The game of understanding

E-sports score high at China-Russia New Media Forum as young people gather to play away preconceptions

Young people stole the limelight at the second China-Russia New Media Forum, held in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Sept 26.

Computer games were one highlight of the forum. Seven Chinese players from Vici Gaming, a professional Chinese e-sports organization founded in 2012 in Shanghai, competed with the Russian team Jekabasher in the games Dota 2 and FIFA 2017.

Ma Xiao, 21, leader of the Chinese team that competed in Dota 2, says the game enhances communication between players from different countries.

"China is a top country in e-sports, while Russia represents a rising new power in the field. Both Chinese and Russian people have accomplished great achievements in Dota 2. We hope to learn more from each other. The higher the level of competition, the better the contest will we be for e-sports lovers.

"For instance, sharp observation of details and effective teamwork are strong points we could learn from Russian peers," Ma adds.

Chinese player Deng Zhuopei says, "E-sports have a big following in China and are expected to further expand."

Deng has been playing the FIFA series for 16 years. As well as having high income and rising fame, he enjoys representing China in e-sports and competing with others on the international stage.

"My success in e-sports has attracted many young people to follow suit. Some of them have transformed themselves from amateur e-sports lovers into professional players like me."

Russian e-sports player Sergey Bontarenko, 21, expressed his appreciation for Chinese players.

"It is the first time I have played in a Dota 2 competition with Chinese players. Some of them were born to be e-sports players, and the skills they have utilized in gaming really impress me," he says.

"As the e-sports industry has gained momentum in recent years, more and more competitions have been taking place worldwide. I cherish every chance to play with and learn from other countries' players, and I dream of being a top-class e-sports player one day," Bontarenko adds.

In 2003, electronic gaming was recognized as China's 99th athletic event by the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Olympic Council of Asia announced in April that it will include e-sports as an official medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

"E-sports play a significant role in enriching the traditional sporting culture and are bound to win over more young fans if standard rules are applied," says Ding Dong, director of the Sport Information Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.

To coincide with the forum, five Chinese college students were selected from more than 20 universities nationwide to participate in an eight-day media innovation camp to discuss the new trends, new media and new technology with five Russian students.

They also produced a video about the Don River and its culture.

"The process of making a video is tiring but interesting. I managed to gain much hands-on experience and also came to understand more about the hardships of working in the media," says Lan Juxin, a student from Communication University of China.

Dubover Denis Anatolievich, head of the Department of Media Management and Production of the Don State Technical University, was the instructor at the camp.

He says what impressed him most was that the students of different nationalities could successfully find a common language, thanks to their creativity and curiosity to learn new things.

"New media technology is one of the most useful channels to bring young people closer," Anatolievich says. "I spoke with many of the students at the camp, and they told me that jointly making the video had altered the preconceptions they had of one another."

zhangxingjian@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/06/2017 page19)