5 things you need to know about eSports
Despite its many successes and quickly expanding the audience, pro gaming still remains an enigma for many people who are unsure what the appeal is if it’s really a sport, or if it’s even a healthy pastime. Where information and understanding are lacking, misconceptions abound.
So, let’s dispel some of that ignorance about eSports with these 5 things people should know about the industry.
1. Officially recognized sport
You can argue all you want about what makes a sport a sport. Some people don’t believe NASCAR is a sport. Others scoff at the relaxed nature of golf and who knows what poker players think of their profession — you can never get a good read on their faces…
With a narrow definition of sport it’s easy to exclude pro gaming from that vision, but apparently, it’s good enough for the U.S. State Department, which officially recognizes eSports players as professional athletes for the purpose of granting visas. Chess is recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee, so why not gaming?
2. The countries that dominate eSports
Gaming truly is a global phenomenon, but the same way certain countries tend to dominate certain competitions in the Olympics, some countries are successfully investing in the infrastructure needed to bring the world gaming at its highest level. Like with many other sports, that means special schools, great coaches and state-of-the-art training opportunities.
There’s lots of talk about South Korea in the eSports industry, but competitors from the U.S. actually earn more than those from any other country at $37 million. China and South Korea follow at $34 million.
3. The shady side
With the push to get more and more people into eSports, some are likely to gloss over some less-wholesome realities about the industry, though the same tends to happen with every sport. eSports have had their own share of scandals, from cheating and match fixing to hacking attacks to disconnect players. There are even betting sites specifically dedicated to pro gaming.
While any kind of corruption isn’t ideal, fans of any other sport will tell you that its existence and the resistance to it are a strong indication of how seriously people take the game. Every sport will always have some element of shade to it and honestly, it adds drama to the industry that entices people to follow and engage.
4. There are gaming millionaires
A few pro players have accrued enough wins and endorsements to actually become millionaires. Heck, in a few cases, gamers have walked away from one tournament with a million dollars like in the Dota 2 even The International 2015 when the five players of the winning team took away over $6.5 million.
As the industry grows, there are more and more ways to make a good living in gaming in general. Sponsorships, Twitch and YouTube have all made gaming a viable source of income. And there are always the surrounding jobs like coaching, commentating or broadcasting.
5. The size of the eSports industry
The future looks bright. With roughly one billion hours of gaming watched annually on Twitch alone, an increasingly receptive audience is driving financial growth as well. By 2020, global eSports revenue is expected to exceed $1 billion. Meanwhile, competitions watched by hundreds of millions are paying out hundreds of millions in prize money. There’s never been a better time to be a gamer.
