Western Cape Online Provincial Championships: A Response To A Crises - 28 March 2020.

Even with the situation as it is, players may still participate in a Western Cape Championships (28  March 2020) to earn a spot in the national team - even if it is from the safety of home.

With President Cyril Ramaphosa via a nationally televised address on Sunday March 15, 2020 declaring coronavirus a national disaster, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has heeded to the call.

MSSA will thus be doing its first Online Provincial Championships on 28 March 2020.

MSSA's popular LAN Provincial Championships has thus not been replaced by this event, the LAN Championship has merely been delayed until the situation permits as, due to government regulation, no venue may have more than 100 people. Thus MSSA will relook at a date for the Western Cape LAN Championships.

MSSA's 1st Western Cape Online Provincial Championships, which will offer local players the opportunity to qualify for selection to the national squad and for the Protea Team that will attend IESF's World Championships to be held in Eilat in November 2020.

In order to participate, the majority of each team must consist of players who reside in Western Cape. However, in the case of players who play 1v1 games, only Western Cape residents are eligible to enter.

The championship shall be held on 28 March 2020.

Game titles to be played are:

TITLES	09H00	10H30	12H00	13H00	14H00	15H30
Paladins PC/PS4	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts	LUNCH	Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
FIFA'20	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2020	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
HearthStone	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
Street Fighter V	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
Clash Royal	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
Counter-Strike: GO	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
League of Legends (LoL)	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
DotA 2	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts
TEKKEN 7	Round 1 Starts	Round 2 Starts	Round 3 Starts		Round 4 Starts	Round 5 Starts

Tournament Structure:

As per the MSSA's rules, being:

• If less than six teams, the championship shall be a Round Robin Championship

• If 6 to 10 teams enter the championship there shall be four rounds as played to the Swiss System

• If 11 or more teams enter the championship there shall be five rounds as played to the Swiss System

Eligibility:

• Any team consisting of players who are Registered Players affiliated to a MSSA member club may enter.

• The majority of each team must consist of players who reside in Western Cape. 
• In the case of players who play 1v1 games, only Western Cape residents are eligible to enter.

Entry fee:

• Entry is R35.00 per Registered Player.

• Only fully-paid-up Registered Players may participate in this event.

Entries:

• Entries need to be submitted on or before 21 April 2020.

• The entry form may be downloaded from: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_AU53Shugmdfzgv4Bfw2aNdLll1ByPel0VQow8H5gzQ/edit#gid=287696184 and submitted to mindsportscorrespondence@gmail.com

Medals:

Medals shall be handed over to winners at the next MSSA LAN that they attend. 

      MALE:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.

• UNDER 24: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.

• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals. 

        FEMALE:

• PREMIER: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams.

• UNDER 24: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams that have not won a Premier medal and which are comprised entirely of students currently registered at any officially recognised University.

• SCHOLARS: Medals shall be awarded to the first three teams of learners currently registered at any officially recognised school, provided they have not received any Premier medals.

Colours:

• Protea Colours: Only Players that are selected to represent South Africa in International Championships may earn National Colours if the Protea Colours Board's criteria are met.

• National Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a National Championship will earn National Colours.

• Provincial Colours: All Players that win all of their Matches at a Provincial Championship will earn Provincial Colours. All Players who score within the top 50% in a specific Period at a Provincial Championship, and who also score within the top 50% at a National Championship in the same period and in the same year, will earn Provincial Colours.

General:

• The championship shall be played on: 28 March 2020

• The first round will start at 09H00. Players shall be given 60 minutes to complete each round.

• The championship is accredited as being of the same status as a provincial championship. 

• The championship shall be used for the awarding of provincial colours;

• The championship shall be used for the awarding of medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in Premier, Under 24, and School categories;

• The championship shall be used for the ability to qualify for National Team Squad.

• All medals shall be awarded to the recipients at a MSSA LAN championships.

Umpires:

• Umpires may only be contacted over Skype on the day of competition. Any communication not on the Skype channel shall not be entered into.

Entries:

• All clubs must enter their teams via the Google Drive.

• To enter, the club must complete the Google Drive document. The entry form may be found on Google Drive. Clubss are to download the entry form, completed the downloaded form, and e-mail it to Mind Sports South Afica. 
• T
  

  he link for such form is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M07rv0ER9jqE25IqMNZqGlsUPqJaE_X2/edit#gid=1844490715

• Payment shall be effected before start of play.

