ACGON warms up for computer games contest

Nigerians are warming up for the first-ever computer games competition in the country, according to officials of the Association of Computer Games Operators of Nigeria (ACGON).

The group also said that in its bid to create awareness on ACGON and the World Cyber Games (WCG) the competition is being organized in Nigeria this year.

A press statement from the group endorsed by the President, Mr. Segun Ogunlola, stated that from the days of Nintendo to Saga Genesis down to the Sony Play Station, computer games manufactured by different companies have grown in popularity in Nigeria.

The attractiveness of computer games in Nigeria is inherent in the growing number of game shops in which like cyber cafes, customers part with a fee to play the computer games for a timed period.

The adoption of the computer game as a hobby is an incontrovertible fact in Nigeria, mostly indulged in to while away time, or as a means of relieving stress; and its popularity cuts across various age groups, from students to the strata of the working class.

The group said the contest is to expand the frontiers of interactive within the digital entertainment, by introducing into Nigeria for the first time, the World Cyber Games.

ACGON further said that the WCG is an international e-sports event in which computer game enthusiasts compete, in the realm of cyber games for a handsome cash reward and the honour of being adjudged the cyber game champion.

The WCG or Cyber Games Festival is being operated by Korea-based International Cyber Marketing, with support from Samsung, leading electronics vendor.

The Grand Finale of the event, which is highly regarded as the Olympics of computer games, is scheduled to hold at The Koelnmesse Event Hall, Cologne, Germany in November 2008.

They explained that in order to participate in the Cologne, Germany, ACGON will conduct preliminary rounds before sending the finest gamers to represent Nigeria at the finals.

The national tournament begins with the qualifying series at selected locations across the regions in the country. The national preliminaries for the event which has started to generate immense interest, especially among the youth folk commences in Lagos on August 18, 2008 to be followed by another round in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital territory from September 1 – 6, 2008.

The competition will see contestants engaging each other in the computer gaming battle at various stages will by competing against one another in four Official Games namely; FIFA SOCCER 08, NEED FOR SPEED, VIRTUA FIGHTER 5 and CAROM3D.

Sixteen Finalists shall emerge in each of the four Official Games of the tournament to qualify for the National Finals. While the grand finale will take place in Lagos between September 11-13, 2008, from where Nigeria’s representatives at the World Cyber Games Grand Finale in Cologne, Germany are expected to emerge.

He said that during the duration of the tournament, ACGON will also organise an exhibition and computer games conference where computer games and IT experts will be invited to speak on salient issues as they affect computer gaming in Nigeria.

Already, massive interest has been generated by enthusiastic youths willing to compete against in other in the first of its kind computer games competition in Nigeria. Registration for the event will commence on the 30th of June, 2008 and close on the 9th of August 2008, and eligibility for competing in the event is an ability to play computer games; and is open to all youths aged 12 and above.


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