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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The Hits Keep Coming: DOTA 2 Takes Center Stage

Well things are certainly growing fast in the gaming scene for Jamaica. This week we introduce you to a young man who seeks to be the driving force behind the Dota 2 Community here in Jamaica. Even though the scene is still in its infancy, the group is passionate and enthusiastic about their game and seek to grow their community accordingly. Say hello to Prince Royal...

1. Politely Introduce yourself (Name, Game and community)

A. Hey I am Prince Royal and I'm a Dota 2 Enthusiast and Pro-Gamer. I currently lead the Dota 2 Jamaica community that hosts Dota 2 tournaments locally and within the Caribbean region.

2. How long have you been playing Dota2 casually and competitively?

A. I've been playing Dota since 2012 when my friends at UWI introduced it to me. I started playing Dota 2  late 2013/ early 2014 causally and then competitively later on in 2014.

3. Where do you want to see Dota2 in Jamaica go? Also what are you doing to help get it there?

A. I want to see Jamaican teams represented in the the official Dota 2 international competitions. What we're doing for Dota 2 in Jamaica is currently forming unions and recognizing local talents in Dota 2 through tournament hosting. We're doing this in conjuction with Tandem, Cyberbox LAN Center and Triforce & Co. with JA G.A.M.E.S. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/JamaicaGames/)

4. In comparison to the world where on the competitive scale do you think the Dota2 players in Jamaica are?

A. In comparison to the world on a competitive scale, Dota 2 players in Jamaica rivals among top players in the game. If you don't believe me be sure to check out "FIRST BLOOD"  a live Dota 2 tournament to be held in Kingston, Jamaica in March 2015.

5. Has there been an official Dota2 tournament in Jamaica yet? If not do you plan to host any and where if you do?

A. There has never been a Dota 2 tournament in Jamaica to date (not that I know of to say the least). But as I said earlier we are planning a major live Dota 2 tournament in Jamaica to be held at Cyberbox Lan Center for more details you can check out our Facebook page and join our community group "Dota 2 Jamaica" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1530182720569138/).

6. How can we contact you (twitter and facebook) and where can we find your community here in Jamaica?

A. We currently don't have a physical location at the moment but we are looking at venues such as Cyberbox Lan Center and other potential venues that would be able to accommodate a healthy turn out for a Dota2 tournament. You may contact us directly through the Dota 2 Jamaica Facebook community page if you have any questions. I hope to see you at our tournaments in the near future! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1530182720569138/)

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Here Comes A New Challenger: League Of Legends Is On The Scene

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gamers of all ages; welcome to another interview with your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. Continuing our coverage of eSports and the various faces representing it here in Jamaica I present to you the driving force behind the League Of Legends community for Jamaica; Khadeed Fearon.

Q. Welcome to the blog, could you please introduce yourself for all the readers?

A. Hello, my name is Khadeed Fearon. I’m a League of Legends player in the Jamaica gaming community. I also play Street Fighter and I’m working on getting back into Counter Strike.

Q. eSports is becoming a movement in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean and a lot of people are stepping up to the plate to help lead in the task of setting up a foundation for eSports in Jamaica. What role do you play in the Jamaican eSports scene?

A. I work as a eSports Community Manager for Jamaica through an organization called “Jamaican G.A.M.E.S.” It stands for Jamaican Gamers Association in Multimedia Entertainment and Services. It used to be called Caribbean G.A.M.E.S. but it got changed recently for some reason due to something big that is happening in the Caribbean as a whole. The organization consist of the Island’s premiere tournament director and organizer Andrew Johnson. Wayne Benjamin who is the CEO of The LabVideo Game TV., Gregory Moore who owns Str8Games where you can find the latest video games on the Island and Triforce Johnson who founded the organization and is Jamaica’s eSports Architect and Consultant.

Q. The whole paradigm for eSports in Jamaica is rather diverse. What do you think are the games that will really push Jamaica forward into the future?

A. There are different types of gamers throughout Jamaica and we all play something differently, whether that may be competitively or casually. Based on my experience I’ve seen games likes Tekken, Street Fighter, Smash Bros. at our yearly tournament Mash Di Button. Although those games are popular in their own right, it’s really games like FIFA and League of Legends that pushes the island when it comes to eSports.

