IOL Technology - July 2021

CONTENTS The GAMING edition

The rise of the gaming industry

Cape Town player qualifies for Fifa-e World Cup

Mobile gaming reaches the stratosphere

Virtual Reality gaming arcade opens in Cape Town

Five ways to make gaming your second income

Tips to maintaining good GAMING/LIFE BALANCE

Ideas to keep you busy during lockdown

How to build the perfect set-up at home

CONTACT US PUBLISHER Vasantha Angamuthu vasantha@africannewsagency.com EDITOR Wesley Diphoko wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za DESIGN Dominique Owen dominique.owen@inl.co.za PRODUCTION Renata Ford renata.ford@inl.co.za BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Keshni Odayan keshni.odayan@inl.co.za SALES Charl Reineke charl.reineke@inl.co.za ENQUIRIES iol.magazines@inl.co.za

The gaming industry saw a sudden growth in 2020 with usage reaching 87% from global internet users between Q4 2019 and Q2 2020.

The RISE of the Gaming industry WESLEY DIPHOKO wesley.diphoko@inl.co.za

THE lockdown has taken gaming to a new level. There are now as many gamers as there are people who watch TV. And this means that brands have a huge potential to reach new customers.

The gaming industry saw a sudden growth in 2020 with usage reaching 87% of global internet users between Q4 2019 and Q2 2020. It is anticipated that the industry will be worth $250 billion by 2025.

Traditionally, gaming has been a predominantly male domain but as at Q2 2020, 92% of females in the 16-24 age group were playing games.

Gaming in the 55-64 age group also increased, from 57% to 67%.

Smartphones are also contributing to the increase as users no longer have to buy an

expensive device to play.

Gaming giants are no longer each other’s biggest competition. Instead, the industry is widening and includes the social media and e-commerce behemoths who are making gaming a strategic priority. Roughly 2.5 billion people play games, even if many of these don’t count themselves as gamers, and so it’s little surprise that Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple are making big bets on gaming.

The pandemic has given the gaming industry an additional boost, as people turn to gaming to help pass the time in lockdown. In Australia, sales of gaming consoles soared by 285.6% in one week during March last year.

Virtual reality is a branch of gaming that has been making inroads beyond entertainment.

Its use in fitness programmes has been growing – for example, letting cyclists do the

Tour de France route virtually on a stationary bike. The use of gaming technology is also on the rise in the health sector, as an aid for physical rehabilitation, for example.

In this issue of IOL Tech, we have some good news about a young South African who will take part in a global gaming competition. We also share advice for those who are keen to take their gaming space to another level.

o k o h p i D y e l Wes

Cape Town player qualifies for FIFAe World Cup IOL REPORTER

COMPETITIVE FIFA player Julio “Beast” Bianchi, from Cape Town, has made history as the first South African ever to qualify for the FIFAe World Cup, set to take place in London next month. He is 23.

Bianchi, who is the squad captain for Goliath Gaming, went up against some of the best FIFA players in the West Asia region in this past weekend’s qualifiers.

The FIFAe World Cup is an eSports tournament held by FIFA and its presenting partner EA Sports. Each tournament has players competing in games of the latest incarnation of the FIFA football video game series.

Bianchi made it through to the grand finals of the qualifiers, where he went head-to-head with FIFA World Cup champion Msdossary, and both players secured a spot to the FIFAe World Cup. Bianchi also won $20 000 (about R286 000) in prize money for finishing in second place.

“It feels unreal to know that I’ve qualified to compete in the FIFAe World Cup – the

JULIO ‘Beast’ Bianchi, from Cape Town, has made history as the first South African ever to qualify for the FIFAe World Cup, set to take place in London next month.

biggest event on the FIFA calendar. It’s still sinking in!

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would make it because I’ve had a tough past few weeks with studying and writing fourthyear exams, which have been a big focus for me, and the qualifiers themselves were

unreal – so much excitement and so many surprises in games from world-class contenders,” said Bianchi.

He said the support from his family and teammates motivated him.

The FIFAe World Cup is the climax of EA SPORTS FIFA 21 Global Series.

While consoles and other computer games still receive more attention, the App Store and Google Play Store have shown a large and evergrowing selection of games.

MOBILE GAMING reaches the stratosphere FLOYD MATLALA floyd.matlala@inl.co.za

REMEMBER the days when people could only play games on either their computers or consoles? Well, that seems to be a thing of the past as many gamers can now play video games from anywhere, thanks to tablets and smartphones, which have evolved to become more than just devices to make calls with.

According to media reports, consumers have spent a lot more on mobile gaming so far this year. With mobile game revenues hitting $44.7 billion in the first half of 2021 on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

In this edition of IOL Tech, we take a look at gaming apps consumers can look out for.

FIFA Mobile The game allows players to build their ultimate team or play as their favourite team as they

take on their friends or other top teams in the heart-pounding football action of FIFA Mobile.

Whether it’s battling it out in PvP versus your friends, winning the Premier League with your team, or playing as Real Madrid in El Clásico, football on mobile has been kicked up a notch.

