Higher Ed
Posted on Oct 16, 2023
Lincroft’s Brookdale Community College has inaugurated a cutting edge Esports Arena, marking its entry into the competitive field of video gaming. This innovative move is expected to bring significant value to both the students and the local community. Open to public from Monday to Friday, between 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m, the arena is located on the first floor of the Student Life Center (SLC).
President David M. Stout, Ph.D. expressed his appreciation towards the Board of Trustees for their unwavering vision and support for esports at the college. According to him, the Brookdale Esports Arena acts as a significant hub of innovation, competition, and fellowship. He believes this initiative will enable students to collaborate, excel and realize their potential.
The Esports Arena boasts of 26 high-tech PCs, including six positioned on an ADA-compliant competition stage, a broadcasting booth for casters, a strategy room, a console lounge with large TVs for enthusiasts to view professional events, and advanced audio-video and lighting systems. The competition stage, accentuated by a 20-foot by eight-foot LED video wall, forms the core of the esports action.
Chris Boehmer, the arena’s director, mentioned his excitement seeing the joy and enthusiasm on the faces of visitors in the past two weeks. He emphasized that Brookdale Esports Arena is a testament to the dedicated passion, planning, and hard work that went into its creation and promotes inclusive gaming where everyone can enjoy without feeling left out.
In its continued efforts, Brookdale Community College will host varsity esports teams that will participate in the intercollegiate competitions under the NJCAAE (New Jersey Collegiate Athletic Association Esports). Out of over 60 participants who attended the try-out sessions last week, 19 players across three games were shortlisted. They must adhere to specific credit requirements and maintain a minimum GPA to retain their eligibility.
The arena also provides practical experience in game footage mixing, camera management, and audio handling to the students keen on the production side of esports. These professional-level broadcasts will be streamed on globally-recognized platforms such as Twitch.tv and YouTube.
Brookdale is planning to tie-up with academic departments to leverage the advanced computing and broadcast technology available at the Esports Arena. This will provide further enhancement opportunities for programs such as Graphic Design, Game Design, Communications Media, and Computer Science via the esports platform.
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