Emershad, Expert Article

The Esports Takeover

Brett Emershad

Gaming had a simple beginning. Pong is a relic of the past, but in 1970 it was widely known as the most entertaining invention of its time. Thanks to advancements in technology gaming have established a major industry. Billions of people play video games every day and esports have effectively turned that group into an audience. Esports essentially translates to competitive video games. Specific esports leagues invite teams to compete in tournaments, some with rewards worth over $10 million. The DOTA 2 International Championship sold out 20,000 tickets in less than 10 minutes. From what has been seen, it is clear that gamers are interested in their practice beyond just playing. Corporations spending resources on esports are just now beginning to capitalize on this new public craze. Esports have successfully made both playing and watching video games fun.  

History of eSports

Stanford University provided the first glimpse into the potential of competitive gaming. After the release of Star Wars in 1972, “the first esports competition was launched with the game ‘Spacewar,’ where students were invited to an ‘Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics’” (Paradise). Despite the positive response to events similar to this, no large strides in what would soon become the esports industry were made. Fortunately, the creation of internet connectivity paved the way for esports to enter mainstream culture. The ability to link with fellow gamers inspired the competition necessary for esports. New gaming corporations created games that factored in strategy and teamwork, heightening the competition between gamers. Today, companies have funded teams and tournaments to show the world that not only is this industry legitimate, it’s fun too.

The Creators and the Viewers

The esports’ population can be separated into two distinct sides:

-       The Creators

-       The Viewers

The Creators are the individuals who have dedicated time and effort to becoming masters of their respective games. Over 1.2 billion people play video games worldwide but only a small percentage can label themselves as professional gamers. Esports players have experienced heavy resistance since the industry began its ride to the top, but “the only thing it seems people care about is shouting, ‘Gamers are not athletes!’” (Aaron). The major discord between esports and traditional sports is detrimental to the gamers who have worked to both create and participate in some of the first massive tournaments. Gamers may not be athletes to some but they deserve respect for their ability to create and sustain a multibillion-dollar industry. Gamers also earn steady incomes themselves, similar to golf professionals earning money from both winning events and sponsors. “18 gamers made more than $500,000 in esports prize money alone last year, and 195 made more than $100,000” (Rapaport). Clearly, there is some incentive to becoming a professional gamer.

The Viewers are the people who make esports possible. Without this group, the esports industry would collapse in the same way the NFL or NBA would if they lost their fans. Viewers are almost identical to a traditional sports fan. They have a favorite league, favorite team, favorite player, and always tune in to live events. Streaming services offer this audience a place to watch their favorite gamers or live events. “More than 360 million unique viewers watched this year's League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational” (Hester) – that is more than triple this most recent Super Bowl (103.4 million). The long-term growth of the esports industry is dependent on retaining and attracting new fans. Major corporations are taking exciting steps to provide the infrastructure necessary for this task.  

Major Corporate Players

The founding of many new companies was necessary to make esports more accessible to the average individual. Esports is fueled by gaming companies which create games and corporations that sponsor competitive events. Mutually beneficial partnerships between these two parties allow for the creation of more successful leagues, tournaments, and teams.

Twitch is arguably the source of the enormous fan base esports has amassed. The streaming service offers a network for gamers to watch their favorite professional players play their favorite games. Unlike traditional TV, Twitch “offers an avenue for engagement between the broadcaster and the audience” (Lynch). Gaming is heavily community-based and this ability allows viewers to bond over a game they all enjoy through a gamer they can relate to. Esports tournaments have also experienced tremendous growth due to Twitch. The ability to sell out a 20,000 seat arena in 10 minutes is impressive, but Twitch has the ability to bring millions of fans to that arena as well.  

Riot Games “has become a wildly successful gaming juggernaut dominating the MOBA genre” (Lumb). Founded by two USC alumni, this company is responsible for creating one of the most popular video game of all time, League of Legends. This game has attracted a massive cult following that is profoundly dedicated to the game. Fans can be found around the world with Korea and the United States serving as two of the main markets. Despite this fact, Riot Games can use League of Legends tournaments to market its product to new markets. For example, the Mid-Season Invitational which received 360 million viewers took place in Brazil. This introduced League of Legends to a new market in Brazil, while also drawing the standard fan base via streaming apps like Twitch. Riot Games is capitalizing on a new market that rewards gamers for their excellence, something never before available.

Potential in the Industry

Esports is a relatively new industry with tremendous potential. There is no doubt that the industry will continue to grow as more companies begin to invest. Professional sports teams have also been investing in esports. Well known teams like the Golden State Warriors and New York Yankees are reportedly financing their own professional gaming teams. Many universities have also started to administer scholarships for competitive esports. Another group of esports enthusiasts is lobbying to have the IOC consider esports for the Olympics. The gaming industry is evolving and I believe the growth of esports is not only lucrative but also sheds light on the positive aspects of gaming. Almost nothing could create the strong community esports has built in such a short period of time.

Works Cited

Aaron, Jesse. “The Controversial Dichotomy Between Sports and eSports” Huffington Post, 6 Dec. 2017 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-aaron/the-controversial- dichoto_b_6692052.html  

Hester, Blake. “More Than 360 Million People Watched This Year's 'League of Legends' Mid-Season Invitational” Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2017 https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/heres-how-many-people-watched-league-of-legends-this-year-w514580

Lumb, David. “11 years after creating ‘League of Legends,’ Riot is making a new game” Engadget, 14 Oct. 2017 https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/14/11-years-after-creating-league-of-legends-riot-is-making-a-ne/

Lynch, Andrew. “Tracing the 70-year history of video games becoming eSports” Fox Sports, 6 May 2017 https://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/esports-explainer-league-of-legends-heroes-of-the-storm-hearthstone-cs-go-dreamhack-050616

Paradise, Andrew. “The History Behind a $5 Billion Esports Industry” TechCrunch, 23 Nov 2016 https://techcrunch.com/gallery/the-history-behind-a-5-billion-esports-industry/

Rapaport, Daniel. “What to expect from the booming esports industry in 2017” Sports Illustrated, 9 Feb. 2017 https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/02/09/esports-industry-expectations-billion-dollar