“The community can see the gaming industry at the collegiate
level right here in their hometown,” says Jarod. “We want to
let future college students see this opportunity. How often
do community members get to play a sport with collegiate
athletes? That makes this sport unique.”
A Next-Generation Economic Driver
Five members of WVWC’s new collegiate esports team.
Photo by West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“Unlike traditional sports, we do not have to travel to com-
pete,” says Wu. “We expect that our recurring costs will be a
lot lower than traditional sports. We don’t bring much revenue,
but our sustainability is a lot higher.”
Esports not only give competitive-level gamers a niche in
college life, but they also help the athletes hone good work-
place skills, according to Wu.
“These athletes show future employers they have the drive
to be a higher performer,” he says. “Esports showcase an
athlete’s general aptitude and ability to handle stressful
situations and learn fast. Esports athletes also demonstrate a
strong work ethic.”
WVWC, which is in the process of completing its esports
training facility, is now a member of the National Association
of College Esports (NACE). Founded in 2016, NACE began
with just seven colleges and today has more than 3,000
student athletes from more than 130 schools.
Wu, who spearheaded an esports team at his alma mater,
has modest goals for WVWC’s first year of competition.
“We just want to be able to compete and have a presence,”
he says. “A lot of schools have been doing this for a few years,
and those are our competition. This year we want to see how
we can optimize, figure out our infrastructure and get every-
one on the same page.”
According to Lacy, JesterLine’s Main Street location has
directly contributed to this unique business’ successful launch.
“Buckhannon has a vibrant Main Street,” she says. “People
will just stop in to see what we’re about. Upshur County is
also centrally located, so we can also draw from Randolph
and Lewis counties. We have already had people reaching
out from other areas. We can also stream events for people to
watch from here. This could be a tremendous benefit for the
commerce and tourism in our area.”
David McCauley, mayor of Buckhannon and general legal
counsel and senior lecturer at WVWC, says JesterLine can be
a catalyst for economic and cultural growth.
“This type of entertainment is the wave of the future,” he
says. “The gamers have to eat, drink and be lodged somewhere,
and we have terrific amenities to meet all those needs. The
potential impact is a tremendous one for our local economy.
The more options we provide people, the better our community
becomes.”
Gamers compete
in an Epic Games
Fortnite tournament at
JesterLine Gaming in
Buckhannon.
Photo by Jarod Ramsey.
JesterLine’s Cutting-Edge Training Facility
On the same day in early March that WVWC announced
its esports team, West Virginia natives and Buckhannon resi-
dents Jarod and Lacy Ramsey opened the doors to JesterLine
Gaming Technologies on Main Street, the state’s first high-
end gaming center.
“There is no case to be made that esports doesn’t have high
growth potential, but people who are not familiar with it will
not get that,” says Wu. “JesterLine can be the bridge. It is a good
way to get the idea across that this is real and makes sense.”
In addition to interactive space, JesterLine also maintains
20 esports machines, 10 console gaming stations and six virtu-
al reality pods. Patrons can purchase game time at the center,
choosing from a host of games, three different gaming systems
and virtual reality options. Jarod, an information technology
professional, and Wu have discussed ways to collaborate.
JesterLine has hosted WVWC events, including a Greek week
virtual reality competition, and will also play a part in the
college’s 2019 homecoming activities.
McCauley says the town-and-gown connection is nothing
new for Buckhannon. “Our college is a great collaborator,
especially with our school system and the city,” he says. “Wesleyan
is integral to our city’s success. As Wesleyan goes, so goes
Buckhannon and vice versa. Kids from our community inter-
acting with Wesleyan students is always a good thing.”
With the evolution of gaming as both entertainment and a
sport, gaming centers are becoming commonplace across the
globe. The JesterLine and Wesleyan collaboration may just give
downtown Buckhannon what it needs to open a new door as
a technology go-to city.
“With both JesterLine and Wesleyan downtown, we hope
we will be able to say Buckhannon was the first to put technol-
ogy on the radar for West Virginia,” says Lacy. “West Virginia
tends to fall off the radar with cool new things. We want to
go against the grain and prove people wrong—we can keep
up with other cities.”
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SUMMER 2019
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