PVP Gaming CEO: “We will never win The International”

Kane Dane September 10, 2020 DOOM, eSports NEWS, Game Platforms, Gameplay Videos, News

– How did you get into esports?

– In 1992, a computer appeared at home. Dad brought a decommissioned system unit from work, and on it – preference, “Field of Miracles” and Golden Ax. I quickly got used to it and began to vomit elders.

The second stage is Doom and Quake. First I played at home, then in the computer science class. My school was successfully upgraded: “Agatha” was changed to Pentium 133. The boys and I learned Pascal and Basic, and the rest of the time we played – in lessons and after them. We were cut into everything: King’s Bounty 2, some strategies, Quake World.

In the tenth grade, I went to St. Petersburg. Instead of walking around Isaakievsky, I went to the Mammas’n’Papas club. And for the first time I learned what it means to be in the minus. Frankly speaking, I didn’t like it.

Counter-Strike 1.6 didn’t work for me either. But then I hooked it so that for two more years I was shooting dozens of dozens of people in the school cafeteria at the computer club. Then an hour of play cost 20 rubles, and six hours – 100. Well, that’s it! I was carried away by a hurricane.

I wanted to play more and better. Other clubs, teams, tournaments went. Then the tournaments in other cities, the organization of tournaments and the first eSports league in the country … In total, there are tens of thousands of playing hours, two hundred tournaments, three years of eSports in Mail.ru Group, the launch of eSports platforms. And also – children of almost school age. I want our hobbies to coincide.

– How did PVP Gaming come about?

– In 2019, I said goodbye to the office. For several months I thought about what to do next. It is clear that esports, but how?

I’m unlikely to become a pro player (except as part of Silver Snipers). The most understandable way is to create your own esports organization.

This does not require huge investments. But this is a way to gather a community around your ideas – partners and gamers. Cybersport is not just two teams from our region who are always fighting each other. It’s a way of life. And there are millions of people who enjoy competitive games.

– Why do you need a new organization?

– The old ones can’t cope. Each club has its own business interests, but everyone’s goals are similar: to win the Major or The International and then collect the box office.

PVP Gaming has a different task. I can officially declare: we will never win The International! But we will gain more.

We want children not to sit at their computers for days, winding boxes, but to perceive games as a tool for development – themselves, relationships, teams. So that in games they learn to communicate and count the chances of winning. We learned to set a goal and analyze our mistakes. Playing is as much a life experience as any other. And definitely better than books or movies, because this is an interactive experience – and it’s about socialization.

There are tons of stereotypes about games and players. From the ancient “games are violence” or “games cause scoliosis” to new ones (for example, that esports is only Twitch broadcasts, tournaments and donations).

In fact, esports is what everyone does at home in the evening. You connect with your friends in the messenger, you discuss the day, wait for the match, and then try to defeat other guys (or girls). In a game with clear rules. One for all.

– That is, everything is about money, and PVP Gaming is about culture? And what is the economy?

– The esports that we see on broadcasts and in the news is 2-3% of all gamers in the world. The remaining 97% are amature gaming, that is, those who play just to have a good time. Our goal is to unite these communities, and there will be an opportunity to earn money.

PVP Gaming has investors. I cannot name it yet, but these are strong partners. The total investment is 10 million rubles by the end of 2023.

– What do you spend them on?

– First of all, educational content. We started the #gopvp project in 2019. He slowed down due to COVID-19. But the quarantine ends, and in July it became possible to launch a pilot.

The idea is simple: to create a methodology for teaching e-sports where teenagers receive almost all the basic knowledge – at school. And in parallel, change the attitude towards video games.

The project consists of two parts: the program and the infrastructure.

The first one is being developed together with specialists. We have spent most of our lives in games and we understand that team games are, first of all, a convenient environment for the development of reactions, logic, and various soft skills. We consult with school teachers, sports instructors, psychologists. And at the same time – with progamers.

Okay, it’s clear that you can learn in games. But where should the classes take place?

We found this almost by accident. In 2017-2020, Russian schools were massively modernized. In Moscow, instead of slate boards, there are huge, full-wall, screens with a touchscreen and an Internet connection (the network is called MES – Moscow Electronic School). In the regions, modern computers are imported (in one we were asked: “Show a farm of 3D printers?”). Computer science classes do not need to be refurbished. It is clear that widescreen gaming monitors are not in them, and it is better to bring your own headset. But in general, everything is there.

We are still at the beginning of the journey. We negotiate with the directorates of schools (still private). In the fall, we will conduct the first run-in of the program, then present it on a large scale.

This sounds wild: esports in schools? But similar programs are now being launched in universities. The Institute for Internet Development is engaged in cybersport within the framework of the federal project “Digital Educational Environment”. The Moscow city championship in computer all-around among pensioners is being held. Moskomsport supported the Moscow Cybersport campaign. We have already talked with someone, we are planning with someone. And, of course, we will collaborate.

– Who exactly?

– The first project partners are HyperX, escharts.com service, Electronic Mushroom studio. We are supported not only by experts, but by veterans of eSports – Roman Polosatiy Tarasenko, CrowCrowd club and others.

We learned that other guys are going in the same direction. Cybersport classes appeared in the schools of Surgut. And – I’m serious – in correctional facilities.

In August, they threw a touchstone: they converted the computer science class into an e-sports center and ran the training program. We will publish the results in the fall.

What’s next? We signed the first line-up (who and in what discipline – we’ll tell you a little later). The guys are playing in a unique suburban bootcamp. There, firstly, the cleanest air and ecology in general, and secondly, we test the training program – we alternate games with physical activity and even paintball.