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Gaming Community’s Desire to Self Regulate 

A positioning document by the gaming community in South Africa.

Introduction:
This document serves as a positioning statement for the PC and console gaming community of South Africa on its desire to self regulate.

The document discusses the current federation, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA), which currently has the power to run federated leagues and award school, provincial and national colours as well as put forward gamers’ names to the Protea Board of Control for Protea Colours.

The document outlines the reasons behind the gaming community’s desire to no longer fall under the MSSA and its plans for self regulation.

Origins:
This process began with a discussion amongst a number of the top online competitive PC gaming clans in South Africa. However, after consultation in the community, it is clear that the desire to self-regulate is a widely held view and this document aims to be the first step in the process of gamers establishing their own association that administrates online and LAN gaming in South Africa.

The need for self regulation:
Gamers have a desire to self regulate because there is no body or federation in South Africa where their voice is heard or where they have influence over the direction that gaming takes as a sport.
The MSSA’s administration of computer, console and mobile gaming is problematic for the following reasons:

 

1)   The MSSA is recognised by the International Wargames Federation (IWF). However, the IWF does not oversee computer, console or mobile gaming and has no programme in place to administer or grow gaming on these platforms globally.

 

There is no mention of computer, PC or Console gaming in the IWF constitution.

 

2)   The computer, console and mobile gaming community has no ability to resolve disputes in the MSSA. The reason for this is that:

a.    The vote is diluted. The MSSA overseas three main disciplines:

                                    i.    Board gaming (including: Backgammon, Draughts, Morabaraba etc.)

ii.   Figure Gaming (including: Ancients, World War II etc.)

                                    iii.  Computing Gaming including:

 

1.    DotA (online)

2.    CoD4 (online)

3.    TrackMania (online)

4.    Quake III (online)

5.    Starcraft (online)

6.    Counterstrike 1.6 (online)

 

No console or mobile gaming online leagues are currently being administered by the MSSA

 

Board Gaming and Figure Gaming effectively dilutes computing, console and mobile gaming’s vote within the MSSA. This means that even if 100 percent of gamers decide to institute change within the MSSA, their vote would be ineffective in doing so.

 

b.   While there is a computer gaming board of control (CGBOC), there is only one gamer represented on the two higher committees above the CGBOC, being the management board and the executive, which shows that the community has no influence in the MSSA.

 

c.   Even when the broader gaming community has had representation on the CGBOC and the CGBOC has made recommendations to the management board, these are generally totally disregarded.  

 

3)   MSSA boycott.

 

The MSSA is being boycotted by the Call of Duty 4 (CoD4) players online, which is the largest league of computer gamers in this country. This saw the MSSA CoD4 league drop from 20 teams in 2008 to seven teams in 2009. Furthermore, MSSA league numbers have almost halved from 2008 to 134 players in 2009. Its national team trials dropped from 143 players in 2007 to 10 players in 2008.

 

Many clans are now boycotting planned MSSA LANs and LAN organisations which are choosing to associate with the MSSA.

 

4)   Association already in the works

 

The gaming community is currently forming its own association that is run by gamers, for gamers.. Along with the initial meeting of top online clans, there have been meetings organised in various parts of the country where gamers have got together to discuss forming an association governed by gamers.

 

The process of creating The Association is already underway and The Association once formed will look for the most appropriate body to affiliate to internationally.

 

Once The Association’s structure has been put in place, details will be posted on this site and gamers will have the chance to nominate and vote for the first committee which will govern The Association.

 

The association will then work to better the online and LAN environments in South Africa as well as grow the number of competitive and casual gamers within South Africa across computer, console and mobile gaming platforms.

Voting:
Computer, console and mobile gamers are asked to add their name in support of this document if they agree with the gaming community’s desire to:

 

1)    No longer fall under the MSSA.

2)    Have an association run by gamers that self regulates computer, console and mobile gaming in South Africa.

Gamers are asked to state their:

      a)    Full name.

      b)    Primary game they play.

      c)    Clan – where applicable.

      d)    Clan position (owner, team leader, player) – where applicable.

      e)    Email address*

 

*Email addresses and Contact Numbers will be kept confidential.

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