For some years now the world has been taken by storm. A new generation of sport has been created from a hardware device that never originally intended to be used for pleasure purposes. Every year more and more gaming events crop up.We are introduced to more and more professional gamers and the prize money goes up and up. But for one small country with a bulging gaming population this has all been a dream until now.
Last month an announcement was made that had every irish gamer watering at the mouth. The prestigous World Cyber Games, WCG for short, announced they would be holding their first ever qualififers in Dublin on September 23rd. Gamers will battle each other for the glorious prize of representing Ireland in Monza Italy in October.
Irelands most popular online games at the moment are World of Warcraft and Counter-Strike. But in recent times there has been little or no irish clans to become well known or feared on the European circuit for CS and no irish player has become renowend for his ability at Warcraft 3.But with the announcement of WCG everyone is dusting off their Colts and sharpening their Axes. CS and WC3, along with other top games, who looked like their communities where faultering, where given an injection of hope and everyone is talking about September 23rd.
Counter Strike has seen the biggest developement with clans chopping and changing lineups and old clans reforming along with new ones. SuiGeneris have reformed with a strong lineup and look strong candidates to win the event. Koyaanisqatsi is a new clan that includes well known community activists Dustaz,Finch and Incubus and themselves hold a high chance of reaching the final. XTC.ie recently suffered blows to their campaign by losing Finch and Incubus but hold an outside chance of reaching the last few. dAC are also planning on sending a team to the qualifiers and a swarm of people are making up mixes and random clans to enter for their chances. Wink also recently came out of eternal AFK mode to enter a team into the qualififers, Wink are well known as being probably the strongest CS team in Ireland.
The Warcraft III front has been rather silent. I know I will be there and from my own recent finishes in events look to be one of the favourites but I cannot really find anyone else whose name would stand out. It seems that CS is gathering the most attention, and i have fears the event will jsut be a CS tournament.
The main thing is that the irish gaming scene is getting a boost and well needed one with the arrival of WCG other big lan events will follow and the announcement of broadband packages to increase in speed and wuality and decrease in price who knows we might one day have irish winners of WCG.