How esports has been glorified.
It’s history, and the damages it could do.
We’ve seen the explosion in popularity esports has had in the last few years and how it’s quickly outgrowing other sports such as the NBA. Esports is still going strong and affecting the masses. But how exactly?
How did it start?
Esports started in the 1980s, with a tournament for the classic game Space Invaders. (The Space Invaders Championship. The Winner, Rebecca Heineman, is now a programmer, author, and LGBTQ+ activist!) The tournament attracted over 10,000 people and pushed competitive gaming into the mainstream media for a short time, even having shows and movies made about the hobby (Starcade, Tron). However, that would be the most mainstream attention gaming would be getting until the ‘90s.
Street Fighter 2 (1991) was quite literally a game-changer, as it encouraged high skill competitive combat between two human players in real-time.
The game exploded in popularity, as did other similar fighting games at the time, such as X-men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Superheroes vs. Street Fighter, etc. This lead to the creation of the monster of an event that is EVO (Evolution Championship Series) in 1996.
Another game that helped the esports scene grow was the release of the Quake games. The first in the series was released in the summer of 1996 and had a small yet active community. You may be able to find videos of old pro players playing in the very late 1990s. I, unfortunately, could not find any old forums or anything. I tried. (Editors note: I tried too.)
The players themselves usually tend to be on the younger side, being in their late teens to mid-20s. Those are the prime years for esports glory, but there are plenty of older players still in the scene today. This is most likely because the esports scene is still relatively new, having started gaining interest in February of 2013. Before then, it was just a niche, seen as a childish hobby that only tweens and teens could partake in. However, as our perception of gaming has changed thanks to the likes of YouTube and Twitch, chances are that as time goes on, the age demographic will grow.
Well okay, but where are we now?
Esports has blown to tremendous proportions over the last few years, from Quake to Team Fortress 2, DoTA or LoL, and now to Overwatch and even more. From just a hobby to an actual profession.
Top esports players make about as much as you would expect. One of the biggest Dota 2 players (KuroKy) net worth is $2 million, and he made $4 million during his time of being a professional esports player.
Even teens have a chance to make it big, with Sumail Hassan (SumaiL) having made nearly $3 million in 2015, being 16 at the time. He is now 20 and his total prize money earned has increased to $3.5 million from 64 Tournaments.
Even the biggest esports tournaments of 2018 have quite the prize pool, with the biggest prize pool of 2018 being Dota 2 tournaments raking in around $41.3 million.
Now, with numbers as large as those, there is undoubtedly plenty of younger players dying to get into the scene. (I would know, I used to be one of them. Still am!) But as the competitive scene grows, we finally get into the question.
Why should I be concerned?
There are plenty of ways that continuous gaming may cause problems if you do not take the proper precautions. Keep in mind, as you are gaming, to game healthily.
All of this depends on how you play and if you have help from others.
This is also from personal experience, but we have to remember it varies from person to person.
Bad posture
Bad posture can lead to back pain, shoulder pains, wrist pains, and alter the shape of your spine. Especially if for extended periods.
As someone who never got their posture corrected as a child, I now suffer from shoulder pains and back pain every day, and let me tell you; it’s not fun.
While these issues can be corrected, it is much better to learn these things early on and implement good posture in the beginning to avoid complications.
If you want to get into esports, please make sure you at least have a nice chair and sit up straight.
When watching tournaments, you will notice that the pro players have proper posture. Due to their profession, they can’t afford not to. If they were to, they would have to deal with all the above if not more.
Prolonged gaming without breaks
Not taking breaks can also contribute to the things mentioned beforehand, but can also cause a bad mental state, eye strain, muscle stiffness, and headaches. Make sure you’re taking breaks, hydrating, and taking care of yourself! Getting a snack, a drink, taking a walk, maybe just doing something else for a while. All these things can not only help your health but also can increase your overall enjoyment!
Gaming Addiction
Nowadays, some game developers are purposely trying to make their games addicting, so it’s important to keep in mind how much gaming is affecting you! It’s mobile games that do this, by abusing how your brain dispenses serotonin so you keep coming back for more. However, it’s good to ask yourself if the developers are purposely trying to get you coming back by using addictive features in their games. (Gambling, Loot boxes, etc.)
Of course, there are plenty of positives! Such as building essential skills such as teamwork, communication, social skills, reaction time, and making friends!
However, I don’t see a lot of people from inside the gaming community talking about the negatives. Mostly just older people complaining. Many think it’s childish to try and make gaming a profession, but it can be done.
So, as a member of the community of 3+ years, I wanted to talk about the history and negatives of esports. However, I’m not saying not to follow the dream. Just make sure you’re doing it healthily. It will do absolutely nothing but benefit you in the future, trust me!
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