I’m a part of the growing League of Legends community and I’m working with them to push their tournaments throughout Jamaica. I use social media tools like Facebook to help me. There are gaming groups like LoLJa (https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoLJa/) and websites like http://lol-swallowtail.rhcloud.com/ that we use to support and foster the community. For the most part that is what is used for League of Legends. 

Our country’s main game “FIFA” is literately headed by Empire Arcadia’s FIFA team called The Silverbirds. The Manager’s name is Dean Barnnett and he has been running 90% of the FIFA tournaments long before I even got into the whole eSports thing. There are other games like Call of Duty, I don’t want to leave them out as the community has run a few tournaments as well for them. Most of these tournaments listings can be found in the Facebook group communities; mainly FAJ (Fighters Allegiance Jamaica).

Q. From your point of view what is the status of the progress coming along for eSports in Jamaica?

A. Before 2014, it was just local tournaments we could run from the community. We have one widely regarded yearly major and that’s Mash Di Button. Andrew Johnson has been doing that for about 3 years now I think. When Triforce came down to the Island earlier this year he and Andrew teamed up to revolutionize and commercialize the eSports exposure to the masses. It was obvious that some significant events were in the making.

Digicel and LIME, both of which are our telecommunication giants got involved and hosted a couple of tournaments between the two of them. You even have non tele-communications companies like Intcomex who have been hosting a yearly LAN tournament. Not too long ago we helped organize a League of Legends tournament at the Cyber Box Lan Centre with more to come in January 2015.

Q. Can you explain to my readers how does your group operate to get things done for eSports in Jamaica?

A. We’ll start from the top, first you have Triforce who set up the structure for it. This is his primary role as our eSports Consultant. From what I can say, he designed the whole system and  positions based on our strengths and that allows us to complete the task that best serves the community. He also brings in foreign help in terms of sponsors and supporters of the tournaments such as soon to be major supporter MVG (Multimedia Video Games).

Next you have Wayne Benjamin who pretty much covers all the media for us. Honestly without him the true coverage of eSports throughout Jamaica is impossible. If you look at his work on Youtube or TV on Channel 100 Flow you will see that he gives us the true professional coverage that we need so that people can look at our scene with respect and integrity. Not to add to fine a point on it but communication is key and through his media resources he is able to provide the entire country with info about the community, new games and tournaments.

Then there is Greg from Str8games. Greg takes care of all our tournament gaming logistics. He has supplied LIME for their eSports integration challenge that they had in the fall through J.A.G (Jamaica G.A.M.E.S) and even before in past tournament. He has a game store in Sovereign Kingston and he’s our go to guy when it comes to that.

There is myself, which I mentioned earlier in my role as the Community Manager for League of Legends.

Finally you have the head of FAJ Andrew Johnson, a core piece to the whole strucutre from what we're doing. Everything that's done has to be relayed to him as he's the organizer for the grand scheme of things for the future Esports' Tournament lifestyle. As I stated before he’s our fearless leader and overall tournament director (T.O.). I gather relevant information on established or up and coming gaming scenes and present that information to Andrew who takes that and ascertains how to best support and incorporate that scene.

As you can see, the system works and although it’s very young it serves our scene well. I can see where we can and will improve. That alone brings promising results for future for eSports in Jamaica.

Q. What are the big eSports tournaments that you think we should look out for in 2015 in Jamaica?

A. For 2015 based on what I know when I last spoke to Andrew, you obviously have our premiere yearly tournament "Mash Di Button". Then there is foreign company called MVG that Triforce is introducing to Jamaica in hopes of being our first and primary international sponsor. Intcomex I think is going to be running a LAN tournament again. Then you have the big boys LIME and Digicel that will be hosting something again for 2015. Now that they have some time to prepare I think it’s going to be bigger and better this time around. Finally you have tournaments for League of Legends that I’ll be helping to run along with COD and more. 2015 is going to be a BIG year for eSports in Jamaica.

Q. Do you have anything to say in closing?

A. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with me Zalgo_Cometh. I know you do a lot for Jamaica behind the scene. You’re invaluable and a huge player in this whole thing. I also want to thank the gaming at large, all the supporter both corporate and otherwise and finally my friends and family for supporting me and all I do.

