For the uninitiated, playing video games seems like something done in isolation. For Alex Ho ’22, some of his best friendships started with gaming.
“I still have friends across the country from over a decade ago that I met online playing Minecraft,” Ho said. “We never met in person until two years ago, but we always check up on each other and remain close.”
Now the first-ever Digital Services and Gaming Arena coordinator with Carolina Housing, Ho wants to help foster similar relationships among the Carolina community through the Carolina Gaming Arena.
The space — located on the bottom floor of Craige Residence Hall — invites students, staff and faculty to play video games or board games in a state-of-the-art setting, complete with dozens of computer monitors, various gaming consoles and a large screen where players can compete in anything from Mario Kart to Marvel Rivals.
The gaming arena hosts group outings, esports events and allows for personal gaming time for those who want to play solo. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Whether playing competitively or for recreation, Ho sees the space as a way to spawn new friendships among gamers, with the added benefit of connecting in person.
“I love gaming online, but it has its limitations,” Ho said. “Online you can only have one conversation at a time, but in person, you can break off to talk to other people in your group. You can strategize or goof around as a group. And you can just read people easier.”
This outlook of gaming as a social outlet was embedded in Ho at an early age.
Born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, Ho spent much of his childhood playing video games on the Nintendo Wii with his sister or with his cousins. Competing in racing games like Mario Kart was a bonding experience for all of them.
Ho first played Rocket League — a competitive multiplayer game that mixes the mechanics of racing games and soccer — when he was in high school. He says it became an obsession, and by the time he got to Carolina in 2018, he joined a Rocket League team and even began to participate in local esports events.
“When people think of competitive sports, esports are probably not the first thing that come to mind,” Ho said. “But I think it can provide a different kind of competitive experience from traditional sports — one that harnesses the same level of mental complexities and one that opens doors for all kinds of people who might not be physically able to compete in traditional sports.”
By his senior year, Ho was visiting the Carolina Gaming Arena frequently, but he didn’t expect to be back after graduating with a bachelor’s in computer science. Within a year, however, the Carolina Housing team felt that the popularity of the arena necessitated a full-time coordinator to provide maintenance on the arena’s variety of computers and gaming consoles.
The Carolina Gaming Arena allows visitors to play on all types of consoles ranging from the Nintendo Gamecube to the Playstation 5. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Ho applied and got the job in 2023. Three years later, he remains grateful.
“I didn’t ever think a role like this could exist,” Ho said. “There were moments after graduation where I was unsure where I was going, so this was a blessing.”
Whether he’s using the space to host staff outings, monitor esports livestream events or simply overseeing the space on a normal day of operation, Ho brings his passion for gaming and the Carolina community to work every day.
“This is such a special place on campus, and there’s really nothing like it,” Ho said. “It’s been so rewarding to see it evolve and to have people keep coming back.”