eSports takes 'grannies' on a fantastical adventure
Editor's note:
How do you define aging? Slow, old-fashioned, with housework and neighborhood gossip? Over 36 percent of Shanghai's population is 60 or older, and many are keen to explore new things in fashion, art, sports and philanthropy. This series, "Ageless Wonder," focuses on the colorful lives of seniors and their inclusive and innovative spirit.
Shot by Sun Chao. Edited by Sun Chao. Subtitles by Zhu Shenshen.
Two elderly women showed up at an eSports event in Shanghai last week, not to cheer but to compete in the game.
Wang Wenfang, also known as Granny Kai Xin (Happy), swiped fingers on a smartphone with a rhythmic click-clack. She sat in the center of the game stage at a Shanghai shopping mall, eliciting smiles and cheers from over 1,000 people.
Wang, now 70, has discovered a game world full of opportunities since her retirement. The DreamStar Tournament invited her to Shanghai.
"Playing games is a pleasurable adventure. It sharpens our minds and reflexes and keeps us up to date with the changing world," said Wang, who refused to accept that since "I'm getting old, I can't do anything anymore."
Granny Kai Xin, 70, took part in an eSports tournament in Shanghai.
She and her teammate Zhang Fengqin, also known as Granny Chang Le (Happy), who has retired from a bank, fit in nicely on the eSports site, which resembled a gaming carnival. They smiled and gestured in response to greetings from the game spectators, most of whom were some dozen years younger than them.
They gave themselves the names Kai Xin and Chang Le, which both indicate happiness in Chinese, as player identities.
Granny Kai Xin no longer has to deal with paperwork at a judicial institution in Henan Province; instead, she uses her reasoning and knowledge to succeed in the virtual world.
"I worked on criminal cases, which requires me to be rigorous and meticulous," she explained. "Therefore, when playing games, I would think about the object and the way to achieve the object and the equipment I need to improve my performance more efficiently."
The bright maps, the complicated puzzles, and the excitement of outwitting opponents all triggered something unexpected, she said.
The DreamStar Tournament was held in a shopping mall in the Pudong New Area.
Her gaming experience began around two years ago in a nursing home in Henan Province's Xuchang City. She and her friends formed an eSports team with elderly members, with the help of a senior-care center.
Their laughter rang throughout the center as they strategized and conquered virtual terrain together. The spouses of the grandmothers, as well as a gathering of retired folks, were curious. They gradually entered the virtual world, playing games such as Tencent-backed DreamStar and League of Legends (LoL).
They typically spend an hour or two every day playing games, sometimes with their grandchildren, which creates new topics and allows them to enjoy fun with their families.
"We are not waiting to be looked after; rather, we are enjoying the golden age. ESports is a platform that makes us happy," the grannies said.
Granny Chang Le, 68, focuses on the game.
Lin Huo, the nursing home's manager, assisted in the formation of the eSports team by providing professional gaming equipment, seating, and account setup. The 26-year-old Lin connected the elderly population with the young generation's favorite games. He aired the special eSports squad, which drew notice from netizens and media.
"Grannies become energetic and excited when they touch games, just like young players," Lin told Shanghai Daily.
The grannies were trained at the nursing home.
Before their DreamStar trip to Shanghai, grannies Kai Xin and Chang Le competed in city-level eSports competitions in Xuchang, winning several games.
In Shanghai, the tournament venue was buzzing with excitement, with a sea of young faces bathed by the brightness of big screens.
The grannies shared their passion for the game with fans and media, demonstrating that age is truly only a number.
Shanghai plans to create a worldwide eSports hub, complete with additional gaming clubs, eSports events and venues, and players and fans of all ages.
Grannies posed for photos with a winner in a competition in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.
