Astro’s eGG Network is brought to life to cater to the booming esports arena in Malaysia. Esports is quickly evolving into an industry of its own, with tournaments sprouting like mushrooms, and the number of gamers growing aggressively.
Faraz Shababi, 19, is an ardent gamer who got roped into the Astro’s eGG Network to dwell in his passion and delve further into the scene. We managed to catch up with him to find out the latest happenings in the world of esports in Malaysia.
FO: Okay Faraz, first things first. What games do you play?
I actually play everything! (laughs) But seriously, as long as it’s good, I’ll play it.
FO: Tell us more about eGG and the show you’re hosting.
I’m hosting the Astro 360. It’s a part of the network that showcases new games, updates, unboxing of different products, pretty much anything and everything about games. That’s why it’s called 360 too.
We include all the gaming aspects from all over the world, because we want to deliver international experiences to our local audience. We want everyone to have the feel of what gaming is like all around the world.
FO: How is Astro 360 helping out the local gamers?
On 360, we cater to both gamers and non-gamers. We introduce games, we give tips and tricks, and even break down of the games. We help the audience decide what games to buy, according to their budget, events, and so on.
We’re also closely monitoring the gaming scene and trends all around the world, and curate our content accordingly for our audience.
FO: What do you think is missing in the esports scene here?
I think the main problem is that the community in Malaysia is quite sparse, they are not well bonded. For example different gamers don’t like each other because they play different games. So eGG is trying to bridge that gap.
We want all the gamers to come together, we want to connect everybody, as well as bring in people who are completely new to the scene.
FO: You’ve been doing this for two years now. How has the scene changed from when you started?
It’s growing exponentially. Every month we have more and more gamers and events coming up. Ten years ago, a career in gaming would have been impossible and derided. But now, it’s possible, it’s happening. People are definitely becoming more aware of esports, and gaining more traction. So that’s good.
FO: What are the three most popular games in Malaysia?
The most popular one is definitely Dota 2 – even though I don’t play it (laughs). CS Go is popular, followed by Overwatch – which is really catching on.
FO: You’ve traveled quite a bit as well. How is the esports scene in other countries different from Malaysia?
Most of the countries I’ve been to have a strong gaming community and have a very developed system. Whatever we’re doing now, they’ve been doing for a long time. But we’re catching up fast!
FO: What do you wish to see more of in the local esports scene?
I’d love to see more games catching on alongside Dota 2. I’d also love to see the community to grow and double in the years to come, so we can have much bigger tournaments too!
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