warna 2 cover page

Do you like to chill at mini fests?

I know you do.

I like it too.

Which is why today, I’ll be explaining a bit about the interesting event of Warna 2.0 – an event brought to you by our beloved city council of Shah Alam, MBSA.

As mentioned in my last post about Pesta Warna, Shah Alam City Council will be organizing the event five times this year as part of their efforts to promote the city, each one with more attractions.

This month’s Pesta Warna, was held on 16 March 2019.

We still did a Mini PUBG Mobile tournament in the alleys, the same as before but surprisingly, we managed to gain enough momentum to attract other pro players to join as well.

Growing up from 16 teams in the last tournament to 20 teams for this month.

This shows that the city council are starting to accept the e-sport culture even further and slowly embracing it deeper.

 

A Quick Look on What the Event is About.

Warna 2 Poster PUBGM

Arts and crafts enthusiasts, look alive!

I’ve actually covered Pesta Warna before on the first event but if you’ve never heard of it, long story short it’s basically a mini-fest in an alleyway with a goal to change the public’s perception that back alleys aren’t all that bad.

The concept of the event remains the same as before if not similar.

It has the same program like it had before too – Cultural dance, Indie buskers, poetic skits, not to mention our beloved eSports section which is where we come in.

The bands included for this tour are…

  1. Nea & Co.
  2. Bella Latif
  3. Jasad Bersiong
  4. Octopress
  5. Shuuna
  6. Nina Hisham
  7. Merchants of Mercury
  8. Kolar Hijau

It’s still interesting to know that people from all walks of life would come all the way here to see their favorite local bands performing while the other group of people namely the eSports enthusiasts would come to support their friends and families playing PUBG.

I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure that people won’t really mind coming to just about any venue out there no matter scary or grotesque those places may be, as long as the program itself suits the niche of the audience.

Warna 2 busker selections

There were not just friends supporting the contestants but also family members.

There were three teams that consist of four primary school children competing (10 years old I guess) in the PUBG Mobile tournament too.

Seeing how their families supported them by staying throughout the event shows how much the eSports culture is slowly being assimilated as a legal thing.

What a wonderful feeling I and my team felt when we see that kind of support from their respective families.

On top of that, I also observed a harmonious networking-ish session happening whereby parents of those participants mingled with each other and get to know the other parents who were also there at that time which livens the event even more.

Some might say otherwise but to me, having people from all background mingling like this brings about a warmth like no other.

It’s like when I’m back in my hometown.

Even if you’re not a player yourself, having the opportunity to meet these people and learn about their stories or what pushed them to become eSport players is something I can never get bored of.

I love to chat with these people to know more about the stories that make up who they are and who they would become in life.

Some stories can be very motivational like mak aih! My bulu roma go up beb!

Here’s a date-guide on this year’s Pesta Warna tour…

  • 16 February 2019
  • 16 March 2019 (This one!)
  • 20 April 2019
  • 17 August 2019
  • 21 September 2019

 

Guess Who Won This Round For PUBG Mobile? –You’d Be Surprised!

For Pesta Warna 2.0’s PUBG Mobile tournament, the winners are…

  • Champion – The Face Gaming (1690 points)
  • 2nd place – Kuda Esport X ROCA (1080 points)
  • 3rd place – Hide On Bush (1025 points)
  • 4th place – 23 3-B with (985 points)

For your information, The Face Gaming (Also known as oLo The Face Gaming) is one of Malaysia’s professional PUBG Mobile eSports team.

We were actually quite happy to find out that they participated in our tournament for this time’s Warna Event because we never expected big people to notice.

For those of you who are new to the PUBG Mobile scene here in Malaysia, the Face Gaming is one of the Nation’s top teams that represented the country so having them to grace our mini-event is a huge honour.

Imagine doing a mini-cooking competition in a village which nobody knows about and then suddenly, boom! Comes Gordon Ramsay.

I will be like Mak Aih! Cannot believe my eyes and I start to question myself and my life decisions shortly after.

That’s how it feels like to have a pro team coming to your mini eSports event.

Coming back to the story, it is without doubt that they were of course ones who got the chicken dinner, being their huge reputation and all.

It would be an embarrassment if they were to lose to normal teams though but hey, good thing they won!

After the tournament, we managed to interview one of the team members.

I was surprised to find out that the team actually had won in last month’s Pesta Warna season 1 PUBG Mobile Tournament as the champion with the name of Askar Jahanam.

After their chicken dinner last month, they actually got The Face Gaming to sponsor their team.

It’s not even my team but I feel so touched watching success stories happening in front of my eyes – It’s like being a father and watching your child grow up a little :’)

Now, this is the best part of e-sports! Winning a tournament and get your team sponsored by a company.

Here’s a stream on the entire tournament…


 

State Mufti Wants to Ban PUBG Mobile? Say What!?

Halfway while doing the tournament, we were also faced with controversies.

Living in Malaysia, it is a norm for this to happen as our beloved Malaysians simply cannot be separated from their daily dramas.

Coming back to the ban issue, one of the hottest topics this month is the part where Negeri Sembilan’s Mufti wanted PUBG to be banned because it might turn kids into “Terrorists”.

