Getting girls to join the game
THE participation of females in professional esports is estimated to be at five per cent only, despite being a multimillion-dollar industry with millions of fans around the world. However, for Shanice Choo Xin Ru, a foundation of arts student at Inti International College Subang, she and her five-member all-female team plans to increase the number by encouraging their female peers to join the game.
Shanice and her team, who call themselves Sphynx, had recently participated in the “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” (CS:GO) category of the World Electronic Sports Games Southeast Asia (WESG SEA) after emerging as champions in the Malaysian qualifier finals.
The team represented the country in WESG SEA, in which they won third place af- ter battling their regional counterparts — a considerable feat given it was the team’s first attempt at an esports event equivalent to the Olympics.
Shanice said her passion in esports began when she was introduced to online games by her brother at home.
“My older brother would play in the evening after school and, one day, he invited me to play with him.
“I was 14 years old when I played my first game, BlackShot, and I never stopped playing online games ever since,” said the 18-year-old student.
“I love esports because it has moulded me into a better team player, increased my interpersonal skills and allowed me to break out of my introvert shell.”
She said esports also allowed players to increase their strategic-thinking skills and sharpen their reflexes.
Her passion in esports was easier to cultivate thanks to her father’s encouragement.
“My dad accompanied me to my first tournament to provide moral support. He drove me to the competition, patiently waited for me to play the entire eight hours, and drove me back home at night. I was touched because he stayed with me the entire day.
“When he saw that I was passionate about esports, he bought an expensive mouse for me to provide a better gaming experience.”
When asked if the support she received at home had spurred her to become a professional player, Shanice said it definitely made it easier.
“I was fortunate enough to have supportive family members, who treated my brother and I equally. I did not receive a negative re- sponse from my parents when I expressed my desire to pursue esports professionally.”
But contrary to her family’s encouragement, it was not always the case in the virtual world. “During my initial years of gaming, I came across some gamers who would react or treat me differently when they discovered that I am a girl.
“However, in my experience, I find the majority to be welcoming and respectful despite my gender,” said the lass from Kuala Lumpur.
Shanice said she noticed that there were very few female teams pursuing esports in the country.
She hoped that her team’s participation and victory in WESG SEA would inspire more female gamers to go professional and represent the country in global competitions.