A total of 61 people applied for jobs as Mysen E-sport arena supervisors. Eight people, four girls and four boys, secured the job, which involved guiding the game and making sure the PC didn’t crash.

Marcus Johan Taft (16) from Mysen, Linnea Sanderson (17) from Askim and Cecilie degård-Pettersen (27) from Mysen are three of those who have found work in the Mysen E-sports arena.

– Gaming is a big part of my life. It’s great to have it as a part-time job, says Marcus.

– How long do you play the game every day?

– A little lately, but usually 3-4 hours, Marcus said.

– 5–6 hours, Cecilie said.

– It feels like that all the time, but 6-7 hours, Linnea said.

There are games like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Minecraft.

Played for 17 years

Cecilie has been playing games for 17 years, ever since she was 10 and gaming is a fairly new phenomenon. At the time it was unusual, now it is very common for the game.

– When I was 10 years old, people didn’t know what a game was. Now all young people play games, be it on PC or mobile. Everyone knows what it is. There would only be more, Cecilie said.

In the past, when Cecilie was involved in gaming as a youth, there was no such thing as a Mysen E-sport arena or similar community for gamers. Besides The Gathering, the second largest computer gathering in the world and the largest in Norway held annually on the Viking ship in Hamar.

– It’s better for them to come together to play than to play separately, Cecilie said.

Tips from gamers

At Mysen E-sport Arena, eight new employees will help mentor children and teens who come to play Monday through Wednesday from 2:30 PM to 5 PM, and until 7 PM on Wednesday. The gaming community has 11 desktop computers, seven VR glasses, and one Playstation 5. On Wednesday nights, 60-70 kids and teens stop by and you can play for 30 minutes before playing, so everyone has a chance to play.

– It will be useful for teaching, said Marcus.

– There is always something to improve on the PC. “We also have to make sure they behave while playing,” Cecilie said.

Experienced gamers have a number of tips for new gamers.

– Just have fun. Don’t stress about getting better, it will come automatically, says Cecilie.

– Don’t take things personally. After all, you will experience joy, says Marcus.

– People are much tougher behind the scenes, Cecilie added.

Become more accessible

Mysen E-sport Arena has received funding from Bufdir over the next three years to finance newly hired supervisors.

– We will hold our own girls’ games meeting to have an inclusive environment, said Arild Pedersen, who works at the Mysen square and public library, and is in charge of the Mysen E-sports Arena.

When he now employs these eight people, opening hours can be extended from one to three days a week. One of the goals is to stay open five days a week, but there isn’t enough funding for that.

– We are working to get funding to expand further, Pedersen said and added:

– During our one year of operation, we have seen that there is a need for a well-established recreational offering to play games for young people.

Mysen E-sport Arena is run by Mysen residents’ square and library, code club and Mysen IF. It is located on the second floor of the Mysen citizen’s square and library, and is a pilot project that could be extended to other places in the municipality.

– Our ambition is to make a similar offer in all residents’ squares in the municipality, said Pedersen.

Elin Brandsrud is the manager of the Mysen citizen square and library, and will be the boss of those who will work at the Mysen E-sport Arena. He thought it was good that they had now hired a supervisor.

– We made places more accessible. “This is something we are concerned about, and we are excited to expand this offering,” said Brandsrud.