Based on the recent massacre that happened in Christchurch, New Zealand, the mufti (a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters) was concerned that PUBG will give a magnitude of impact to kids and teenagers over a long run.

He said that it will create a generation that loves war, fighting and violence.

While some acknowledged that PUBG should be banned, some were called to voice out their opinions over the matter.

This include Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Yang Berhormat Syed Saddiq Bin Syed Abdul Rahman voicing out why PUBG should not be banned in Malaysia.

syed saddiq pubg issue

According to YB Syed Saddiq, PUBG should not be connected to elements of violence as what had happened in Christchurch, New Zealand last Friday.  “Believe me, whether or not there are (online) games (with elements of shooting), if people (suspects) already have extremist views…they will commit violence,”

What a word from our minister.

Yes, I do agree what YB Syed Saddiq had stated.

We, or rather anyone cannot connect PUBG with extremists’ act of violence over other people.  We also cannot straightly justify that if a player plays PUBG or other violence game, they will become violent.

Yes, while there were several studies that showed that if a person played violent games they will tend to be violent as well.

However, there were also studies that break this argument.

For example, not all professional soccer players play FIFA and PES and not all FIFA and PES players become professional soccer players.

What I’m trying to say, is that one cannot simply connect PUBG with acts of extreme violence.

I understand what the message was however we cannot know for certain what the future holds for us and to what extend eSports can backfire to our nation’s treasure – the rising youth generation.

For me, personally, banning PUBG is not the road.

As a Chinese proverb once said, wùjíbìfǎn – Too much good things come bad things.

We need to control the time of which kids can play video games rather than completely banning the whole thing entirely so that education won’t be affected.

After all, excelling in school is still the top priority.

Despite arguments, I think by now it is clear that gaming can cause an addiction that is normally associated with anxiety, depression, obesity, and stress.

We cannot let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch.

Apart from having fun, playing games can actually enhance us differently.

A study from the University of Toronto finds that people who regularly play video games like PUBG or Fortnite are better able to learn new sensorimotor tasks whilst improving hand-eye coordination compared to those who do not play video games.

Hand-eye coordination is used in almost every job in the world, whether it is a professional job like a doctor or a surgeon, or a normal job like a clerk.

As for the issue of gamers being introvert, they actually aren’t.

Believe it or not, playing eSport games with other players can be a great ice-breaker.

We need a smooth coordination with our teammates to make sure we can defeat the enemy with ease.

Hence the loud shouting during gameplay that we gamers are so famous for because although it is only a game, it feels very surreal for us to work together and defeat the other teams.

It is fun, it is intense, and we love it.

I would like to invite you to embrace more on the e-sport scene as it is one of the fastest rising industries in the world.

We have to eradicate the stigma that says e-sport or games will only bring harm to the society and this event is one of the many living proofs that shows how a typical tournament environment looks like.

 

Final Word

Despite controversies happening in the midst of the tournament, I’d like to remind everyone that eSports isn’t all that bad.

Not only can it help improve us in certain ways like heightening reflexes and promote fast thinking, it also helps shape today’s youth to use their free time wisely rather than wasting them being less productive.

I would also like to thank the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and the players who had joined our tournament who gave their full support to make this event happen.

Congrats to the winners, hope to see you guys again in the next Warna event on April 2019!

Do check out our services page to know more about what we do.

Kitamen Abstrax post blog CTA


28 Comments

Seun Afotanju · March 26, 2019 at 4:02 am

Thanks for this informative post, Esports is quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, With the popularization of games such as overwatch and is swiftly worming its way into the public eye, I’ll love to be in such gathering listening to great talent and doing my favorite thing who’s which is playing games. My question is what does it take to be here? 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 28, 2019 at 3:12 am

    Nothing, you just come!

Hans · March 26, 2019 at 4:00 am

Very interesting article.  I am not a gamer and was not aware of the e – sports going on around the world.  I think it’s great that young people can have an outlet to get together.  I am sorry to hear about the talks of banning such events.  I don’t understand why they think this causes people to become violent.  I think for the more well rounded individual these type of games relieve stress and probably cause them to be less violent.  It’s only my opinion.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 28, 2019 at 3:13 am

    I think the same way too Hans! It’s sad to see authorities banning the whole thing without proper studies just because they can :/

Gracen · March 26, 2019 at 3:52 am

Hi, eSports is great and it is a great way of making one think fast, especially our youths. I am happy to see that you guys are progressing, you have really gone a long way. I remember reading your post on the first event you guys organized in alleyway which turned out great.

I have taken notice of the dates for the Pesta Warna tour.  I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything.

