Hrvatski Telekom d d : Ultimate Gamer, a YouTube show by Hrvatski Telekom, got 777,000 views combining entertainment and education on responsible gaming

3.1.2022

• Doctor (Stefano Ritoša), wins the Ultimate Gamer and valuable prizes as the best amateur gamer
• Through seven episodes and seven weeks, Hrvatski Telekom's one-of-a-kind show sought to raise awareness of prejudices, as well as the risks that young people face in gaming
• The show completely shattered the prejudice that gaming is for men only because seven girls, out of 12 contestants, showed vast knowledge and skills in gaming, and one of them, Spyro (Barbara Radoš), reached the finals

Ultimate Gamer, a unique Hrvatski Telekom's YouTube show, in seven weeks and through seven episodes has aroused great interest among young people for whom gaming is one of the most dominant activities in their daily lives. The show garnered a total of 777,000 views, and viewers enjoyed a combination of fun, tense competitions, and responsible gaming education.

The show included twelve competitors divided into two teams - Tapiri and Šniteri, and they fought in several attractive game titles such as League of Legends, FIFA 22, PUBG, Apex Legends, Brawl Stars. The contestants also had the help of a mentor, so the popular Malay Tapir advised the Tapir team, and Marko KC the Šniteri. The title of the best amateur gamer went to the Doctor, real name Stefano Ritoša, who showed enviable skill on all gaming platforms, and was awarded a gaming laptop ACER Predator Helios 300 and Samsung Odyssey monitor.

An integral part of the show was to raise awareness of existing prejudices in gaming and the main risks that young people are increasingly facing. A survey on gaming habits of young people carried out by Hrvatski Telekom together with the market research agency SmartUp disclosed that despite the high level of awareness of dangers, 50 percent of young people still engage in some risky behaviors, believing that bad things happen primarily to others. An extremely high percentage of young people, 81 percent, are aware that they can become addicted to games, but still 60 percent of them between the ages of 12 and 15 play a few hours a day, risking failing at school and family obligations. About 50 percent of young people accepted a friend request from an unknown person in one of the games, and just as many experienced some form of swearing, insults, and aggressive behaviors while playing.

The survey also revealed one interesting fact that says that more than 40 percent of young men do not think that girls can be just as good at playing or better than them. It was the Ultimate Gamer that tried to change such negative and stereotypical attitudes through a series of educations. Particular attention was paid to breaking down prejudices against girls in gaming. Seven girls took part in the show, out of a total of twelve contestants. Thanks to her skill and perseverance, one of them, Spyro (Barbara Radoš), deservedly reached the final fight.

"First of all, congratulations to the winner. I hope that this show entertained all the participants and many viewers who watched the show on YouTube every week. A lot of effort and work has been invested in this project and we are proud of it. In addition to entertainment, we also wanted to send a message about the importance of responsible gaming and the awareness of the negative aspects of excessive gaming to which young people are also increasingly exposed. It is very important to us that in this show we showed everyone that there is no difference between girls and boys i gaming, which is a common unfounded prejudice that girls encounter in the gaming world", added Ivana Frankol, brand management expert at Hrvatski Telekom.

An essential element of the show were famous gamers - Majalski Tapir and Marko KC, both famous streamers with years of experience in the gaming world and hosts Zefy and Tetka, who also stream their favorite games in their free time.