Change At the Editorial Helm for NAG @NAGcoza

Hi Friends, 

NAG publishers have been announced that Regardt van der Berg will be stepping in as editorial lead for New Age Gamer (NAG) Magazine. Regardt is an established content creator and gaming authority in his own right and brings a wealth of creativity and expertise to South Africa’s premier gaming and esports, sci-tech, entertainment and pop culture publication.

Len Nery, Publisher and Managing Director of Hashtag Full Circle, the parent company of NAG Magazine say, “Change at the editorial helm of a media company is never an easy transition to make, especially during these trying times we are all facing. But with Regardt in the NAG Editor’s chair, calm has been restored at the office. He brings with him years of experience in creating video and copy content focused on new technology, keenly consumed by NAG readers. So, I do believe he is a perfect fit and, as a result, look to the future with ardour.”

Regardt adds, “NAG has always been my second home, and I feel honoured to now be in the driving seat for the next chapter of South Africa’s longest-running gaming media house. These are big shoes to fill, but I’ve got the help and support of the incredible team behind the scenes that do all the real hard work. As I re-join NAG in an official capacity, I can’t help but feel like the proverbial band is coming back together.

Regardt van der Berg, Editor NAG

“Len Nery, Cheryl Basset and I were part of the original NAG team back in the early 2000s when cover CDs and print magazines were still the best way to get the latest software, news and reviews. It feels good to be back home, and I have some cool things from my travels to share with you, but all in good time. For now, we’re just going to keep doing what we do best; and that’s to bring you enjoyable content to read, view and scroll through while you pretend to be busy at work.”

Since its inception as a print publication 23 years ago, NAG Magazine has evolved with the times and the gaming trends it follows. Its loyal reader base now exclusively reads NAG online to stay up to date with the latest news in video games and geek media. NAG features an eclectic mix of content for anyone who is passionate about gaming and pop culture.

Visitors to the website can enter competitions, join NAG's social media communities and interact via Twitch. NAG also syndicates content to Times Live under the GamersLIVE banner and offers free press releases to their clients.

For more information, visit www.nag.co.za. You can also follow NAG on Facebook or on Twitter.

Cheers!!!

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#Streaming: The Gear, The Bandwidth And The Ultimate Platform @AcerAfrica @juliabishrobson

Hi Friends, 

Gaming is fast becoming commercially recognized and shaking off the archaic stereotype of being grunge and anti-social past time for the young adult. One of the key elements to be taken seriously as a gamer is to increase your online presence in ‘streaming’.

According to Julia Robson aka Bish, an Esports contender, and keynote speaker at this year’s Vodacom rAge event in Johannesburg, the need for gamers to share their gaming experience online is becoming prevalent. “Streaming allows any gamer to share and create content for their followers whether this is for Twitch.tv, YouTube, Facebook or Mixer,” says Bish. “These platforms create a space for gamers to share their live gameplay with an audience and interact with a community of other streamers and players.” If you are a ‘noob’ (new to the industry) you should not feel overwhelmed by streaming. Simply record and share on social platforms you are comfortable and familiar with and as your confidence grows as a gamer you can explore additional options.

Gamers have the option of live streaming or pre-recording sessions. Editing pre-recorded sessions allows the user to create edited videos or VOD (Video-On-Demand) which can be more user-friendly for their audience and the ‘noob, but it is not as authentic as a live stream. Bish uses her Predator gaming laptop to stream and recommends software called Wondershare Filmora which assists in uploading to various social platforms.

Picture Credit: Julia Bish Robson Twitter www.twitter.com/juliabishrobson

“It is important to grow with your channel, learn from others and find your niche.” Bish identifies her top influencers as Samplayze, HutchieOG, and Shazz, which she deems entertaining and reliable. As with all influencers on social networks, it is about creating content and knowing what your audience is looking for. “It may be easier for you to start to stream to friends and getting their thoughts and feedback first.”

