Productivity during COVID-19 is by no means a competition, especially since these times are unprecedented for the entire student body at Georgia State.
COVID-19 more than likely ruined plans not just for leisure but also personal growth. Whether that was starting an internship or career, everything was immediately halted when the U.S. was struck by something it was unprepared to combat.
Fortunately for some, resources were still there for students with specific aspirations. A small group of gamers who frequented the second floor of the Georgia State Creative Media Industries Institute have, for the most part, used this imperative time of seclusion as a chance to improve their craft.
The resources for gaming on the floor were unparalleled compared to other facilities. It was assisted by the small culture that was cultivated by Park Place Punchdown, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate weekly that is organized by Georgia State sophomore Jun Lee.
As a student at Georgia State, Jacob Amin started Peak Tournaments, an online entity that hosts tournaments for the most popular fighting game in the world.
Amin has continued to run competitions and host community streams on Twitch, along with roughly ten other contributors.
The purpose of Peak Tournaments stemmed from the dilemma of new competitors.
“I wanted to be involved in the Smash community. I remember feeling out of place and didn’t feel welcomed,” Amin said.
He also noted that this wasn’t necessarily the direct fault of regular tournament goers, but becoming involved in the community of a passion you have isn’t always a smooth entry.
Before quarantine, Peak Tournaments’ Twitch averaged 80-100 viewers whenever they hosted one of their weekly events. After the pandemic breakout, views steadily rose to what now is an average of 200 with a peak of 400 viewers watching simultaneously.
Sophomores William Adkins and Khalil Davis are commentators and streamers with Peak Tournaments who are grateful for their progress.
“I get to hone a different craft,” Adkins said. “If I wasn’t stuck inside, I wouldn’t be doing it as consistently as I am now.”
Davis adds that he “want[s] to make a safe [space] for people to have fun and enjoy the games.”
Separate from the Peak crew, Ikechi Agidi, has hit his stride as well. He is perhaps the most renowned gaming content creator currently attending Georgia State and has over 2,000 Twitter followers. A simple search of his first name will direct you to his YouTube and Twitch pages.
Agidi credits the likes of popular streamer Afrosenju for his drive and focus. By using his status around Smash as a spark, Agidi has branched out into being a variety streamer.
Agidi acknowledges the unfortunate side of quarantine content creation.
“There are so many things to keep with, and you have to be willing to do content creation all day. Nothing else,” he said.
This statement exemplifies how demanding this kind of work can be during an unprecedented time such as this. Nevertheless, Agidi maintains motivation as his contemporaries have given him recent praise.
“My community now is slowly becoming made of people that I looked up to,” he said.
Making the most of what you have is one of the keys to success. Students around the country have struggled to weather the storm amid all the cancellations and sacrifices. The progress of these Georgia State students is an example of how expansive and reliable certain sections of the game industry truly is.
