at great titles like Rachet & Clank, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spiderman, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War and The Last of Us. These games cover a wide range of genres and allow you to explore amazing worlds while falling in love with interesting characters.

For the more serious and professional gamer we'll go online multi-player and recommend: Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite, CS:GO, Overwatch, Call of Duty Warzone and PUBG.

South Africa's gaming community is still very young, but it’s been growing every year at a very rapid pace.

I doubt I'll be able to afford a PlayStation 5 any time soon but that will not hinder my love for this wonderful lifestyle, that allows people to realize all their dreams in the virtual scape.

With the fourth Industrial revolution upon us, more and more people are turning to the virtual world to learn new skills, express themselves artistically and to live in a safe haven where there is absolutely no limit, I hope more black girls embrace this world and that gaming culture fully becomes a space anyone can be a part of.

Til next time!

P.xo