It is no longer a secret that “eSports” (or electronic sports) have gained interest and a significant place among teenagers and young adults. At the 2018 League of Legends world championship final in South Korea, more than 23,000 attendees were at the stadium in the city of Icheon, in addition to the 99.6 million people reached by the official broadcast from Riot Games, which owns the game.
The administration of the University of Sorocaba—UNISO—recognized the importance and relevance of the subject and accepted a project by Randolph de Souza, coordinator of the institution's Digital Games program, together with a team of former students, current students, and enthusiasts. This led to the opening of the Digital Games program's Games Laboratory (GameLab).
The space is very attractive and conveys all the professionalism and importance that game-related careers increasingly require. It has 10 state-of-the-art computers for team matches, several console stations with TVs, and room for game development.
Photos (in order), cover, 1, 2, and 3: Wellington Torres. 4: Jean Felipe.
The idea has already attracted interest from all sides: teacher Magda Fernandes visited the site on its opening day, June 14, and said that her 12-year-old son, Luiz Otávio Fernandes, became completely fascinated when he saw GameLab on the internet.
“Is this a university?” Luiz asked his mother, immediately following up with, “This is the university I want to attend!” and showing an immediate interest in the subject.
Randolph joked about it: “Then we already have one more student.”
Promoting Electronic Sports and Academic Projects in Sorocaba
The space aims to promote electronic sports and academic projects connected to the field. The idea, however, is not limited to students in related programs: the space is also intended for anyone at the university to use (with reservations if necessary). It also has equipment for streaming games, allowing those involved to show the public everything that happens in the laboratory and in their matches through broadcasts available across the internet.
Essentially, the space also serves as a rest and leisure area for any student at the institution, with ideas that are expected to bring events and activities to outside audiences as well.
The laboratory's organizers also intend to hold a gaming event at the same location in October of this year, bringing in prominent eSports figures, talks, and other activities that add knowledge and provide entertainment for visitors.
Uniso eSports team. Photo: Wellington Torres. Thumbnails: Jean Felipe
Investments in eSports
The university's first official electronic sports team, Uniso eSports, was introduced at the opening event. Its roster consists of eight students from different undergraduate programs who were selected through an internal process. The group will represent UNISO in League of Legends eSports championships, the leading game in the global electronic sports scene.
It is worth remembering that the aforementioned LoL and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, for example, have had or still have teams represented by retail and technology stores, as well as nationally known football clubs such as Santos, Flamengo, and even Corinthians FC, reflecting the subject's growing relevance.
The event also featured cosplay performances and open areas where visitors could play and test the equipment.
The Games Laboratory, or GameLab, is located in Block F at UNISO's Cidade Universitária campus on Rod. Raposo Tavares, km 92.5, in Sorocaba, and may also lead to future new game-related investments in the city.
