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A new gaming lab featuring Dell Technologies’ Alienware computers officially unveiled Thursday is attracting attention from around the world to St. Clair College’s esports program.
Stationed in the college’s 15,000-square-foot Nexus Esports Arena and broadcast facility — which opened in 2022 at St. Clair’s Windsor student centre — the Alienware Gaming Lab is the first of its kind in Canada.
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“We are getting recruits coming globally to our school,” said Shaun Byrne, the college’s esports director.
“We’ve got players from Germany. We’ve got players from the U.K. We’ve got players from the U.S. We’ve got players from South America coming here because we are building things properly.”
The computer and software enhancements will keep St. Clair college competitive on many levels, the college said in a news release.
“These equipment upgrades were a necessary addition to unlock further potential for varsity teams to remain competitive and increase the quality of teams, broadcasts and recruitment to the varsity and academic programs.”
The new gaming lab features 48 new free-play PCs for novice gamers at St. Clair College and 62 computers to “enhance competitive gaming play for varsity and academy players.”
It also creates an opportunity to increase the number of existing gaming PCs to 110 from 70.
The upgraded esports facility, which had the financial backing of both the administration and the St. Clair Alumni Association, was supported by recently retired college president Patti France and current president Michael Silvaggi to take advantage of the potential esports has for students.
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“Since its unveiling a couple of years ago, the Nexus Esports Arena and the associated gaming labs have become the hub of relaxation, socializing and activity during between-class breaks,” said Silvaggi.
“The opportunity to improve and expand the amenities this summer, in partnership with Dell Technologies and Alienware, was ideally timed. It meant that students would have an enhanced campus experience from the outset of this academic year.”
Alienware General Manager Matt McGowan said St. Clair College is “setting the standard for what excellence looks like in esports in the collegiate setting, and I believe that the other universities are taking notice.”
Pam Pelletier, president of Dell Technologies Canada, said gaming and esports helps develop skills that are vital to the high-tech world.
“Esports gaming technology at St. Clair College is more than just enhancing the skills of our competitive gamers,” she Pelletier said. “It’s about igniting a passion for innovation and discovery.
“The collaboration between us will not only elevate our players but also nurture the next wave of innovators, engineers, and researchers that St. Clair College is renowned for cultivating.”
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Thierry Whitehead, a business marketing student at the college, told the Star the new Alienware Gaming Lab is “really exciting for everyone. It’s the fact that we can compete at the highest level with the best gear that we can possibly have.”
Interest in competitive esports tends to be higher in the United States than Canada, so having the first Alienware lab in the country is a major step, he said. “It’s just a really big deal. Everyone’s really excited about it.
“Everyone wants to come in and play. Everyone wants to be together.”
The social aspect of the lab is important to students, Whitehead said. “The best thing is people are coming in and they’re able to talk to each other. You find people that have similar interests as you, so it’s a lot more than just playing games.
“It’s meeting new friends. It’s understanding that there’s more than video games to it.”
St. Clair College was the first post-secondary institution in Canada to introduce esports as a varsity team in 2016. The college launched its academic program, Esports Administration and Entrepreneurship, in 2019.
Also on hand for the official opening of the Alienware Gaming Lab were noted gamer “Fitzyhere,” who is part of a professional gaming organization called Team Liquid that competes in gaming events worldwide, St. Clair College chief information officer Amar Singh, and student representative council president Rishi Vatish.
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