Spotlight

Cyber speed

By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photos courtesy of Werasit Kitiwannakul/Samsung

Thai games champ gets serious

For most players, cyber games are just a fun way to pass the time. But for World Cyber Games Thailand Championship winner Werasit Kitiwannakul (Vee), they're a serious sport.

�Like any sport, cyber games require tactics, planning and coordination,� he said. �I have to stick to a practise schedule every day, with extra hours added when a competition is coming up.�

Vee has participated in the World Cyber Games Thailand Championship every year since 2002. The 25-year-old player has won the competition four times between 2004 and 2008.

Vee�s specialty was originally a shooting game, but he now focuses on a racing game called Need for Speed.

�The shooting game I won in 2002 was eliminated from the competition,� Vee said. �I had basic skills in car racing games, and I�d won some prizes in other contests with racing, so I decided to compete in Need for Speed.�

CLAN SUPPORT

Aside from consistent practise, having group support is one of the keys to success in any competition. Vee is part of a group of players called the New Generation Clan, or NC for short. NC has members in many countries, including Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico and the Ukraine.

�Before I joined NC, I had to prove that my skills were as good as the other members by competing against them,� Vee said. �We�re all friends now.�

Joining a group like NC has a lot of benefits. All of the NC players discuss their tactics openly with one another. In the lead up to the next competition, Vee has been sharing ideas about winning the new version of Need for Speed.

GOING INTER

Vee�s visit to San Francisco for the World Cyber Games Championship in 2004 was his first experience at an international competition.

�I was surprised how seriously players from other countries take the competition,� Vee said. �I saw somebody cry when he lost the game.�

Vee also noticed different playing techniques among the international players.

�All the players were very professional,� he said. �They always used the steering wheel as a controller. In Thailand, lots of players just use the keyboard.�

Vee was surprised to learn that in some countries, cyber game champions can make a career of playing.

�In China, a cyber champion is considered a national athlete and even takes part in the Olympic torch relay,� Vee said. �In many other countries, players can get sponsorship and financial support for competitions.�

FINAL CHALLENGE

This year Vee will go to Germany to participate in the World Cyber Games Championship. He plans to be ready for the tough competition at the event.

�I have to maintain a strong mind and be well prepared when I compete,� Vee said.

Vee plans to focus on his career in finance soon, so the upcoming championship will be the last time that he competes seriously. He plans to make his last competition a memorable one.

�Last year, I was one of 16 finalists in the international competition,� he said. �This year I aim to make it into the top eight, which no Thai player has ever done before. I�ll be well prepared.�

	tactic (n): the particular method you use to achieve something coordination (n): the ability to control your movements well schedule (n): a plan that lists all the work you have to do and when you should do each thing eliminate (v): to remove or get rid of something consistent (adj): happening in the same way and continuing for a period of time key (n): the most important thing benefit (n): an advantage that something gives you openly (adv): without hiding anything steering wheel (n): the wheel that the driver turns to control the direction that a vehicle goes in maintain (v): to make something continue at the same level, standard, etc.