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The Man, The Mystery, The Martyr...

e-Sports! This is a word many will come to know in the days, weeks, and months ahead here in Jamaica. Fighter's Allegiance Jamaica, Str8 Games, and The Lab GameTV have answered the call to battle and currently are teaming up with LIME Jamaica to spread the good word of competitive gaming also referred to as e-Sports. How did this happen you might ask? Where did the initiative and infrastructure come from to facilitate a corporate investment in such a new and emerging market? Well let me introduce you to the man who started it all, a man who has seen the best and the worst of what the competitive gaming scene has to offer; CEO of Empire Arcadia, Isaiah-Triforce M. Johnson. I managed to get a quick interview with him so please take the time to educate yourself on the man so many love to hate...

1. What is your name?
My name is Isaiah-Triforce M. Johnson.

2. Is that your legal name?
Yes.

3. How did you come about such a name and why did you decide to make it as your legal name?
My friends didn’t want to call me GameMaster and tried to find a name for me. They knew I loved the Legend of Zelda a lot and they eventually came up with Triforce. It didn’t really end there though. My Father told me that your real name is the name you give yourself, not the name you are given at birth. I didn’t want to disrespect my Father by removing my first name so I amended it to my first name and that is why you get Isaiah Triforce Johnson. Everyone calls me Triforce for short though.


4. What exactly is Empire Arcadia?
Empire Arcadia is a Development Company for Digital Entertainment, Culture, Community, Industry & eSports. The organization has an eSports team named after the company and we use the exposure that we get from competition and winning to bring attention the organizations other services.

5. What is E-Sports?
eSports is just the modern name for competitive gaming. Its origin came about in 1999 around the CPL tournaments when gamers wanted to change the term to be more commercially viable. A lot of gamers got turned away from sponsors when they went to them asking for sponsorship for playing “video games”. Back then and even still now, the concept of paying someone money to pay video games is not appealing. Thus the moniker “eSports” was created to give outside business the true concept and vision of what Walter Day had laid the foundation down for competitive gaming. From that point on, more and more businesses get what we mean by eSports and have helped expand competitive gaming tremendously.

6. How does the Empire Arcadia represent and impact E-Sports?
Our team is one of the oldest teams to date. We pride ourselves on that. Over the years the team has scene players come and go and right now we’re looking to adapt to the ever evolving eSports industry. As new games come into play we are working with new players to help maintain this historic legacy brand.

In terms of our impact on eSports, I would like to think we've made a significant impact. I think we can do a whole lot more but the brand team has brought exposure to eSports on a commercial level throughout various countries around the world. The United States and Europe as a whole doesn’t really need our help. However areas like the Jamaica, St. Maarten and other island’s throughout the Caribbean, along with countries like Belize in Central America and Kenya in Africa are all areas that we’ve been working to develop eSports in. So far I’m confident that we’re coming along well. We recently just finished a integrated eSports project with LIME Jamaica.

7. What has the business accomplished in order to reach their goals?
Over the years we've accomplished a lot from the grassroots community. Of recent our goal to bring eSports to my home country Jamaica has seen tremendous success. This is all part in thanks to our partners Andrew Johnson of Fighters Allegiance Jamaica, Gregory Moore of Str8 Games and Wayne Benjamin of The Lab Video Game TV. With their help Empire Arcadia has been able to work with telecommunication giants such as LIME Jamaica and Digicel Jamaica to lay down the first corporate backed eSports tournaments in Jamaica.

Our most accomplished goal is the amount of competitions and world championships that we have won. We've won so much that we have the Guinness World Record for the most tournaments won by a video game team. We are nearing our milestone of 2,000 tournament wins, which at our pace we should reach before the end of the first quarter in 2015.

8. Wow that’s pretty impressive, where can people check out more information on your records and Guinness World Records?
You can check out our record on the Guinness World Record Page

9. Who are the main players in the business who have helped the business reach where it is today?
The main players that have helped me with the business reach its goal are not necessarily here. Although many of the champions are now on new teams, for Empire Arcadia to be here, that is credit goes to the unsung players who don’t necessarily just compete. Players such as Royal “Lance” Eustache, Phillip “KDZ” Atkinson, Todd Rogers, Arthur “Red” Hill and many more who are not in the spot light, all have helped maintain the organization to this point.

