The Endless Games and Learning Lab sponsored an ASU Games Community of Practice meetup on Tuesday for students, faculty, staff, alumni and industry professionals to gain more insight into the world of gaming and esports.
Elina Ollila, professor and deputy director at the Endless Games and Learning Lab, said the ASU Games Community of Practice board decided to hold the event after realizing there was a lack of collaboration among people in the gaming industry.
She said the space was intended for people to connect, make announcements and share ideas. Once students start networking, it opens the door for not only job opportunities but also advice and exchanged ideas, she said.
"It's so much easier to also ask for help or ask for advice when you actually meet people face to face," Ollila said. "If you're thinking of just exchanging ideas, coming up with new things, it's really useful to talk to people."
Ollila said it was intentional for the board to be made up of faculty from different schools and areas of study at ASU to ensure there is a strong sense of representation.
She added that rather than keeping the meetings strictly for faculty, they found it more powerful to open them up to students and get them involved.
"The spirit of collaboration is very much in our DNA," Ollila said. "We must recognize that we are much stronger together when we connect and do things together, rather than isolate ourselves."
Anna Fiore, a senior studying media arts and sciences and a student worker at the Esports Lounge, said the interest in esports, competitive video gaming where teams can compete with other schools across the country, has grown because of people connecting through the internet.
After working for the Esports Lounge for three years, Fiore said she has also witnessed the esports community at ASU grow as they have expanded their space and offered more events.
"It's definitely small, but it's growing," Fiore said. "The great thing about gaming is that when you're connected online, who cares? Be who you want to be."
For students looking to get into esports, Allyson Guzzo, a senior studying interdisciplinary studies and the president of League of Legends at ASU, said the club is open to all skill levels, where students can be part of a competitive team that competes with other colleges across North America.
She said there are two teams, varsity and development, to best serve students' skill levels.
Guzzo said esports is intended to encompass community, competition and working toward shared goals. Without the community of teammates and fans who support the team, esports would not be what it is, she said.
"To be competitive, you need to have fans. You need to have a team that supports you, that's working to help you reach your goals," Guzzo said. "Esports is not just competitive gaming, it's competitive gaming in a community of people who are all there supporting the vision."
READ MORE: Connection and Community through esports at ASU
Guzzo said there is value in having events such as the ASU Games Community of Practice gathering because it opens the door for students to explore new technology and speak with the people behind it.
While the esports community at ASU is small, Guzzo said there is a lot of opportunity for students to get involved with esports. She would advise students interested in esports to join an existing club or start their own.
She said the club is hosting a tournament Saturday at the Esports Lounge and will be live-streaming it on their Twitch.
"Just do it, weasel your way in there and start doing stuff, start creating," Guzzo said. "People will come and help you and support you, because they also want to create."
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, Jack McCarthy and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at alillest@asu.edu and follow @allylillestol on X.
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Allison Lillestol is a reporter for the community and culture desk. She is in her 3rd semester with the State Press. She also works for the Arizona PBS.
