Windsor gaming scene hopes to grow

By Tyler Boissonneault

Windsor’s gaming community is hoping to continue to expand with the rise of more competitive and casual events in the town.

Windsorites no longer have to play video games strictly online if they want to play with other people. Several Facebook pages are being dedicated to hosting gatherings whether they are officially organized event such as No Man’s Lan, or just a gathering in someone’s basement.

Gamers who are already part of the community say they hope the events create exposure and encourage more people to join. Some of the main games played in the scene are games that are played across the globe such as Super Smash Bros, League of Legends, Dota and Hearthstone.

Shaun Byrne is a local gamer and the event organizer for the company eSport Gaming Events. The company that hosts competitions for both Windsor’s competitive gaming scene and other towns throughout the province. Byrne said for Windsor’s size, it is home to some of the largest gatherings in Ontario.

The company has had major events with 200 plus participants which takes place at the University of Windsor and St. Clair College multiple times per year. Byrne said he hopes the community continues to grow from these competitions as Windsor has a very welcoming gaming community.

“It is still very much a niche community that very few Windsorites really know about. However, from my involvement with communities across the province I can say that it is one of the least toxic and most welcoming communities there is,” said Byrne.

Local livestreamer and YouTuber, Zachery McGinnis said he gets involved in the scene to share his knowledge of the games he plays and to find trends in the local scene to help market his content. He said the biggest benefit for the local community is he does not have to fight anonymous abuse online that occurs when he livestreams and produces content for YouTube.

“Online you have plenty of ‘keyboard warriors’ as they’ve been dubbed, and it is this kind of person that makes it hard to have intelligent and respectful opinion-driven discussions on games without someone’s mother getting dragged into the equation,” said McGinnis.

McGinnis also pointed out the group has a more personal feel. While he might not personally know their name, their credibility is on the line when they act crudely on a public forum for all to see. McGinnis said this creates a healthier and friendlier forum by nature.

Travis Briggs says he is just your average gamer, but he is heavily involved in the online gaming community in Windsor. He said the online component is also what helps draw gamers to want to take part in the community as it is a comfortable environment for discussion. Briggs said for him it was a welcoming community from the very beginning and when he runs into problems, he knows they are there to help.

“If I need some gaming related advice, Facebook is usually the first place I turn to for answers,” said Briggs.

Many other gamers in the community also hope to host both casual and competitive gaming competitions to help newer players become more involved. They also hope to continue to grow the scene and continue to be the welcoming environment they’ve built up to this point.