eSports: A Cultural Phenomenon
Since the beginning of video games, players have been fascinated with competition: competition between each other, competition with themselves, competition with the game itself. By most accounts, the first official video game competition happened in 1972 at Stanford University. This was very early in the advent of video gaming as we know it today. It was the first of many eSports competitions to follow.
While that happened in the United States long ago, eSports have only recently started to take hold of the American people (If you are unfamiliar with eSports, check out this link). With Overwatch League coming into its second season and colleges all over the country making it a varsity sport, the revolution of eSports has come to the United States. With Overwatch League viewership reaching 13 million people for the second season’s opening week, it is being more and more popular as the League moves forward.
Why do people enjoy eSports so much? It’s a question people have been asking for a few years now. To the uninitiated, it seems to be button-pressing with no skill or talent involved, a child’s toy turned into a spectacle. But to fans, with the “shoutcasters,” ads like you’d see on television, and mind games played between players, eSports are like any other sport out there. The world over is becoming more and more obsessed with eSports, but there is one country most would argue is above the rest in terms of fandom.
The United States may have had the first official video game competition, but it was not the only pioneer when it comes to eSports. In fact, South Korea has been regulating eSports since 2000. According to the New York Times, eSports are a national pastime for the country and have become as common as going to the movies. This makes South Korea one of the first places in the world to recognize eSports’ potential, years before it arrived in the U.S.
South Korea was ahead of the curve, and the United States is starting to catch up. However, there is one surprising holdout to the eSports arena: Japan. Due to the cash prize caps and broad gambling laws, they have yet to take off despite having some of the most talented players in the world. Considering Japan’s history of pioneering video gaming, the competitions are just starting to take off in terms of allowing prize money for winning. Hopefully, this will soon create the opportunity for full-time professional gamers for the homes of Sony and Nintendo.
With eSports nearing a billion dollars in value, it is no wonder countries are starting to take it seriously. Large cash prizes and turning a hobby into a career are among many reasons to get involved. Companies sponsor more and more events due to the amount of money to be made through advertising and other avenues so the value should increase going forward, barring any legislation or other hindrance to the sports’ growth. Around the world, eSports are growing and growing. From the looks of it, they are here to stay for a long time.
