Get Your Game On...

So this kid above you see here qualified along with me in the Tetris tournament that took place at CyberBox LAN Centre. With that under our belt we progress towards the CyberBox All Star weekend where we will compete with the other contestants that qualified for part of a $100,000 prize pool. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon if I do say so myself. CyberBox LAN Centre hosts a lot of tournament and at varying times to cater to the needs of the many over the weekend. Friday Night Fights are slated as Fighting games night so people tend to come out in support and play Ultra Street Fighter 4 and Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution. If you think you have the skills to play or just looking for a fun way to spend your Friday night you should definitely come down and check it out.

Then on Saturdays currently CyberBox is running a cross country tour promotion alongside RJR and travel to various parts of Jamaica for a day filled with fun and games for the masses. Typically though Saturdays are when they have Call Of Duty and League of Legends. Check out this short wrap up of what has been happening so far.

Then moving into Sundays is when FIFA and Tetris take center stage. So feel free to come support the venue and play in some games. As 2015 progresses we have some events coming up in the world of gaming that should be marked down in your calendar:

With so many tournaments happening what are you waiting for?

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One Small Step For The Empire; One Giant Leap For Jamaica!

Representing Jamaica worldwide, the son of Tony Johnson and Melody Frazer continues to push the envelope for eSports in Jamaica. Bringing his experience from the trenches of the eSports industry from abroad, TriForce Johnson has made some aggressive moves at the start of the year to make sure that eSports continues to improve in Jamaica.

This morning, January 26, 2015 TriForce was a guest on the RJR 94’s “Guest Room”. Paula Anne Porter and Alan Magnus interviewed him in regards to his past growing up as a gamer, to what he’s doing now with Empire Arcadia and his most recently contracted position at Cyberbox as their eSports Ambassador for the LAN Centre at Halfway Tree in Kingston Jamaica. Have a listen to the recording or watch the playback (RJR Link: http://www.rjr94fm.com/sites/default/files/podcasts/2015-01-26%2007-39-59%20JAMAICA%20MORNING%20Monday.mp3 or via Cyberbox YouTube Channel below.

Let’s find out more about some of the topics TriForce covered while he was on the show today.

Q. Welcome back to Jamaica TriForce. You left in September of 2014 and now you’re back in January 2015, what brings you back to Jamaica?

A. The food and the air. *laughs* Seriously speaking, Cyberbox is the real reason I’m back in Jamaica. I spoke with the Director of the company and we engaged in some serious talks about eSports and some of the initiatives he had in mind. I like his aggressive approach and he likes some of the things I’ve done in eSports. He then offered me a contracted position as Cyberbox’s eSports Ambassador to help him launch his eSports League.

The position comes with sponsorship and all of the trimmings. I honestly was pretty shocked in a sense. I discussed with him what is it that he wants to do and he said that he wants to provide the resources to the Jamaica’s gaming community so that it can be respected as a legitimate eSports scene. There were a lot of things that we see eye to eye on in terms of being aggressive in this endeavor and taking the necessary risks to make things happen. So my job now is to use my 13 year experience in the gaming industry and the accolades of my teams brand to position Cyberbox as the authority in eSports for Jamaica.

Q. As Cyberbox’s eSports Ambassador can you give some examples of how you plan to accomplish that goal?

A. Well honestly, Cyberbox gives me a distinct advantage. Of all the partnerships I’ve had recently, we’ve had to work from the rock bottom, up. That is one of the most difficult things to do and the success rate isn’t high. With Cyberbox’s resources such as their LAN center, vision and flexibility; it really makes my job a bit easier to perform. I’m able to onboard international sponsors such as Noscope because of the flexibility of the Cyberbox Executive team.

Cyberbox provides real measurable opportunities through their venue. It enables us to set up direct sales for sponsored products and services. From mobile phone cards and top up’s to video games and video game accessories. Their desire to uniform teams and create a professional environment for competitive gaming is what every eSports scene throughout the Caribbean should aspire to. These elements gives me the ammunition to approach potential sponsors with real opportunities to expand on the eSports initiative here in Jamaica. When I look at companies like PUMA, LIME, Wisynco, Inctomex and more, I can see the real integration of their sponsorship opportunities with the Cyberbox eSports League.

Before that it was tough because we had to put together community based resources along with the Empire Arcadia team brand and even with that, honestly it isn’t enough at times. This would put me in the position to put out 120% more effort than what was fairly needed to complete the required job of our sponsors. Thank goodness I had the help of some professionals who are passionate about eSports in Jamaica like Wayne Benjamin of the Lab Video Game TV. His work ethic is to be admired and was key to setting up the early landscape for eSports in Jamaica last year, that we work with now.