Ladder:

• For games to count for the National Ladder, teams must advise the Umpires before the start of each match.

Shout casting:

• MSSA shall decide who may shout-cast the games.

• Anybody wishing to be appointed as a Shout-Caster must apply in writing tomindsportssa@iafrica.com

Also read:

• Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• The road to Eilat
• IESF announces first three titles for 12th World Championships
• Esports: MSSA's 24th Western Cape Provincial Championships - 28 and 29 March 2020.
• Board gaming: MSSA's 23rd Western Cape Championships - 23 & 24 March 2019
• Rankings: Clash Royale
• Rankings: DotA 2 rankings
• Rankings: First in Battle, first in rankings. (Paladins)
• Rankings: League of Legends rankings.
• Rankings: PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER (PES) rankings
• Rankings: Street Fighter V rankings
• Rankings: Tekken 7 rankings

EU Switch Release For Arc Of Alchemist Is Now Set For February + Meet The Creators

As previously mentioned, Arc of Alchemist will be heading to North America on January 30, 2020 and in Europe on January 31, 2020 for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The North American release date for both platforms and the European PS4 version will still release on January 30 and January 31, respectively. However, the EU Nintendo Switch release date is now set for February, instead of January 31. The launch date for the EU Switch version will be provided soon.

This week, we also have the last website update that provides more background on the world, the creative minds who were involved with
Arc of Alchemist, as well as free Twitter Icons and wallpapers. Check the links below!

• World: Glossary, Background
• Info: Creators
• Special: Twitter Icons, Wallpapers

The North American version will release digitally for both the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The European version will release digitally for the Nintendo Switch, and the PS4 version will have a physical and digital release.

The North American and European releases for the Nintendo Switch and PS4 include updated system features and the ability to choose and play between 7+ possible characters.​

Third Year Games Design Students Chosen For Placement At Rebellion Oxford.

Very excited for our third year games design students, Jacob Simpson and Scott Hamilton as they head down to Oxford for their visit to @Rebellion.
With a 5.30 am start, he guys wrote on Twitter:
'Up bright and early with @SHGameDesign to go down to @Rebellion, only a 3 and a half hour train each way. Regardless, somehow we're still hyped beyond belief and ready to go! See you soon!'

Many thanks to the guys at Rebellion for making this possible and also special thanks to Saija Wintersun who attended the big UCLan CJam event to interview and identify students for this opportunity.

Jacob and Scott were so happy to have this opportunity which really helps them to connect with industry and is so inspiring for them as designers.
Huge thanks to the designers at Rebellion for spending time with them. Both found it a very valuable experience and were pleased to meet such great people from the industry.

Our Uclan Games Design Course was excited to take part in cJAM: Media during Nov 2019! We were so proud to welcome our Alumni @UCLanJMP, Saija Wintersun, now Senior Environment Artist at @Rebellion, Oxford.

cJam at UCLan is a vibrant showcase event that enables our talented students to meet face-to-face with senior industry professionals, to share ideas, make connections and pitch for opportunities. cJAM events are hosted by the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries and the objective of today is to give our students the opportunity to win placements that will help launch their careers. It is so important that our students understand the pace of change within the different media sectors, how digital technology is affecting the industry, and the best career opportunities open to them. 

My List Of The Best Games Played This Year, And A Small Reflection For 2020

On the last post of this year, I decided to make a list of the best games I played during 2019. Curiously, during the process of this ranking, I found myself reflecting on the content of Jesper Juul's new book "Handmade Pixels" (2019).

In his new book, Juul discusses how independent games became a historical movement that borrowed the term "independent" from film and music while finding its own kind of independence. The reading of Juul's book makes me reflect about how truly independent games that I played this year are, and what makes an indie game a really independent product.



Well, I'm still reading the book and I'll make some considerations about it soon. It's a really interesting content for game design and game studies classes.

For now, I want to share the list with the best 10 games that I have experienced in 2019. Important: 1) some of them are a little bit old, but I only played them this year; 2) they aren't listed in a scale "from best to worst", I just put them together.

• Baba is you
• What remains of Edith Finch
• Blasphemous
• Return of the Obra Dinn
• Cuphead
• Gris
• Gorogoa
• Katana Zero
• Hue
• Resident Evil 2 (remake)

Hope you enjoy it! See you next year!


