Whether you are just a casual gamer or have big dreams to make a career out of it, there is no doubt that PC gaming has been growing more and more popular. Today we take a look at gaming in South Africa and give you some tips when looking for a gaming PC for sale on Junk Mail.
A look at eSports in South Africa
There is no doubt that popularity of eSports has gone from strength to strength, and in South Africa, this is no different. eSports have been popular for a large number of years now and, while not everyone might be finding a Twitch or YouTube stream to watch the StarCraft II or Dota 2 Championships, there is a large number of competitive game lovers that do.
The Telkom DGL a win for SA eSports
Back in January of 2016 South Africa’s first R 1 million tournament was announced – the biggest to date. Telkom announced the launch of the 2016 Telkom Digital Gaming League (DGL) which included the Masters Programme – this was where the prize money totalling R 1 million came in.
The Telkom DGL Masters took place at rAge (6 – 9 October 2016) in Johannesburg, seeing teams take part in a range of competitive games, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Dota 2 splitting the R 1 million prize pool.
Image Source: Telkom DGL Twitter Page.
How the prize pool was split for both Dota 2 and CS:GO
- 7th – 8th place: R 25 000.
- 5th – 6th place: R 35 000.
- 4th place: R 40 000.
- 3rd place: R 50 000.
- 2nd place: R 90 000.
- 1st place: R 200 000.
What is the Telkom DGL?
The Telkom DGL is an online competitive gaming league that provides tournaments and ladders across a range of games. While the Ladder level is open to anyone who has a love for gaming (both console and PC gaming) and wants to get competitive, the Premier Division is for the more serious competitive gamer who is looking to qualify for an annual DGL championship.
The Masters are the pros, taking part in the DGL Masters and competing for the grand prize pool.
Image Source: Telkom DGL Facebook Page.
If you are interested in playing competitively, whether you are new to gaming or have been playing for years, check out the Telkom Digital Gaming League website. Also read on to learn more about Steam and Battle.net.
The 2016 Telkom DGL Masters top 8 consisted of the following Multi Gaming Organisations (MGOs):
- White Rabbit Gaming (WRG) which has players and teams in Rocket League, League of Legends, CS:GO, Dota 2 and Hearthstone. WRG also walked away 2016 Telkom DGL champions in Dota 2 over the rAge October Expo in Johannesburg.
- Bravado Gaming (bvd) which has players and teams taking part in Dota 2 and CS:GO. Bravado Gaming walked away CS:GO 2016 Telkom DGL champions over the October rAge Expo in Johannesburg.
- Aperture gaming (ApG) which has teams and players taking part in Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) , Dota 2 and Battlefield 4.
- CarboN eSports which has teams and players in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, CS:GO and Dota 2.
- Damage Control (DC) which features teams and players in Dota 2, Overwatch and CS:GO.
- FlipSid3 Tactics (F3) – which is an international organisation with a South Africa branch – has teams and players taking part in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Dota 2, CS:GO and League of Legends.
- Veneration E-Sports (VnR) which has teams and players in League of Legends, CS:GO, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Dota 2.
- Xperts@Total.Chaos (xTc) which has teams and players in CS:GO, Dota 2, Overwatch and Battlefield 4.
NOTE: Remember that, when it comes to competitive gaming in South Africa, there is a whole lot going on – more than what we can cover here. Growing in popularity, eSports are truly worth building an interest and undying support in, especially when it comes to our local teams making their mark on the world.
There are a number of competitive teams, players and competitions. The Telkom Digital League Championships are by no means the only one of its kind.
Choosing a gaming PC
If you are thinking of getting into PC gaming, it is important that you get the right equipment. The first (and probably the most important) tip we can give you is to check out the game you are interested in. Check what the minimum requirements are for that game and if your PC can handle it.
If you are thinking of finding a gaming PC for sale on Junk Mail, you should keep the following three things in mind. These are the three important things to check out when it comes to the minimum requirements for a game you want to start playing:
- CPU (Processor)
- RAM (Memory)
- Graphics Card
Other things to take into consideration is your Operating System (OS) and the available storage on your PC (some of these games do take up a lot of space, so make sure you have enough to install it).
While many gamers do choose to build up their own gaming PCs, you might be able to find some great deals on hardware on Junk Mail, especially if you are just starting out. Selling your old hardware and looking to upgrade? Place your FREE ad on Junk Mail and browse for great deals while you are there.
Popular online PC games that are played competitively
Image Source: Battle.Net Website.
Now that you know what to look for when buying a gaming PC, here is a list of some of the popular online PC games to help get you started:
- StarCraft II – The Starter Edition is free to play, so check it out on Battle.net
- Dota 2 – This is a FREE game and available for download on Steam.
- Overwatch (PC and Console) – This is a paid game you can find on Battle.net
- Heroes of the Storm – Also a FREE to play game available for download on Battle.net
- Hearthstone – A FREE to play game that can be downloaded via Battle.net. You can even play it on your smartphone. While you are downloading the App, be sure to get the Junk Mail Android App as well 😛
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive – Paid game available on Steam.
- And SO MUCH MORE.
I highly suggest that, if you want to start gaming and you are looking for online PC games, you take a look at Steam and Battle.net. Offering great FREE games for download, you can get started today. Steam also has world famous Sales where you can pick up everything from Indie Games to triple A titles at great prices. Remember to make sure that your PC meets the minimum requirements.
Tell us about your favourite PC games in the comment section below!
Gaming isn’t only for the PC users
Console gaming is just as popular as PC gaming. While we have mainly focussed on PC gaming in this post, it by no standards means that console gaming is a not just as competitive, important and fun.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is only one of the major competitive games when it comes to console gaming. If you are more of a console gamer than a PC gamer, you can learn more about consoles by reading our “PS4 the next generation in gaming consoles” and “Xbox One S: The most advanced Xbox yet” posts on the blog.
If you are looking for great deals on hardware and a gaming PC for sale, be sure to check out www.JunkMail.co.za. If you are upgrading your gaming PC and looking for a great way to get some extra funds for that upgrade, sell your old hardware on Junk Mail by placing your free ad.