Q. ePro, eLearning and eSports; three things I heard you mention on the radio broadcast. Embellish on those three elements for us?

A. Technology is the future. It has always been the future. When you look at society from a global point of view, everything that we do from banking to mailing, to learning, sports, music, etc… all has been evolved by technology. The use of the lower case letter “e” before any of these words signifies “electronic”. Thus for Banking then, it’s now eBanking today. For Mail then you have eMail. The same goes for Sports in the traditional sense we call electronic competition eSports today.

For Cyberbox however it is more than just eSports. Cyberbox has a responsibility to Jamaica to provide more than just entertainment through technology. Jamaica needs the development tools to empower people today and our children tomorrow so that Jamaica can have a brighter future.  LIME’s CEO Garry Sinclair embraces this very same concept and has helped turn around the LIME brand. It is that visionary persona that attracts us to LIME as we have similar outlooks on what technology can do for Jamaica as a whole.

One of the key projects that Cyberbox is working on is its eLearning initiatives. We are very excited about this because we are working on a unique formula to combine the competitive aspect of eSports with the ability to learn. This would make learning not only fun but competitive. Something that would drive our children to learn more. In the United States and various countries around the world, there are scholarships that comes from games. MLG (Major League Gaming) has done it and so has EVO to name a few. That is needed here in Jamaica, tremendously and Cyberbox is the working on making that happen, this YEAR!

Q. You mention that Saturday January 31st, 2015 that Cyberbox would be launching its “Cyberbox eSports League Open”, what can we expect from the league’s launch?

A. The Cyberbox eSports League Open is the first of many events that Cyberbox will be hosting throughout the year. The open will feature FIFA 2015, League of Legends and Candy Crush. Now I know some of you may be thinking “Candy Crush?” Yes, Candy Crush. This game is one of the most played puzzle games in the world and is a gate way game. The problem people see in it is that usually played on a phone. This should not be a problem as Pokemon is played on a Handheld and the Pokemon World Championships has thousands of competitors.

This game gives ladies yet another path to enter competitive gaming despite not being exclusive to their gender. I know some ladies that would destroy guys at Candy Crush and it’s a simple game. Especially older ladies like mothers etc. The real issue is that the game needs an opportunity and we want to give it that opportunity. With the right partner and sponsor, Cyberbox envisions a wonderful experience that may not be matched by any other game in Jamaica outside of FIFA. Our idea sponsor and or partner would be LIME. We’re working on finalizing an agreement with them to continue the eSports Integration initiative that I started with them late last year.

Going back to our main game FIFA, well that game speaks for itself. It’s FIFA and this is the #1 played console game in Jamaica. After the Cyberbox Open then it will host the Cross Country Tour and the All-Star Finals, then the actual Cyberbox eSports League Season starts and we’ll introduce other games like Dota2, Halo 2, Call of Duty AW, Super Smash Wii U, and more.

Q. Controversial question here. You stated that you’ve worked with Digicel and LIME in developing eSports for Jamaica in 2014 but you said that you prefer to work with LIME because you like the way they do business along with their involvement regarding the Youth which caters more to your style. Please go into depth with us why you choose LIME?

A. The first thing I want to do is express the professional pleasure I had completing the work we did with Digicel regarding the eSport DigiCup Championship back in July 2014. If not for that first footprint we would not have gotten this far in Jamaica regarding eSports. I learned a lot working with a corporate giant like Digicel which prepared me to create my next eSports project with LIME.

My preference to LIME has nothing to do with either of their services, it’s literately Garry Sinclair. He is a leader that walks among the people he leads. The man comes on LIVE STREAM to answer questions from his consumers. He provides information to the people about the direction of LIME and its services. He reminds me of a much more mature and experienced version of myself. His work ethic is without question. He has a continued interested in technology and entertainment and we need that from a corporate giant like LIME if we are going to do eSports right in Jamaica. No one person or entity can do this. This is not to say we can’t have a leader but we need all hands on deck to make this work. Cyberbox has the resources, experience, innovation and vision to lead as the authority in eSports for Jamaica but that alone is not enough. We still need powerful partners and significant sponsorship to make this a successful venture.

