FIGHT Esports Spotlights Possibilities Intersecting Gaming and Tourism During Philippine Startup Week 2022
Posted by December 1, 2022 in
MANILA: Homegrown start-ups take the center stage last November 14 to 18, 2022, as Philippine Startup Week invites local start-ups and global companies in the fifth installment of the government-backed initiative. For the first time, global esports organizer FIGHT Esports joined the largest gathering of tech entrepreneurs in the Philippines, as one of the esports-oriented companies shortlisted in the Southeast Asian region.
Spearheaded by the country’s national agencies Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and public-private partnership QBO Innovation Hub, FIGHT Esports, which predominantly organizes and hosts esports tournaments in Southeast Asia, shared how gaming and tourism intersect to grow the economy and how Filipinos can harness this opportunity.
Bryan Chin, Regional Esports Manager at FIGHT Esports, affirmed that games offer a unique perspective in promoting tourism. From maps inspired by real-life destinations to global grand finals tournaments, not only do games drive tourist traffic, but they also enable connections with the destination on a deeper level.
In a case study involving a global game title, Bryan shared contributing to local economy in business districts outside Metro Manila through mall activations launched in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
“Players were able to immerse themselves as characters of the game while traversing the entire game in a near-replica of the city, thus allowing them to virtually visit famous landmarks and tourist spots,” shared Bryan. “Imagine if we could recreate Manilla as a playable map and release it to the public to position and promote the Philippines as a tourist destination?”
According to Chin, the target audience for modern game titles is known to have purchasing power and are willing to spend money on game assets such as special weapons, game cosmetics, and power-ups, falling into the category of those who can afford to pay for vacations. Meanwhile, for the younger gaming age groups, the integration may influence them into visiting the real locations seen in the games that they love.
“We look forward to becoming a pillar in the regional esports industry which, in the future, will provide lucrative jobs to the next generation. It is interesting to note that due to technology, the job landscape is evolving, creating new roles and industry intersections that were not there years before such as gaming and tourism,” Bryan added.
Since 2019, FIGHT Esports activities have captured an estimated 4 million livestream views, registered 21,000 players worldwide, and oversaw more than 80 tournaments. The Malaysia-headquartered esports organizer also became the official TikTok gaming partner in Southeast Asia, engaging hundreds of game-inclined users in the platform. Next year, FIGHT Esports envisions a new business direction that will take its services to new heights.
About FIGHT Esports
FIGHT is a global esports entertainment platform that helps build an ecosystem for the gaming community and supports the development of the industry through tournaments and gaming content. Established in 2019, FIGHT has organized over 80 tournaments in 7 countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Visit fightesports.com.