Teaming up with industry giant ESL, both Redbull and OMEN by HP have done some INCREDIBLE work for the Australian Esports community. Carriageworks in Sydney was home to what can only be described as a phenomenal production to celebrate gaming in this country. The set laden with an array of screens projecting custom graphics, statistics and gameplay from the event playing out on the main stage. From the coordinated light displays to the animated camera rigging, these companies set out to demonstrate just how a video gaming event should be run.
The event was for popular battle-royale game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” otherwise known as PUBG, the tournament under the banner of “Red Bull Fight or Flight” – with this past Saturday hosting the grand final. HP’s gaming arm OMEN powered the competition from start to finish, inclusive of all of the qualifying stages. Over the course of the tournament, over 255 teams of 4 battled it out for the major prize valued at $30,000. This prize consisting of an all expenses paid trip to the global championships in California, four OMEN 15 gaming laptops and the high-end peripherals to match.
Fans took their seats in between the various and many RedBull fridges, playing directly into the gamer energy drink stereotype that I personally subscribe to and fully support.
Watching the event was something else. As a long-time gamer and fan of the industry, to see such a magnificent production play out on stage and in Australia is a dream come true. Gaming is on the rise, but it wouldn’t be possible without the support of these industry greats.
Shawn Marsh, Head of PC Marketing at HP revealed his perspective when he said “When we think about OMEN, we think about it as a lifestyle and mindset… our tagline is ‘play to progress’, it’s about that essence of gaming culture, honing your skills, becoming a better gamer and looking at gaming in a positive lens”.
To hear that from Shawn is everything to a gamer. To know that a company as big as HP, through OMEN are acknowledging the benefits of the hobby (or in this case sport/career) and supporting the players is exceptional.
Expanding on what OMEN hope to achieve by powering local competition, Shawn stated “That’s the essence of what we’re doing here today – it’s about amateur teams coming together, you and your mates, fostering an environment of teamwork and communication… For us, it’s about taking our mantra and showing it literally, creating a platform where local players can come together and work as a team to develop those skills on the big stage”.
Here at EFTM we regularly remind you that gaming can be a danger to the next generation in the form of addiction – but it’s equally important to remind you that in moderation, video games are an unparalleled resource for collaborative learning and development. This is only the beginning of competitive esports in Australia and we’ll be here to cover it all right here.