#GoGamers

---

Reference:

JUUL, Jesper. Handmade Pixels: Independent Video Games and the Quest for Authenticity. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2019

Revised 2020 Calendar Of Events

By participating in MSSA events, Registered Players have the chance of being selected for duty in the Protea Team.

There is no doubt that Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had on an impact on the way in which we all live our lives. Esports, along with all the other mind sports, too have been affected by the spread of the disease with Katowice being played in an empty stadium, and a host of other major events in Europe being either cancelled or postoned. Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) is aware of the risks, and is keeping a close eye on the the spread of the disease in South Africa.

All  Registered Players should be reminded that they can help protect themselves and others by always carrying tissues, and using them to catch coughs or sneezes.  They should bin the tissue, and to kill the germs, wash their hands with soap and water, or use a sanitiser gel. This is the best way to slow the spread of most germs, including Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The following calendar of events has thus been amended

Member clubs are also able to 'book' the hosting of Regional Championships. Regional championships are designed to help clubs gain extra exposure, earn income, and promote the games that they encourage within their clubs. Games can only be played at National and Provincial Championships if such are either played at World championship level, or if having first been tested at Regional Championships. The rules apropos hosting of a Regional Championship may be found here.

MSSA's Calendar of events for 2020 is as follows:

2020Calendar of events

Date	Event	Discipline	Venue
25 JANUARY	Umpires' Course - Gauteng	All	Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave., Lower Houghton
1 & 2 FEBRUARY	28th Old Edwardian Summer Championships	Ancients, Checkers, PES 2020, Morabaraba	Old Edwardian Society, 11 Ninth Ave., Lower Houghton
9 FEBRUARY	On-line Inter-school Provincial Championships	All esports titles as approved at the AGM in December	On-line
28 MARCH	1st WESTERN CAPE Online Championships	All esports titles as approved at the AGM in December	On-line
Delayed until end of Novel Coronavirus crises	24th WESTERN CAPE Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	Monument Park High School, 40 Dan King Rd, Kraaifontein, 7570
11 APRIL	Provincial Online Student Championships	All esports titles as approved at the AGM in December	Online
18 APRIL	11th Provincial Online Championships	All esports titles as approved at the AGM in December	Online
25 & 26 APRIL	Provincial School Championships for all provinces	Board and Figure games	Various venues.
9 MAY	Umpire's Course – Mpumulanga	Umpiring course	TBD
30 & 31 MAY	38th GAUTENG Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	No 36 on the R114, Nietgedacht  25°57'8.13″S – 27°57'51.14″E
30 MAY	FINANCIAL AGM	Meeting	No 36 on the R114, Nietgedacht  25°57'8.13″S – 27°57'51.14″E
13 & 14 JUNE	SA School Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBD
Week ending 17 JULY	1st round of NWU School League	All esports titles as approved at the AGM in December	Online
25 & 26 JULY	26th KWAZULU NATAL Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBD
8 & 9 AUGUST	17th FREE STATE Championships	All	TBD
29 & 30 AUGUST	25th NORTH WEST Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBD
TBA	Indigenous Games	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA
19 & 20 SEPTEMBER	17th EASTERN CAPE Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBD
26 & 27 SEPTEMBER	8th LIMPOPO Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBA
1 NOVEMBER	Submit nominations of office-bearers	Admin	mindsportssa@iafrica.com
15 – 20 November	IESF 12th World Championships	DotA 2, PES, Tekken 7	Eilat, Israel
5 & 6 DECEMBER	34th S A NATIONAL Championships	Board games, Card games, Esports, wargames	TBD
5 DECEMBER	37th NATIONAL CONVENTION	Annual General Meeting	TBD
TBA	SRSA's S A Schools Championships	Morabaraba	To be determined by SRSA

Also read:

• Selecting the national Protea teams for Mind Sports South Africa.
• The road to Eilat
• IESF announces first three titles for 12th World Championships
• Esports: MSSA's 24th Western Cape Provincial Championships - 28 and 29 March 2020.
• Board gaming: MSSA's 23rd Western Cape Championships - 23 & 24 March 2019
• Wargaming: MSSA's 24th Western Cape Championships - 28 and 29 March 2020.
• Esports: MSSA's 38th Gauteng Provincial Championships - 30 and 31 May 2020.
• Rankings: DotA 2 rankings
• Rankings: First in Battle, first in rankings. (Paladins)
• Rankings: League of Legends rankings.
• Rankings: PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER (PES) rankings
• Rankings: Tekken 7 rankings
• Video on NWU sponsorship.