Thanks for updating us on how the program is going so far.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 28, 2019 at 3:17 am

    Yup, I remember reading your comment from the first Pesta Warna and I was like, “Oh! It’s Gracen :D”

Marshall · March 23, 2019 at 8:06 am

This is an interesting article, only if you know about it. But I’ll like to talk about the ban. It’s unnecessary to ban this, just because there many online games that involves shooting before the lately massacre. And I want to believe this doesn’t have a link to terrorism. Scientist said playing games like this help in eye-hand coordination which helps in making the brain more active. 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:47 am

    True that Marshall, banning the whole thing that is not related is depressing for all of us. Instead of banning gams, they should ban guns, enforce sentences etc

Barrywesley · March 22, 2019 at 5:35 pm

Thanks for the article. Now I know what eSport is all about, and I have seen that the eSport  is not bad at all,  seen that its kind of recreational, Not only can it help improve someone in certain ways like heightening reflexes and promoting fast thinking, it also helps shape today’s youth to use their free time wisely rather than wasting them being less productive about their lives, I have also seen that families and friends come together, so you kind of meet new people 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:47 am

    Definitely Barry!

Amod · March 22, 2019 at 4:08 pm

I am not familiar with PUBG (Player Unknown’s Battle Grounds). But what I came to know by this post is all about fun. The event of Pesta Warna becomes so interesting that many people get involved in it.

Midst of controversy the organizing committee should take care of the warning raised recently but the fest should be continued for positive values.

Thanks for sharing Pesta Warna 2.0 and the PUBG controversy. I would like to know more about this.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:48 am

    Awesome Amod, do read the article if you wish to know more about it.

Adamu2 · March 22, 2019 at 4:00 pm

I absolutely love this insightful article because it is full of great information. This is fascinating and interesting to me.I would love to visit this tournament and experience the whole competition,coming along with my partner. Thanks for the information and the review. Best regards. Do I need to book a visa from UK? 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:50 am

    I’m not really familiar with the visa part from UK to Malaysia but for Malaysians, we can travel freely to the UK without visa as we’re part of the Commonwealth family. Yaay Commonwealth!

Kenechi · March 22, 2019 at 3:54 pm

I will love to be in the next Warna event if I can find time to be there and have so much fun. The stories I have heard about it is interesting. A lot of people come for esports and it will be a pleasure for me to either participate or watch the players as they play. Sure I will be interested in knowing their life experiences and how much they love what they do coz I love it too. 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:50 am

    Awesome Kenechi!

Nick · March 22, 2019 at 3:48 pm

Really happy to know that city councils like Shah Alam are encouraging events llike Pesta Warna and that too for five times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed watching pictures and videos that you have shared in your article.

Also I never knew about the benefits of video games until I read it in your article.

And I am sorry to say that PUBG has already been banned in the part of the world I live in. But after getting to know the benefits associated with online gaming I can finally see that its not something that should be banned completely.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:52 am

    Very true Nick, it’s a sad thing when the wrong thing gets banned just because a higher power say so.

Vapz · March 22, 2019 at 3:43 pm

I really love you guys are doing with Pesta Warna. You are really re-inventing the history and story of alley ways. And you are bringing families and people together, creating bonds and lifetime memories. This is fantastic mehn! Good job. 

The Mufti who want to ban the PUBG because it could make kids grow up violent, have they been to war torn Congo and seen the violence there? Do they know that the people there have hardly ever seen these games not to talk of playing them? I agree with the minister.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 4:55 am

    Wow well said Vapz!

    I think the mufti is just trying to find the easier solution without thinking of the consequence. We have some of the brightest PUBG teams in the world with teams representing the country to compete with other pro players globally. Banning it just because of this would be a wrong move.

Chidiking88 · March 22, 2019 at 3:42 pm

Thank you for this beautiful article. I am very glad to know about this system and style of changing public perception about a thing by hosting fests like this aimed at sensitization of the general public. This is a good social instrument for reaching out to the minds of the people, causing a huge development in the participants and a change of mindset of the public. 

Getting to know the dates for subsequent events in this year 2019, is very incredible as that would make me look forward to attending this beautiful showcase in any of the aforementioned dates. Having a touch of other people’s cultures in our lives is a good way to effective globalization. Thanks again for this beautiful insight. Please help me with precise location. 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 6:42 am

    Anytime, appreciate the feedback Chikiding!

ajibola40 · March 22, 2019 at 3:42 pm

Intresting article there on pesta warna 2.0 and the pubg controversy. I must say there is many fun activities to watch out in this next next Warna event on April 2019.on of the things I like and will always like about this event is the e sport activities that is involve.i have not been part of the event before, but I feel like knowing more about it 

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 24, 2019 at 6:42 am

    Awesome Ajibola!

Olanike · March 22, 2019 at 3:34 pm

Playing export can be boring sometimes. I like for kids to play at a time they are less busy and relaxing. As much as export could help our kids with good things like reflexes and the like,it could also disturb their focus and academic excellence. In my opinion a little export , a little physical exercise is good for the soul.

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 22, 2019 at 3:36 pm

    It’s eSports, Olanike 🙂

Louis · March 22, 2019 at 3:29 pm

I like what you’re doing in your community with E-sport. E-sport is a growing sport, and a lot of big companies are beginning to sponsor this sport. I would love to do the same to help kids in my community, I wish you could give me pointers to organizing E-sport tournaments in my community.

Regards

    Afiq Le Mahar · March 22, 2019 at 3:34 pm

    It’s a lot for me to explain the steps Loui, but you could start by joining the nearest eSports tournament to you to get a gist of things :3

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