Cade Esports looks to foster collaborativeness through Events and partnerships. The community is an integral part of the Esports Ecosystem. Without this part, the structure of Esports will collapse. The components of Esports will be missing its heart. In Nigeria and the world, each Esports game title has its own community. Regardless of these game titles having different communities, all of them fall under the Esports Community.
Let's get a deeper meaning and the needs of the Esports community;
The Esports Community is all the different parts of communities. An Esports community is a group of people who share a common interest in competitive video gaming. This community encompasses players, fans, content creators, analysts, and other individuals who are passionate about the world of esports. They come together to watch, discuss, and participate in esports events, fostering a sense of belonging and shared excitement. The community includes Players, Tournament organisers and Fans alike. Gaming Influencers have commented on the state of the Esports community. This brings us to the needs of the community.
The Needs “Cyberspace holds out the possibility that new forms of sport participation and sociality can be created in terms of game-making, game-playing, and norm-making within games". There are several things that the Esports community needs, some of them have been cited in the research by “Andy Miah”, titled “How do esports companies support their community’s wellness?” published in the International Journal of Esports. These needs are;
Reduced toxicity and stronger bond
A healthy lifestyle of gamers
Gender Inclusion
Toxicity and Stronger Bond (healthy bond) - Several game developers and publishers have sorted ways to curb toxicity in the gaming community. Activision’s Code of Conduct emphasises the principles of respect, responsibility and fairness within the competition, breaches of which may imply removal from the game environment if the rules are broken. Riot Games launched ‘Learn with League’ an educational programme seeking to support young people to integrate their gaming activity with wider learning development. Both from _ article. This development will help the Community reduce toxicity, as the community knows their actions will have repercussions.
Healthy players - there was an increase in the concerns of players and casual gamers. There seems to be a surge in the screen time of the Esports community compared to other activities. And so the emergence of the EA’s Healthy Communities Player Council. This was geared towards enlightening the players on healthy habits. Likewise, there is an increase in the number of health workers in the Esports scene, helping players with their posture and eating diets.
Inclusion - AnyKey (which is sponsored by ESL and Intel) sees itself as a body that promotes Integrity and Inclusion. AnyKey promotes the inclusion of females in this male-dominated space. Other organisations in Nigeria look to integrate women into the gaming space like Women Game Jam Nigeria, amongst others.
The 10 million Naira Cage24, hosts 11 game titles in it. and with it comes collaboration and togetherness within different Esports communities (E.g Codm, PUBG Mobile, Freefire communities etc), which will then further translate to the overall Esports community. Another solution, which Cade Esports is using to promote togetherness in the Esports community is partnership with top influencers. In light of this, PlayWithTomide, the first gaming influencer in Nigeria, is an ambassador of Cade Esports.
As a gaming influencer, Tomide has gained followers from different genres of games, especially EAFC (FKA FIFA). A report by Nexal Gaming shows he is one of the top content creators in Nigeria with over 25 thousand followers on TikTok and over 70 thousand on Instagram. As the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Tomide can be quoted saying he wants to bring the Nigerian Esports community to the world stage. This is the same vision that Cade Esports wants to paint to the world.
It is true that partnership yields growth, according to Birger Wernerfelt (Resources-based view). That is why Cade has partnered with Gamepride, Aniwe, GameEvo, Africa Comicade and many more for CAGE24. The collaboration with Nexal Gaming was important because Nexal Gaming is the leading organization in terms of Local Esports News and publicity. GameEvo is essential to this partnership because of their track records on tournament organization. Cade partnership with other organisations is not just to promote their event but a way to set an example for everyone else in the industry.
The need for the Esports community ranges from health to collaboration. This is not a local issue but an international concern. Kudos should be given to any organisation that stands up to tackle any of these hindrances. Kudos should be given to Cade Esports. Cade Esports has picked its Niche in the issues affecting the Esports community. With Tournament organisation and Partnerships, Cade Esports wants to breed togetherness in the Esports scene. It is commendable the amount of partnerships Cade Esports has done, to foster growth in the Esports community from other organizations to influencers and even players.
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