“Played exclusively on Sony Playstation 3 consoles, the three-day event saw over 500 registered players compete for the title of African Qualifier and go up against other EA Sports gamers around the globe,” says Martin Swart, event manager at Maverick.
Several countries hosted their own qualifying matches and those most nimble on the Sony Playstation 3's, stand a chance to take home a Kia Soul and US$20 000. “From the 500 players participating over the first two days, just 64 remained on day three. To please the contestants, crowds and onlookers, we had a host of entertainment lined up and a few very special celebrity guests maintained high excitement throughout the intense campaign.
We built the gaming stand from scratch, complete with a huge projector screen. In addition, 20 Playstation 3 consoles for contestants and three Interactive Display Units for spectators were available and loaded with the EA FIFA 09 game so that prospective buyers could try their hand at it,” says Martin.
Maverick created an exclusive VIP area for celebrity guests who joined in the fun, whilst contracted ball jugglers and breakdancers incorporated soccer balls into their routines, holding spectators spellbound - the team even organised a surprise appearance from FIFA 2010 World Cup mascot, Zakumi. Foozie tables dotted around the centre court provided soccer action for those wanting a more ‘traditional'
manner of playing the game.
Interactive goal scoring provided soccer fans the opportunity to shoot a few balls - if they hit a sponsor's logo, a prize and a certificate was awarded. “The event surpassed all expectations provided by EA Sports - we even had one participant who came all the way from Ghana to make sure he didn't miss out on any action. Planning for the event started in October last year and we, and EA, have been thrilled with the results,” says Martin.
The event's master of ceremonies was former 5fm DJ Kevin Fine. Celebrity appearances included Baby Jake, Carol Manaka from SABC, AFCON Cup Champions Sean Bartlett and Andre Arendse and Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates players Moutlong Jnr and Victor Gazo. Proteas' Dayle Steyn and Paul Harris also made appearances.
