What are Singapore gamers doing wrong?

It's Sunday at Gamescon 2011. Scythe.SG prepares to face China giants EHOME in a fight that could take them to the much coveted USD1 million at the inaugural International DotA 2 Championships. Millions across the world are tuned in on the stream at DotA2.com. Veteran game casters slesh and tobiwan keep the crowd's adrenalin high with their soccer-like commentary.

Back home in Singapore, eager fans and friends gather at Colosseum, Iluma with team PMS* to watch the game. When Scythe.SG takes the first game, the crowd goes wild. The girls cheer and the guys grin in silent pride. And even though Scythe eventually falls to be placed third, taking home USD150,000, everyone felt that they had done a good job -- in a face-off that pit the world's top 16 teams against each other.


Watching the game at Colosseum, Iluma.

And then there was silence. As DotA gamers around the world congratulated each other and international sites covered the event's finale most of Singapore was sleeping on without an inkling that five guys - who had trained hard for weeks out of the public's eye - had made Singapore proud in international eSports. They are arguably more famous, more well respected and more well received in countries like China and Germany than in their own country.

When PMS* was crowned the Iron Ladies champion in 2010 January and took home two trophies and a cash prize, the only ones who celebrated with us were our family, friends and fans (with only a handful of Singaporeans). One of the PMS* members even ran into a conflict with her lecturer (despite being officially excused from school) over why she was unable to hand in an assignment due on the day of our homecoming flight. We were more publicised in China, Shanghai and Beijing, than in our own homeland (they covered us in magazines, newspapers, online and even on television).

Aerial Phirkan's emotive and eloquent note on Facebook rouses similar sentiments. He discusses how countries like Korea, China, Germany and even Thailand have not only recognised eSports as an official sport, but have already started treating gaming as a professional career. Phirkhan also brings up another issue - that the media in Singapore frequently brands gaming in a bad light just because of a few black sheep. As there are corrupt politicians, there are going to be gamers with issues.

In addition, as our very own Tammy "furryfish" Tang mentioned in her blog yesterday, it is typical for Singapore gamers who have qualified for regional or international events to be unable to attend because of a lack of funding and support. And we as seasoned competitive gamers who travel yearly for our events can attest to this -- that all the events that we have travelled for so far has never been subsidised by anyone else but our own sponsors (who are ironically based in the United States) and ourselves.

So what is it that Singapore gamers are doing wrong? Why are we not winning the affection of a country that prizes merit? And with local-bred, locally grown up talents.

Gamers and likeminded organisations have banded together with a petition on Vision 2030. Calling for the support of Singaporeans who we know, have not yet had the opportunity to voice out for the cause either because they were unaware, or were misled to think that gamers are a social ill.

It is time. We competitive gamers deserve the recognition we get for the blood, sweat and tears that we put in. And the awards and worldwide trophies we bring back for the country.

We are ready, but is Singapore ready for us?

Rally to the cause. Vote now for eSports in Singapore!