10. What made you decide to approach E-Sports and its development as your life’s goal?
Originally, I was just a casual gamer; as were we all. Some time around 2006 I realized the true potential of Empire Arcadia. The organization became bigger than myself and then submitted to my position to serve it. Since then I’ve also realized that eSports in its purity is really the advancement technology and entertainment. This can aid in human evolution and because I love video games so much, I have accepted this as one of my life’s work.

11. What have been some recent projects that you and the Empire Arcadia been spearheading?
Well right now our major focus is preparing a new front line of players for 2015. Along with building a League of Legends team. I’m currently working as an eSports consultant and architect for a new gaming league by laying down its foundation throughout several countries around the world. This is a pretext to what is going to come in 2015.

I don’t want to say much because everything launches in 2015 but what I can give out is their social media information at now. The League is called the MVG. It stands for Multimedia Video Game League. You can visit their Facebook Page and you can also follow them on their twitter page which is @MVG_League.

The Global eSports initiative that I’m currently working on for MVG directly affects the Caribbean and Central America for 2015. Our mission is to help bolster the eSports landscape; by partnering up with existing eSports foundations in Jamaica such as Caribbean Games and the Belize Gaming League in Belize. The professional services along with its commercially viable image will grant both entities international support and strengthen the integrity of the eSports industry in these key locations. Keep your eyes on their social media pages for upcoming news.

12. What do you think is the potential for e-Sports across multiple gaming genre?
We haven’t even scratched the surface of eSports true potential. Despite the fact that there are too many gamers and games out there, the demand is still high. Which is a good thing by the way. When we eventually get to the point of creating a Global eSports Network, I think that is when we will see the true potential of competitive gaming which will dwarf the combined accomplishment of what traditional sports has done for us in terms of entertainment. That statement may come as a surprise to many, but eSports has something that traditional sports does not have to help it evolve and that is technology.

With technology the world is literately and I stress literately is at our finger tips. No matter who you are or what you do, the technology in video games and the multimedia platforms that they are available in such as phones, tablets, handhelds, arcades, computers and consoles just opens up the world to not only spectate but also participate in a way traditional sports does not.

13. How well do you think implementing a better E-Sports influence in a region such as Central America will benefit the region?
Developing eSports in Central America is “CRITICAL”. I didn’t just randomly decide to go to Belize and set up eSports there with the ambitious eSports director Ahijah Holland. This is a strategy. Just as Jamaica is the focal point for the Caribbean, Belize is a crucial point for Central America. It will be one of the merging points to connect the entire west to eSports. From the North American Union, down to Central America, connecting to South America and then throughout the Caribbean; which finally connects the entire Latin America region. We will be one step closer to our ultimate goal, a “Global eSports Network”. If I were you guys keep an eye out for Belize and Jamaica in 2015. There is a rivalry coming.

14. In closing what do you see as the potential end game scenario that you want to accomplish with E-Sports and Empire Arcadia?
The potential end game for Empire Arcadia in eSports is to become one of the world leaders in this industry. We’ve already partly accomplished that in the competitive element. Now we need to follow suit from the business stand point. This is why the organization is taken a slightly different approach as we head towards 2015.

Well that is about it from your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh, as we forge ahead on this new path. Next big event upcoming is a League Of Legends tournament being held on the 27/11/14. Please do make the effort to come out and support the event as the more support these get the better they can grow to be. Until next time keep on gaming...

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eSports in Jamaica

Retrospect on the movers and shakers in eSports in Jamaica

2014 has been an exciting year for Jamaica for gaming and the industries that surround it. The gaming communities have strived to bring competitive gaming to the forefront for years but has not really made any significant progress until now. I would like to take the time to look at the key players that have made a big difference in the gaming scene here in Jamaica. Here is my top 5 movers and shakers for eSports in Jamaica.