Asphalt 9 Get in gear and take on the world’s best, most fearless street racer pros to become the next Asphalt Legend. Asphalt 9: Legends features a top roster of real hypercars for you to drive from manufacturers like Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and VW Motors. You’re free to pick your dream car nd race across spectacular locations against rival speed machines. Hit the fast track and leave your limits in the dust to become a Legend of the Track.

Call of Duty Mobile The Call of Duty Mobile

game has console-quality HD gaming on your phone with customisable controls, voice and text chat, and thrilling 3D graphics and sound. Players can experience the thrill of the world’s most beloved shooter game now on their phones.

Minecraft The game is pretty much on par with its PC and console counterparts. The game, which is popular all around the world for people of all ages, puts a player in a giant world where they mine stuff, build stuff, beat up bad guys, and do pretty much whatever they want.

Fortnite Battle Royale Fortnite Battle Royale is a free-to-play battle royale video game developed and published by Epic Games. It is a companion game to Fortnite: Save the World, a co-operative survival game with construction elements.

Virtual Reality GAMING ARCADE opens in Cape Town YASMINE JACOBS

SENSEVIRTUAL Arcade will soon launch a new virtual reality (VR) gaming arcade in Cape Town.

The VR gaming arcade will be situated in Sea Point, opposite MOJO Market, and opens this month.

There will be a host of the latest VR experiences, gaming consoles and toys for people of all ages to experience and enjoy. It aims to be the perfect party, event, function and team-building destination in Cape Town.

The arcade will comply strictly with the Covid-19 regulations.

“In terms of Covid, we will take temperatures and customer details as

they walk in. We have internationally compliant ways of having headsets safe for use. Everyone gets their own unique freshly sanitised cover for the headset, so they are the only person after it is sanitised to use it,” the founder of SenseVirtual Arcade, Tyrone Rubin, told IOL TECH. The global VR market was estimated at $13.06 billion (about R184.41bn) last year and expected to reach $17bn this year, at a compound annual growth rate of 30.56% from 2020 to 2026 to reach $64.69bn by 2026.

Bookings are open at info@ sensevirtual.com, or see https:// sensevirtual.com for more information.

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE GAMING YOUR SECOND INCOME click model after opening an account on Adsense.

However, you may want to search for dedicated how-to platforms where people pay for courses, tutorials and explainers.

PERFECT ZIKHALI

YOU can make money from gaming, but not how you thought.

Young people are turning to alternative sources of income as the pandemic bites and almost a third of them join the ranks of the unemployed.

You can forget about being paid to test video games from the comfort of the couch and when it comes to that other dream job of the early 2000s, being a successful video game developer requires many hours of post-school studying at recognised institutions.

For those with limited means to study gaming full time, there are at least five ways gaming enthusiasts can potentially make money from their favourite esport: Focus on becoming an entertaining gamer that’s fun to watch.

Interesting and animated gamers can become YouTube celebs and earn ad revenue from videos of themselves playing and talking about gaming. You can narrate what you’re doing while your YouTube subscribers watch you play. Join Twitch which is used by gamers to stream video game playing.

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If you love gaming and have a knack for producing wellwritten content, you may even combine both those talents by becoming a freelance gaming journalist. Video game reviewers focus on writing about different aspects of the games they play and discussing possible improvements.

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Once you have a respectable following for your gaming stream, search for brands that you like and use social media or good old-fashioned email to contact them about sponsoring you, either in kind with products, or with the old favourite, cash.

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You can make money producing tutorials on how to play video games. You can do this for YouTube with a pay-per-

If you know a group of like minded friends, all boasting impressive gaming skills, you could even get together to start a professional eSports team.

Together or individually, you could compete in local or overseas eSports tournaments for prize money or to get noticed by professional scouts.

Zikhali, creative director for Ekasi Esports *The views expressed here are not necessarily those of IOL or of title sites IOL TECH

SA pro players share tips on how to maintain good GAMING AND LIFE BALANCE YASMINE JACOBS

MANY casual gamers have dreams to take their passion to the competitive realm, and often, gamers do this by gaming from sunrise to sunset.

But competitive gamers do not recommend this and says its crucial to maintaining a good balance between gaming

and life.

South Africa’s top competitive gamers from Goliath Gaming shared valuable tips to maintaining a good gaming and life balance.

Competitive Counter Strike player and CS team captain for Goliath Gaming, Ruan ‘ELUSIVE’ van Wyk, says its important to establish a healthy routine.

“Make sure you get enough sleep; eat healthily and roughly at the same time each day; and try to do some form of physical exercise (even if it’s just stretching or star jumps to get your heart pumping) daily.”

Van Wyk added that gamers should practice with the intent of improving.

“Evaluate yourself and your

“Make sure you get enough sleep; eat healthily and roughly at the same time each day; and try to do some form of physical exercise (even if it’s just stretching or star jumps to get your heart pumping) daily.”

mental state each month and try to improve in areas you’re falling short in. This will ensure you stay effective, motivated and balanced in your gaming and in life in general.”

Competitive Counter Strike player Adam ‘adM’ Mansoor agrees that a good sleep schedule is needed. “I’ve gone through phases in my gaming career where I’ve neglected my body of sleep or just a poor sleeping schedule, and at the time I could not feel how it was affecting me until I started sleeping properly.