Q. The Cyberbox eSports Cross Country Tour. What is that and when does that happen?

A. The Cyberbox eSports Cross Country Tour is a 7 week tour that starts out of the Cyberbox venue here in Kingston and passes through every region in Jamaica. Here is the schedule:
• Sports Day – Saturday, Jan 31 (Pre event: Cyberbox Springs Plaza, Kingston)
• Sports Day – Saturday, Feb 7 (Event 1: Jesse Ripoll Primary, Kingston)
• Sports Day – Saturday, Feb 14 (Port Antonio High, Portland)
• Sports Day – Saturday, Feb 21 ( Manchester High, Mandeville)
• Sports Day – Saturday, Feb 28 (Godfrey Stewart High, Sav-la-mar)
• Sports Day – Saturday, March 7 (Dinthill High, Linstead)
• Sports Day – Saturday, March 14 (All-Star eSports Finals: Cyberbox Springs Plaza, Kingston)

Cyberbox will be hosting a FIFA tournament, Candy Crush Tournament and a Tetris Ultimate Celebrity Challenge for 6 weeks which will end in Cyberbox for the All-Stars Finals for the championships. It will be the first eSports Cross Country Tour in the Caribbean ever. In fact the last Cross Country Tour eve hosted was Walter Day who is the Founder of eSports itself and that was back in 1983.

This tour will effectively spread eSports throughout the entire country and lay down the strongest foundation for eSports in Jamaica and possibly throughout the Caribbean. It is this type of aggressive campaign that we need to show others just how serious Jamaica is when it comes to eSports. With the full coverage provided by the RJR Communications group with Radio and TV; from TVJ, JNN, RETV and TVJ Sports Network, this will be the most comprehensive coverage for eSports in Jamaica and most certainly throughout the Caribbean. What better way for Jamaica to open up with eSports in 2015 than this.

Q. What’s your trade secret in getting sponsors on board for these eSports projects that you do in the different countries that you visit?

A. Honestly, there is no trade secret. My experience, passion and persistence is what gets the job done. It doesn’t always work. Some people are just too short sighted to see down the road. Let me tell you a story. In the United States, I engaged a sponsor for a digital eyewear product called Noscope and they decided to give our brand team a chance. I told them straight up what our team was about, what we’ve done and what we plan to do for them with Empire Arcadia’s global eSports initiative starting with the United States, to the Caribbean, then out to Africa and back.

They were skeptical but fair. Then we got some disbelievers telling Noscope that it was the worst decision that they’ve ever made sponsoring our brand team. With the integrity that Noscope has, they decided to let us show and prove. They were not interested in word of mouth. We are #5 out of 10,000 + accounts that they have. They are glad to have us and we are glad to have them as a true sponsorship. The integrity they showed us by standing by what work we do and not the fear of those who may influence others to not give us a chance is so much appreciated.

The same thing happen with Cyberbox and we found it funny. In my 1 week of work we have covered so much terrain and created so much ground breaking opportunities for Jamaica to effectively and significantly quadruple the eSports progress in just the first quarter alone in 2015. For me and Empire Arcadia, I’ve recently learned that it’s not how many partnerships and sponsors that you have on board but the integrity of your partners and sponsors who stand by the work you do for them.  At the end of the day this is business right? So what matters most is not what people say but the grade of the work you do that satisfy the people and your sponsors and partners.

Q. What can we expect from you in the immediate future?

A. I’m working with Cyberbox right now to lay down some real bedrock as a foundation for eSports in Jamaica and when I’m satisfied with that work, then my next move is to Africa where I can join my partner from Nex Gen who is working on similar initiatives to help develop the final frontier for eSports in Africa. My partner Nathan in Africa is working on a “Rally” game which we are in talks with having a Beta Tournament for the game here at Cyberbox. This would be to support the completion of the game’s development. Don’t be surprised if Cyberbox pops up in Africa in the future.

Right now, I just want to focus on the plans that we have for Jamaica and that is to onboard and integrate the potential sponsors that we are engaging with such as LIME and other sponsors that we can’t mention right now. You’ll hear more from Cyberbox before we even reach the middle of this week. First I want to thank you for the platform again Zalgo, it’s great to be back in Jamaica. I want to thank my sponsors NoScope Glasses, Cyberbox and DigiGear Pro. I want to also thank our supporters LIME, RJR Group, Guinness World Record, The Lab Video Game TV and all the remaining members in Empire Arcadia who understand the goal and the vision. Excelsior!