5. Dean Barnnett

If you play FIFA competitively in Jamaica then you will know who Dean is. Founder of the Silverbirds Steel Pan Band, Dean is also the Captain and Manager of Empire Arcadia’s FIFA video game team. Dean hosts monthly FIFA tournaments at the Silver Birds manor located at 21 WestLake Richmond Park.

Dean’s multi-talent in management between his band and eSports division has earned him respect throughout the gaming community and peers in business alike. His band is renown throughout Jamaica as well as his FIFA Division which not only won the International Caribbean Championship for FIFA in St. Maarten in 2013 but has also won the Digicel DigiCup FIFA eSports Championship in Jamaica over the summer.

Dean continues to host his monthly FIFA Tournament which you can find more information about here: http://bit.ly/1ugir4p for more information on Dean you can contact him on his team’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireArcadia or follow on twitter at: @EmpireArcadia   

4. Gregory Moore

One of Jamaica’s premiere retailers for video games is Str8Games; owned by Gregory Moore. Gregory has worked with countless companies in Jamaica to host a number of video game oriented events. From providing video game equipment to structuring the event itself, you name it and Gregory has played a part in it.

Str8Games is currently in the planning phases to set up a local tournament series in Sovereign Mall in Kingston Jamaica. With his experience in direct business sales via retail and business development Gregory is one of the key players in the development of eSports in Jamaica and is the one to watch out for. 

You can find out more about Gregory and Str8Games at the stores Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/str8games or follow him on twitter at @str8gamesja

3. Wayne Benjamin

It’s a shame that a lot of people in Jamaica have no idea who “Wayne Benjamin” is. The fact of the matter is, Wayne is single handily responsible for Jamaica’s sole gaming channel “The Lab Video Game TV”. Aired on FLOW Channel 100, the Lab Video Game TV show case some of the newest video games out to date along with what is going on in the video game industry.

This is a huge contribution to gaming in Jamaica on so many levels. Of late Wayne has been focusing his attention on eSports in Jamaica by lending his resources and multi-year talents in filming to help develop eSports in Jamaica from the media end.

Wayne recently launched season 6 of The Lab Video Game TV series which focuses on the core development strategies for laying down the foundation of eSports in Jamaica. You can view the episode here: http://youtu.be/H17D579S_90 for more information and video content on the Lab Video Game TV you can check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TheLabVideoGameTV?fref=ts  or follow on twitter at: @TheLabGameTV

2. Andrew Johnson

Andrew is no stranger to competitive gaming in Jamaica. Not only is he a competitor he is also Jamaica’s premiere tournament director. Andrew manages one of Jamaica’s largest online social communities for gaming via Fighter’s Allegiance Jamaica on Facebook.

Andrew’s passion to see Jamaica move forward in eSports is shown through his hard work and dedication as he self-funded the National Jamaican eSports Tournament “Mash Di Button” which he founded. Andrew is one of the core components in making eSports work in Jamaica as he was instrumental for bringing international support for eSports to Jamaica to help lay down its foundation.

Andrew is now working behind the scene with key eSports enthusiast of like minds to ensure that competitive gaming will be a huge industry in Jamaica. For more information about Andrew check out his Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fightersallegianceja/ or follow on Twitter at: @FAllegianceja  

1. TriForce Johnson

A Jamaican Native comes home to master mind a plan to put his home country on the map in the eSports world. Triforce has created a network with members in the Jamaican gaming community and major companies both in Jamaica and the United States.

TriForce spent one year working behind the scene with Digicel while in the United States to set up the country’s Virtual World Cup tournament which has now created a rippling effect that has gained the attention of other major businesses in Jamaica to help spearhead eSports in Jamaica.

Continuing his work abroad, TriForce is slowly giving Jamaica international exposure in eSports to officially welcome the country to the industry. When at the Digicel FIFA Championships, TriForce dedicated his team Empire Arcadia’s; World Record for the most documented Tournament wins for a gaming team to the country of Jamaica in respect to his late mother who was buried in Jamaica in 2012. 

For more information on TriForce you can visit his Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/EMP.TriForce.GameMaster or follow him on Twitter at: @EMP_TriForce_GM

The future for gaming in Jamaica is bright and I would like to know your thoughts on other movers and shakers in Jamaica for eSports. So please leave your comments below and tell me who you think should have made this list. I’m really interested to know who else out there is helping to push the cause because they need the recognition as well. You can also follow me on Twitter at: @Mr_Gamehead and visit my Facebook page for more news on gaming in Jamaica and worldwide. 