Going to sleep earlier and waking up earlier gets me in a good frame of mind. Getting into a better sleeping pattern was my first step to having a better and more balanced lifestyle.”

Competitive FIFA player Julio ‘ Beast’ Bianchi highlighted that time management is a game-changer.

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it can be an excel document or even a free app to use on the go, just something that allows you to note all your tasks and priorities for gaming or practise, and for day to day life. Life can become busy and overwhelming, and implementing something like this to help manage your time and get everything you need done will help a lot.“ Speaking of planning, Bianchi advised to put personal life and education first and foremost.

“From early on in my gaming career I was clear

that my priority would be on personal life and education, and gaming and practise would fall into my schedule after that. Being a 4th year accounting student, I dedicate my time first to my family and studies, and once that is covered, I dedicate time to my gaming (be it practise sessions or training) – even if it means gaming and training only happens on the weekend or in the evening. If I feel I’m neglecting one aspect of life, I re-adjust my time and how I’m spending it. Planning is crucial.”

Gaming ITEMS to keep you busy during lockdown FLOYD MATLALA floyd.matlala@inl.co.za

IT GOES without saying that Covid-19 has brought many changes in many people’s lives, as more people adjust to the new living conditions.

With these gaming items you can find online, you can keep yourself busy because we know staying indoors can be lonely at times.

Need for Speed Heat (PlayStation 4) If you are an adrenalin fanatic gamer, then this is for you. Hustle by day and risk it all at night in Need for Speed Heat. This white-knuckle racer pits you against a city’s rogue police force as you battle your way into street racing’s elite.

It is also available on Windows and Xbox. www.loot.co.za/product/ need-for-speed-heat/jwxh6377-g310 PDP LVL 40 Wired On-Ear Gaming Headset (PS4) It’s time to level up your headset with the PDP Gaming LVL40 for PS4. The lightweight build of the LVL40 Wired Stereo Headset offers long-lasting comfort, whether you’re spending the day in co-op missions, or just playing a quick match.

Hear your enemies before you see them with the two powerful 40mm audio drivers. Give your team clear commands through the flexible, noise-cancelling

gooseneck microphone, or flip it up to instantly mute it. www.loot.co.za/product/ pdp-lvl-40-wired-on-eargaming-headset-ps4/hkyz6496-g080 Bigben Interactive Revolution Pro Controller 3 For PS4 Stretch yourself with the Revolution Pro Controller 3. New design, upgraded ergonomics and extended features to offer our best gameplay performance.

Jump straight into the action in PS4 mode or take your play further with fully customisable profiles in advanced mode www.loot.co.za/product/ bigben-interactive-revolutionpro-controller-3-for-ps4/mgsd6596-g700 Sparkfox Silicon Grip/ Protector for Nintendo Switch Always losing your Nintendo switch controller or even your grip? You can enhance your Nintendo switch gameplay with the Sparkfox Silicon Grip Protector. Protect your Nintendo switch against dust, dirt, scratched and sweaty hands. Simply insert your Switch controller and experience comfortable gameplay. www.loot.co.za/product/ sparkfox-silicon-grip-protectorfor-nintendo-switch/mmbf5052-g250

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FIFA 21 for Xbox One (which is useable on the Xbox Series X Console) https://www.loot.co.za/product/ fifa-21/bhct-6965-ga50?utm_ source=Fastcompany&utm_ medium=Article&utm_ campaign=Gaming

FOR those struggling to find things to do during lockdown, gaming is a favourite pastime.

How to build the perfect gaming set-up at home

STAFF REPORTER

GAMING is fast becoming a favourite pastime for those struggling to find things to do during lockdown. But there is one thing that gamers love bragging about – and that is their gaming setup. After all, it does not just look good, it’s like an extension into your gaming world.

This is how you can build the perfect gaming setup at home.

1. Comfort is key While a great PC is important (obviously), you will need a good chair set up to avoid back pain that can come with hours of gaming. A good chair is an investment in your comfort and your health.

2. The right PC When choosing a PC, choose one that has a processor capable of handling high-end games. This will give you a performance even better than the best gaming consoles.

It’s worth noting that you need to choose a powerful processor that has a cooling system. Your gaming PC will also have a dedicated graphics card.

3. Appropriate Monitor A gaming monitor has fast refresh rates, improved response times and improved colour accuracy. Refresh rate is key as this will ensure a smoother image.

4. A Gaming Keyboard Wireless keyboards might look cool but they are not necessarily built with gaming in mind. If you prefer a wireless keyboard, you want it to have zero lag.

5. A Gaming Mouse A gaming mouse usually has advanced optical laser sensors. It usually has a few extra buttons as well as allows on-the-fly adjustments for sensitivity and speed.

6. Choosing a headset A good gaming setup is incomplete without a good gaming headset. You’re looking for something that will allow you to enjoy the sounds and ambience of the game without disturbing others.

To get the sound quality you want, select one with a driver size of 45mm or higher. Your headset also needs a good microphone.

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