Money no guarantee of e-sports success
Finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po has pledged HK$100 million to promote e-sports in the city. But if we are serious in making Hong Kong a regional gaming hub, a more holistic approach is needed
Hub is the buzzword in Hong Kong, as reflected in our claims to be a hub in dozens of sectors. From Chinese medicine to medical tourism; from offshore Renminbi business to Islamic bonds; from innovation and technology to arts and culture; the city apparently aspires to be the hub of everything.
E-sports has been touted as the next entry. As soon as finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po announced new budgetary measures on this front, experts have swiftly talked up our potentials to become a hub for video gaming.
In response to a study by the Cyberport, a government-managed technology start-up incubator in Island South, Chan pledged HK$100 million to promote e-sports in the city.
Under the plan, the 4,000 sq ft atrium of the Cyberport complex is to be transformed into a competition venue that hosts up to 500 people. There will also be support in talent nurturing and technological development.
That e-sports has tremendous development potential is a fact beyond dispute. They will be featured in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022.
Our city had a taste of the fast-growing industry last August by hosting the first e-sports and music festival, attracting 60,000 local and overseas gamers and K-pop fans to watch top-rated players from around the world.