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Question Time With The Emperor

Welcome to another Monday blog installment. Thanks for sticking with me in this transitional period of me not having any idea about what I want to write. So I have been ridiculously busy working in real life both at my day job as a VoIP engineer and my side job as a gamer aficionado to the world at large. For about a year now I have been trying to set plans in motion to embark on a journey to bring eSports to Jamaica on a corporate level. Months later and here we are with the world ambassador and advocate of competitive gaming Isaiah 'Triforce' Johnson as Digicel Jamaica becomes the first corporation to embrace the world of competitive gaming. I sat down for a quick Q & A with the man himself so others can get an understanding of who he is and what he brings to the table.

1. What is your full name and how did you get the name Triforce?
My full name is Isaiah TriForce Johnson. I added TriForce to my first name because a lot of my friends know me for being a huge Zelda fan. At first my friends just wanted to call me Zelda but I told them that is the Princess of the game and they did not agree with calling me Link. I’m not a bag guy so Ganon didn’t fit. Originally they did not like calling me GameMaster because in the arcades I use to put up TGM. It was my friend Robert Billings who then suggested TriForce and I agreed with it and the name stuck. I was able to still use TGM in arcades and if it allowed 4 letters I would put TFGM. It wasn’t until around 2002 I started putting EMP as my tag instead but that is because I wanted to pay tribute to my gaming team that I formed. 

2. Has your family always been supportive of your gaming and vision for the future?

Not my Mother so much but my Father does support and encourage me a lot to pursue my passions in gaming. In fact it was my very own Father that started it up for me as a gamer. He himself use to play Pac-man in the cab station that he use to take me to when he was working and getting ready to take me home from school.


3. Why do so many people feel the need to judge you as a bad person in the FGC?
I’m not from the Fighting Game Community and my outlook on a lot of things gaming never meshed with their sub-culture. I could go into a long drawn out story about it but to be honest, I’m at a point where it doesn’t even matter anymore. I have supporters and non-supportive people in the FGC and I’m fine with that. 50/50 is not bad and you can’t please everyone so that as good as it will get for me. What matters is that my fellow Nintendo gamers support my love for Nintendo and we share that common goal and bond. N4L

4. List 5 of your favorite or most respected non-EMP FGC members (Players/Organisers)?
Jason Cole - @AfroCole
Seth Killian - @sethkillian
LI Joe - @thisislijoe
Mr. Qurate - @MrQuaRate
Mike Ross -  @ThatMikeRossGuy

5. Why?
They all keep it real and hustle their passions hard.

6. Why did you decide to call your organization Empire Arcadia?
Arcades is where it really started for me. Yeah I played some game & watch, some table tops etc. however the whole culture behind it hit me at 4 for the arcade. All I saw was just people putting quarters in arcade machines and playing. I had to stand on crates to watch and I was memorized. As I got older I considered people who hung out at the arcades, “Arcadians”. Like American’s are to America. When I decided to give an official legal name to my community now turned organization, my goal was to create an Empire from born from the era of the Arcades. “Empire Arcadia”.


7. What exactly is Empire Arcadia and its function?
Empire Arcadia is a development organization that utilizes the talents, passions and innovations of its gamers to help further develop new and old elements in gaming such as, Fashion, Art, Music, Media, Education, Health, Competition, Technology, Entertainment etc. in Gaming. We just so happen to use our gaming team as the marketing team since winning draws attention.

8. What job would you have liked to pursue and why if you had not started Empire Arcadia?
Regardless that I created Empire Arcadia, I’m still going after that Community Manager and or Ambassador position for Nintendo. No if and or buts about it.

9. How has your overall experience in Jamaica been?
It’s spiritually invigorating to be home.

10. Any final words to the various gamers in Jamaica but also the world as per the future of competitive gaming and what it holds for the masses?
Everyone on the planet plays games and it is my obligatory duty to open as many gaming platforms, in as many countries in as many cities, in as many communities as I can in the world. Bless up Jamaica.

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