Highlights
- Childhood game fueled him to seek other people with the same experience
- It was not an easy start, but with the help of others, they were able to create a community
- They were able to build real friendships from playing online game
"Siguro hindi lang dahil sa games eh, pero kino-consider mo na sila na family eh. Kahit di na naglalaro, nagkikita kita na lang kayo. May mga nagkakatampuhan pa nga minsan pero nagkaka-ayos naman"
Those words came from Jerome Seminiano, a nurse graduate from the Philippines turned bus driver here in Australia, in sharing his strory of creating what is arguably one of the biggest Filipino facebook gaming community in the country. In just a span of 1 year, the group already grew with over 1,700 members from both Australia and New Zealand.
Jerome Seminiano in his job Source: Supplied by Jerome Seminiano
The common denominator
Counter Strike is a very popular game title back in the 2000s. A lot of people are hooked in this game and Jerome was no exception. He loved playing the game to the point he gets to play on different places back in Manila. Gaming did not die inside him even after he already had a family of his own. When moved to Australia, he was looking for an avenue where he can still play the game that he love with other people.
He was playing in a server back in the Philippines, but due to network latency and added expenses, it was not a good experience. Taking the initiative in his own hands, he tried to create a sever of his own.
Slowly, he was getting traction to Filipino facebook groups here in Australia and enthusiasts started popping in one by one. He was all the more motivated to start a dedicated server here in Australia to cater to people's growing interest. By March 2020, he was able to run the server perfectly.
Jerome in running the game server Source: Supplied by Jerome Seminiano
Lock and Loaded
He and his new found friends created a facebook group and in just a matter of months, their numbers grew exponentially. Due to the pandemic, the group became even more known. Jerome did not realise the untapped gaming community here in Australia was that big, especially for the generation that he belongs to.
As the community grew, they were starting to create mini tournaments wherein they will get a pool of donations and started to give away computer peripherals and pizzas as prizes. They also have casual meet ups and game sessions.
One of their game sessions Source: Supplied by Jerome Seminiano
The brotherhood
The once casual gaming sessions slowly became personal. Even without gaming sessions, they were meeting up.
"Nung nangailangan ako para sa bagong bili naming lupa, may kalaro ako na pumunta at nagdala ng kalaykay at piko. Yung iba ginagawang ninong, yung iba ininvite kami sa baby shower".
Jerome with other group members in attending a baby shower Source: Supplied by Jerome Seminiano
"Wala kaming kinikita dito, free server lang siya. More of enjoyment lang kami."
During the height of the pandemic, a member even approached Jerome and thanked him for creating the group.
"May isa pa nga nagsabi sakin, ang sabi na - bro salamat, kung di dahil sa CS 1.3 mo, di ko alam ang gagawin ko ngayong pandemic"
Jerome and his friends found a family in this gaming community. He would jokingly mention a rule in their community that no one shoul mention their ages.
Gaming and parenthood
When asked if gaming has age limit, Jerome said there is none. He mentioned that he even plays with his child. He would also mention that gaming was not a good hobby then and parents of his generation would oppose it. There are lessons that can be learned in playing games such as strategic thinking and decision making skills.
"Ako as a father, okay lang na mag game, basta alam mo ang limitations mo. Ang games, hindi lang siya for fun pero marami kang matutunan na pwede mo i-apply sa buhay mo".
Jerome with his family Source: Supplied by Jerome Seminiano