In summary building, a streaming channel is a process and requires originality and dedication. With Twitch.tv gaining up to 15 million unique viewers per day and these viewers spending on average 95 minutes on the channel, the goal should be to eventually stream live from this channel and ultimately become an Esports star.

Bish shares her top tips for the starting your channel:

• Have fun and be original: It can be daunting to have a camera focused on you but soon it will become easy to interact and have fun with the audience. It is important to think about what would engage you as an individual and then populate that and make it unique to your channel
• Find your niche: Whether this is a summary of your play at the end of each stream, cosplaying during your stream or having quirky terms during your gameplay, think of ‘what you like’ and ‘what you are good at’.
• Security and Privacy: Never give away any personal details or sensitive information. It’s easy to get comfortable with the camera but always remember that content is streamed across the world and the same cautions apply as mainstream channels like Facebook and Instagram. Trolls and cyberbullies are not restricted to streaming and implementing NightBot as a chat moderator can assist with keeping unwanted attention at a minimum.
• Gear: A decent camera with a frame 1080p 60FPS or webcam with a minimum 720p will ensure the quality of your stream is decent. A stable fibre line of at least 10/10 mb with a stable upload and download speed. Other baseline requirements include i5 Intel processor, GTX 1060 graphics card and 16gb of DDR4 RAM. Anything over and above these specs will add to the viewer's pleasure.

Cheers!!!

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#eSports to Dominate @rAgeExpo @KweseGam3r #rAgeExpo2017 #15YearsofAwesome

Hi Friends,

The really Awesome gaming expo (rAge) is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2017, with an expo that will meet and exceed the needs of every fan of geek culture. One of its areas of dominance this year will be esports, where Kwesé Gamer will be hosing the ESL African Championship finals throughout the rAge weekend.

Taking place from 6 October to 8 October at the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg, this is the first year that Kwesé Gamer will officially have exhibition space – and 500 square metres of it at that.

The ESL arena will host the ESL African Championship finals, where the top two teams from the South African and North African group stages will battle it out to be crowned Africa’s ESL CSGO champion. 

With seating for many eager South African esports fans, visitors will be able to watch all the live action on big screens in front of the stage.

Kwesé will also be bringing two well-known international casters to rAge: Lauren ‘Pansy’ Scott and Jason ‘Moses’ O’Toole. World-renowned in the international esports scene, the two will lend their casting abilities and trademark style to the talent deck of the grand finale, alongside a host of local commentators, panelists and analysts.

‘Pansy’ is a 27-year-old British nationalist, contracted to ESL, who has been involved in esports for over 10 years, while ‘Moses’ started his professional career at the very young age of 16, playing for United 5 in North America. Their attendance at rAge is much-anticipated and shows just how successfully esports is taking off in South Africa.

For those who have been bitten by the esports bug, Kwesé Gamer will also host a Hearthstone Fireside Gathering on Saturday 7 October at rAge, where the top three players on the day will go head-to-head to win their share of R10 000.

As part of the ESL African Championship, the Hearthstone portion’s finals will be played at rAge, while the action will be broadcast live on Kwesé Gamer’s Facebook page and Twitch channel.

As an added bonus for esports fans, Kwesé Gamer will also host an Overwatch competition. Blizzard’s team-based shooter recently announced a new one-versus-one mode, and Kwesé Gamer will give players an opportunity to try out the mode while also competing for various prizes.

For more information on rAge, please visit rAge expo.

Dates: 6 October – 8 October 2017
Show times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00
Day ticket: R120 per person (tickets available at the door or via TicketPro outlets)
Weekend ticket: R300 per person (tickets available at the door or via TicketPro outlets)
Kids under 6: Free
Venue: Ticketpro Dome | Cnr Olievenhout Avenue and Northumberland Road | Northriding, Johannesburg | GPS: 26 03’48.39”S / 27 56’35.54”E

Cheers!!!

 

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