Many said that age is one of deciding factors in the competitive gaming scene, especially when it comes to mobile gaming scene where younger ones are usually excel against their seniors. The 74-year-old Carmen “Lola” Taqueban, however, has challenged this view with her wonderful story as a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang content creator.
The Filipino senior, who is a passionate fan of the game, has spent countless hours playing MLBB and sharing her experience with her fans via her Lola Gaming page, which has approximately 145.000 followers at the time of this writing. She is rarely seen without her mains, Aldous, Angela, Khaleed, and Uranus.
According to an interview, she noticed MLBB during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic around 2020 when she saw her grandchildren playing it in her house. She had to quit her job as a food seller in Quezon at the time and became bored since she was not allowed to leave her house. Eventually, this pushed her to learn the game and play it with her grandchildren.
Nonetheless, the competitive aspect of MLBB was never easy for her, especially as an elderly person. Thanks to her grandchildren, who encouraged and helped her start a Facebook gaming page, she eventually got a grip on the game and enjoyed every opportunity to play with her new friends.
“At first, I was confused but happy, even though I had no idea what I was doing. I just kept pressing buttons.” Lola said via Spin PH. “My grandchildren encouraged me, ‘Just keep playing, Grandma, you’ll eventually learn.’ I am happy because eventually I meet a lot of people. A lot of them greet me. Besides playing, I am happy that I am able to meet new people.”
But great popularity comes at a great price. Before she realized it, she was spending more than 8 hours a day playing the game because she wanted to learn about every detail in the game. Her grandchildren eventually had to remind her to cut off her playtime and take care of her health.
“I play from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., sometimes 2 to 6 p.m. In the past, I used to play seven hours a day. My grandchildren are the ones reminding me to take a break. Now, I limit myself to 2-3 hours of playtime because they keep telling me I should take care of my eyes.It’s so fun. Instead of sleeping all day, I get to be active and play.”
Being a streamer, she also feels like she has a moral responsibility to her younger viewers, especially with their studies and handling the toxicity in the game. At first, she admitted that she was concerned by trash talkers and trolls. She ultimately accepted the fact that these people are part of the community and she would not let them ruin her fun.
“If there are kids who are rude, I am able to give them advice. I am also able to use my time to help my fellow mothers and the youth through gaming,” she said. “If they truly love streaming, they should help their parents and prioritize school.”
Her optimistic attitude toward the game and fame paid off in the end, as she continues to receive partnership opportunities and gifts from fellow Filipino MLBB streamers. And recently Moonton invited her as an honorary guest star at the opening of the MLBB Pro League Philippines Season 12 competition, where she praised the publisher for shaping the competitive scene in her country. She also expressed her wish to stay healthy so she can continue her live streaming page and inspiring her fellow in Philippines.
