Equipped with high-end hardware and software, Battle Arena is the place to hone your gaming skills.
ON the fifth floor of Jaya Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya, lies a state-of-the-art gaming hub with computers and display screens for people to compete in a virtual gaming environment.
The futuristic design with sleek metallic frames spread through from top to bottom, cool dark colours with special gaming lightings, and wide projector screens to broadcast games. A large centre stage dominates the area.
Battle Arena Malaysia, a new eSports hub, began its operation this February, offering the highest level specification computers in the market for a lag-free gaming experience. Its chief executive officer and founder Alvin Lee says he set up the arena to encourage more Malaysians to take up eSports as a professional career.
“Parents, mine included, used to scold their children for playing computer games as there was no way to earn money. But that is all in the past.
“Today, with access to the Internet, game developers have also created the eSports industry. There is a career in playing games.”
CAREER OPTIONS
Battle Arena aims to provide a supportive environment where aspiring gamers can hone their skills and kickstart a fruitful career in eSports.
“If someone is not good enough to become a competitive player, he or she can choose to be a commentator, coach, streamer or an event organiser of competitions, or a league,” says Lee. “In promoting the growth and recognition of eSports culture in Malaysia, this is where Battle Arena comes in. We want to change mindsets and create awareness about eSports and the possibilities of legitimate career paths in this industry.”
THE FACILITY
Initially to be launched in both Malaysia and Singapore, Lee decided to set up the facility in Malaysia first because of high costs in Singapore. Boasting an area of 1,579 square metres, Battle Arena has a large viewing area which can seat approximately 100 people and contain 200 standing.
However, the arena itself is able to cater for 500 people.
There’s also a professional broadcaster section which can be used as a commentator’s desk or a shoutcasting desk. A 65-inch touchscreen TV is available in the area to display game feed.
Battle Arena’s 10 tournament computers come equipped with the world’s first 165hz refresh rate monitors with screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 and IPS wide angle view, to give customers an immersive gaming experience.
Eight Battle Rooms are available with five PCs per room for those who wish to play in a group privately. The Open Battlegrounds on the second floor are intended for casual gamers or large groups. This area is perfect for clan or guild raids and missions.
Battle Arena has 10 exclusive single-user pods for the ultimate streaming experience. Each pod is equipped with a high specification desktop PC, dual-monitors, gaming peripherals and the highest-end streaming equipment.
The arena has two premium pods for competitive teams looking for a place to train. Alternatively, these two special rooms may be used as coaching rooms or sharing sessions.
Need to stretch or rest for a while? No worries, as ample beanbags have been placed at the Cozy Area inside the arena.
The usage rate per hour for a PC is as low as RM5, and RM7 for higher specs.
WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
Lee says he aims to do more to improve the eSports community in Malaysia. That is why, at Battle Arena, Dota 2 bootcamps are held where coaches would be brought to teach and train participants. “Streaming is very popular in China, Taiwan, and the Western countries, but still not big in Malaysia yet,” says Lee.
“Basically, the issue here is that we do not have enough equipment for streamers, which is why Battle Arena is providing the streaming pods for streamers to grow their talent and fans. From time to time, we also hold lessons on how to set up the software, make an appearance online, and interact with fans or audiences.”
Lee says they are organising an eSports family bootcamp for parents and children.
“This particular bootcamp is targeted at parents to help them understand eSports, gaming and its common misconceptions. Parents can take this opportunity to learn about the games that their children are playing, and its potential in the industry.”
ESPORTS INDUSTRY
Malaysia’s eSports scene is growing at a very substantial rate of 20 to 30 per cent a year.
“Traditionally, sponsors of events and tournaments used to be from IT companies, but these days even private corporations such as banks and airline companies become sponsors,” Lee says.
“With the growth of technology, the gaming audience has also improved tremendously. The next thing to focus now is to increase the spending power of each audience, either by supporting the teams or streamers of their choice,” he says.
In terms of competitive players, after China, Malaysia has become the second country to have most teams in the Dota 2 finals every year. “This shows that more of our local talents are taking part in competitions, and making eSports a professional career,” he says.
However, we lack institutions or organisations that want to create their own team. “This is because to form a proper team takes a lot of effort. One team would require a coach, manager, nutritionist, psychologist, game analyst, and even personal trainers. There are a lot of components in making a team, which is very costly. But all this is needed if the players want to go to the international level, they need to have someone support them.”
Battle Arena has its own eSports division called the Battle Arena Elites (BAE) which consists of two teams, namely PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) team and a Fortnite team.
Lee says they currently have two Fortnite players and five members under its PUBG team ― four players and a coach.
“We are still looking and grooming players for our team, but we have managed to secure a professional Taiwanese player to be our team coach for PUBG. With this team, I hope to raise the current standards of players in the Malaysian and Singaporean competitive gaming scene to an even higher level, matching top-tier players in the international scene,” he says.
FUTURE PLANS
Battle Arena does not only cater for gaming demands. Lee hopes it can build good branding for the eSports industry. He also hopes to host world-class eSports tournaments in the future.
Touching on Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s hopes that Malaysia become an eSports hub in Asia, Lee says he would gladly work with the ministry to help with the country’s eSports development, if requested.
His team is also working on an idea of a streaming platform for the Southeast Asian market, and gaming social media platforms like Facebook for gamers.