With the recent hype surrounding Black Myth: Wukong, a lushly-designed, single player mythological video game which took the industry by storm, it’s timely to revisit our local obsession with video games and how they have seamlessly fused into our daily lives as a recreational source.
Video games have been around for what seems to be forever. From its rudimentary and experiential period, when games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Runescape showcased a glimpse of their unlimited potential, the industry has since progressed as a cultural force, where communities are formed by a passionate love for video games.
We speak to Donald Yeo, Chairman of the SAFRA Tech Club, on how gaming has progressed to be a way of life in contemporary Singapore.
Playing up a computational legacy
It’s funny how life comes full circle.
Almost 9 years ago, Donald was a Projects and Events executive based at the SAFRA Yishun club. As much as he enjoyed his time there, he could not help but wonder, “How can a platform that is so centred around modern recreation and community building not involve our local video gaming stakeholders?” Sure, SAFRA did house various cyber cafes, with Clique Gaming being one of its more prominent and long-standing partners, but they just did not suffice as social gateways for Singapore’s rapidly growing video gaming scene.
This is especially true today, when recreational gamification is no longer limited to purely computer and console-based titles. According to research conducted by YouGov in 2020, close to 80% of Singaporeans are gamers, with the majority being young adults aged 18 to 24. “I think it is clear that gaming as a whole has become an integral lifestyle phenomenon, for it doesn’t only help alleviate stress, but also functions as a social tool that brings people together,” Donald shares.
In 2017, one year after he was employed at SAFRA, Donald and his band of fellow gaming enthusiasts started SAFRA’s first and only Tech Club. “We played around with a few names themed around video games (duh), but even back then, the industry was heavily stigmatised by people who felt that video games were social banes,” he says. “In retrospect, it was a wise choice to settle on a more generic name that incorporates not just our love for the activity, but also the technology that drives it.”
Video games have seen massive technological breakthroughs in recent years, thanks to the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and they require a robust computer system to operate. That said, not every gamer is well-informed about its nuances. “Even contemporary graphic cards rely on AI to drive up image quality and reduce input lag in games. Video gaming in a way has become a tech forum, as more and more gamers come together to discuss the optimal gaming system for their games of choice. Our Tech Club incorporates both a passion for games and an interest in technological developments to drive social engagement,” he muses.
Behind the scenes
Most who are not privy to the gaming industry’s developments frame their perspective of video games based on its visual content. These people may be surprised when it is revealed by Statista that Singapore’s e-sports realm is projected to collect US$9.8m in revenue this year. The same report suggests that a bulk of this comes from an increased interest in sponsorship and advertising.
Donald, who had professional stints at gaming technological companies like Aftershock PC and HADO, has seen first-hand how gaming has evolved into a dynamic force in business, with many aspects such as sponsorships, advertising, public relations and more emerging out of this widespread sensation.
“The industry as a whole is becoming increasingly viable as a professional pursuit. No longer is it restricted to stereotypical roles like e-sports competitive gamer or streamer. Now, professional teams have regional managers, executives for partnerships and events, as well as talent managers!” he shares. “The industry has grown much larger than “sit down, play games, earn prize.” This diversity is evident in his club’s primary make-up. Lee Jian Ming, a committee member, owns an events and production company focused on e-sports broadcasting, while Dennis Ooi, another committee member, is the president of the Singapore Cyber Online Gaming Association (SCOGA).
To combat the misconceptions that many have of the industry, Donald and his team have introduced monthly career talks by industry veterans to share how you can indeed, have the best of both worlds. “Having a vested interest in video games can be very lucrative, both professionally and personally,” he observes. Additionally, he and his team do their best to encourage mentors from the industry to guide their younger members. “For our tournaments, we open up its operational roles to our members so that they can see how everything comes together from the ground up,” he says.
Speaking of tournaments, the Tech Club regularly hosts Mobile Legends and Dota 2 competitions. Just recently, in November 2024, it worked alongside SAFRA Yishun to host its very first Esports Fiesta. In addition to a Game Carnival, it also saw 20 teams compete for the title of Grand Champion in one of the nation’s largest Mobile Legends Bang Bang tournaments. With the success of this partnership, the Tech Club will once again reunite with SAFRA Yishun to organise an IT fair in the first half of 2025. There is also an array of Valorant watch parties and community events in the pipeline for members, as well as future collaborations with Titans Esports Gaming to host more get-togethers!
Intangible, invaluable
Donald, like many of his friends, recalls what some described to be the ‘Golden Era’ of gaming in the 1990s. “When I was 11 years old, I would spend time at the arcade simply watching others play. I would then pick it up myself, fail and then simply try again until I got good at it. It was just fun, experimenting with different ways to beat the game,” he recalls.
In the early 2000s, Donald remembers spending hours shooting his way through various battlefields in Halo 2 and Counterstrike, so much so that he started playing them competitively in the World Cyber Games, better known as the Esports Olympics. When he enlisted into the military, he bonded with his brothers-in-arms through a shared love for first-person shooters, which somewhat ironically became their reality for two years.
His impressive gaming repertoire notwithstanding, he had never once imagined his professional path being intertwined with his recreational interests. And through this club, he hopes he can help his fellow gamers explore a professional route into the industry with opportunities to mingle with like-minded individuals and learn from those like Donald who had to navigate the virtual landscape on their own.
As the adage goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. With over 130 members and still growing, the Tech Club promises a vibrant community which loves video games as much as you do. And with that passion comes engaging discourse, thrilling tournaments and plenty of GGWPs (gaming abbreviation for “good game, well played”).
Looking to join your fellow brothers-in-arms on the virtual battlefield? Be part of a community of passionate gamers and patriots at safra.sg/interest-groups/tech-club
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