Since August 4th, Aussies have been competing with 35 other countries in CS:GO, Hearthstone, and League of Legends in the Australian International eSports Federation World Championship Qualifiers, and the time has come to crown some champs. The climax of the event will be the Grand Final of the Counter-Strike tourney, which will be broadcasted on SBS 2 on September 2nd.
Every year or two it crops up again: stories of internet addiction. The latest program to shine a spotlight on those afflicted and the clinics that try to treat them is SBS's Dateline, and it's being broadcast nationally tomorrow night.
Addiction is a serious problem, and it should be treated as such. But gaming is a serious industry too, and it would be bloody nice if the mainstream media appreciated that distinction.
You may not have heard the name Michael Shanks, but you're almost certainly familiar with his work, be it inventory-based Skyrim parodies or the exciting mundaneness of Max Payne's life. Shanks has since moved from the confines of YouTube to the TV screen, with his series The Wizards of Aus debuting on SBS 2 later this month.
Last night SBS tech show The Feed did a great little segment on 'The Arcade'. Technically The Arcade is office space in Melbourne but really it's much more than that. It's a communal space where 17 small Australian development studios can work, share ideas and grow together. It's a beautiful thing.
