To close out the year with a bang, we stopped by UCSB, UCR, and Shawnee State University for their major gaming and LAN events. The collegiate esports scene has really taken off in the last year. Whether it is in the West or Midwest, we’re super excited to be a part of the growth and are very proud of all of these colleges’ efforts in growing their esports clubs and programs.
Gamers Rise Up at Shawnee State Univ. in Ohio
On November 15 and 16, Shawnee State University hosted its 17th Shawnee Game Conference. Although called a game conference, it actually was a celebration of art and technology in addition to gaming. Art exhibitors and indie game developers alike came to show off their works and share about their path to realizing their dreams. On the gaming side, there was a popular Free2Play station where students played fighting games such as Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros. There were also tables where people enjoyed some rounds of Magic the Gathering and D&D. However, the true highlight of the day was the Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Smash tournaments that were held on the main stage.
GGs to Gaucho Gaming at UCSB Fall LAN
Gaucho Gaming’s UCSB Fall-LAN event was a blast on November 16, 2019. UCSB students flocking over to the event to compete in an all-out LAN battle against their peers to find who is the king/queen of their game.
iBUYPOWER provided Gaucho Gaming with twelve awesome high-end PCs to support their onstage LAN tournament. Gamers cheering left and right with the sudden roars of “LET’S GO” showed the true competitiveness in each individual on stage. While supporting those on stage, iBUYPOWER also brought some cool gadgets to try out at their booth with the one and only Snowblind S PC grabbing the attention of those walking by. iBUYPOWER partnered with Kinesis Gaming to show off their Kinesis Gaming FreeStyle RGB mechanical keyboard. Those who tried it found it comfortable while those watching gasped at the idea of a split keyboard but were intrigued to try it out for themselves. Everyone who came was able to snag themselves some awesome swag such as iBUYPOWER pens, pins, holo stickers, and WD pens. Our staff spoke with students about the esports industry and gave them key advice for getting into the gaming industry.
Unbelievable Highs at UCR’s Highlander Con
The California heat didn’t stop college students from stopping by Highlander Con and hanging out. High-intensity LAN tournaments took place at the University of California, Riverside on November 17, 2019, with students from UCLA and Cal Poly Pomona participating in the tournament. iBUYPOWER joined in on the fun by offering PCs for students to play in the Free Playroom and supplying students with PCs to play in the on-stage tournament.
Highlander Con brought out nearly 500-600 students who came to show off their gaming skills as well as some awesome cosplay. iBUYPOWER was joined by NVIDIA, MSI, and HyperX to show off their newest products. Students gazed at the Kinesis Gaming FreeStyle RGB mechanical keyboard and were determined to beat the speediest typer with some students lining again and again. Students were also able to participate in a survey to win another Kinesis Gaming set while they watched in awe at their peer’s exceptional typing skills. Everyone who came by the iBUYPOWER booth was able to grab themselves some cool swag such as iBUYPOWER pens, stickers, pins, and WD_Black Pens. We had a blast at Higherlander Con 2019 and hope to see you next year!