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Companies Are Stepping Up To Play Ball

Huzzah! Excelsior! Yatta! And any other source of exciting affirmation you can find. The first major company to take the plunge full on into eSports has made their voice be heard. Ya friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh got the oppurtunity to sit down with a gentleman being heralded as the first bridge of progress to the future. A tech saavy and forward thinking man by the name of Tafari Hendrick; owner and operator of CyberBox LAN Centre. He was kind enough to answer a few questions about what he is working towards and his hopes for this business venture.

Introduce yourself and position

Tafari Hendricks is a Microsoft Certified Professional and Managing Director of Cyberbox Jamaica Limited And Optimus Software Limited. A Enterprise Software Engineer, Certified Local Area Network and Industrial Electrical Specialist with over 15years of experience, boasting some of Jamaica’s largest institutions as Clients.

Q. What is Cyberbox, when and why did you open it here in Kingston Jamaica?
Cyberbox is all about innovation; we are the first LAN Center in Jamaica, boasting 72 computer systems & the fastest internet in Jamaica. Undoubtedly the PC Gaming Mecca of Jamaica; to put things into perspective, we embrace education but like to provide entertainment as well. Our 2,000 SQF Facility was designed to fuel the body and mind in an ergonomically engineered setting for maximum efficiency.

Q. Since its opening how has the reception been? 
We Opened Cyberbox Lan Centre On Sept 9th, 2014 after 3 months of innovative design and construction. Since then the reception from a wide demographic of Jamaicans has been fantastic. Our customer base has increased by over 300% month over month and a 800 response comprehensive market research survey was done outlining the positive satisfaction level of our customers.

Q. Can you go into a bit of details of the staff and administration behind running Cyberbox?
At Cyberbox we’re proud of our high customer service standing, we employ 6 full time technical customer service representatives to assist customers will all their technology related needs. 2 Cashiers man a fully stocked beverage and snack bar, supported by a 2 member highly effective supervisory and management team. We have 3 highly skilled and continuously trained Network and Computer Engineers that keeps the motors of CyberBox running 7 days per week 15 hours per day. All Backed up by a super talented 3 member team boasting skills in graphic design, photography, video production, web site development and social media management.

Q. You recently flew in some help to get Cyberbox moving in the direction of eSports. Can you embellish on this news?
Yes. We were fortunate to attract the owner and manager of the Guinness World Record Team, Empire Arcadia, Mr. Triforce Johnson as our eSports ambassador and consultant. With Triforce’s reputation and winning track record it was a no brainer when the opportunity presented itself to marry his expertise and experience with the CyberBox Brand. His first task and priority is to continue the gains made in eSports over the last 2-3 years and solidifying existing relationships while generating new ones to make sure Jamaica does not miss out on the lucrative Global eSports Industry.

Q. What's the future of Cyberbox in eSports for Jamaica?

Cyberbox will continue to assist the Jamaican competitive gaming community by providing the use of our venue, resources, corporate outreach and more further develop the eSports in Jamaica. We are doing everything we can to help, from bringing in experienced eSports developers such as Triforce of Empire Arcadia who is creating opportunities and building bridges for Cyberbox to approach potential sponsors such as LIME, Digicel, RJR Group, Wisynco, PUMA and more, to us engaging in partnerships with gaming community entities such as Fighters Allegiance Jamaica, Swallowtail Sports and others. It is important for us to do this so that we can forge a cohesive independent eSports infrastructure for Jamaica. In this we support the “Jamaica G.A.M.E.S.” initiative.

Further down the road we are looking to expand Cyberbox eSports initiative internationally and eventually go global. We are going to announce our “Cyberbox eSports League” which will feature FIFA 2015, League of Legends, Call of Duty: AW, Tetris, Candy Crush, and Hearthstone. We are also open to host other games like Smash Wii U, Ultra Street Fighter 4, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 where we can talk with various tournament organizers throughout the community and possibly collaborate in using our venue to host other games for other competitive community brands. This provides everyone with the opportunity contribute to the further development of eSports for Jamaica. 

Any last comments and thanks?

We would like to thank the community for their support since we’ve open our doors. We are well aware of the number of gamers throughout Jamaica. We have a population of 1.3 million people and we know that a significant amount of people play video games, whether on their phone, tablet, computer, handheld or console. This is the perfect time for the community to rise up and show the companies in Jamaica that we are ready for eSports and that their support is needed and appreciated. I look forward to seeing everyone continue to come out and support Cyberbox. Finally, thank you Rion for taking the time to provide us with this platform to share information of our service brand directly with the gaming community here in Jamaica.

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