Esports has been exploding in the last few years with hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. Esports is basically a type of sport that has an electronic platform. The term “esports” was initially looked upon as a video game designed only for entertainment purposes. But it has come a long way since it was first launched. Even before the PC age, video games were making waves in the mainstream media, although it was mainly in the context of novelty. But, in 1985, Billy Mitchell was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the record holder for high scores for a game. It was then that the trend of esports began to rise with platforms for IPL bookies coming into the picture.
Is it really a sport?
Three criteria have to be fulfilled for a game to be called a sport: there should be competitors, a full-fledged tournament, and the audience cheering. Clearly, the esports fill all the three criteria to be regarded as a sport. There have been significant events with a lot of spectators and organized leagues with professional players that can be viewed anywhere.
Growth of esports
If you aren’t a gamer, you might not be acquainted with the fact that there is an online platform for streaming esports. Twitch is the largest live streaming platform in the US. It is rapidly spreading and gaining popularity due to the increasing craze of esports. Today Twitch has approximately 5 million active viewers who spend around 3 hours of day streaming live gaming. It is predicted that the online esports streaming audience is to double the next year. Although a large portion of esports is online, in 2016, TBS and ESPN also invested in esports events. They broadcasted certain competitions, and others followed their footsteps.
Esports possess great potential
Esports require agile fingers and quick-witted brains to succeed. Like traditional sports, it also has fan clubs and followers. One such esports club is Fnatic, founded by a teenage boy 13 years ago. It has now become one of the leading clubs, competing in more than 600 tournaments globally. Also, many football clubs have begun signing virtual players.
The motive is simple that digital gaming will come handy for traditional gaming too because most people recognize FIFA through the digital FIFA game. Hence, esports is a reservoir for hefty sports income.
A new wave of sports
Esports have targeted the youngsters at a new level. Many especially visit internet cafes to play these games. Teenagers are too absorbed in these games to chat with others, however, some games require talking, but overall, the primary aim is to play and effortlessly win. The teenagers at PC bangs in South Korea don’t necessarily like to call themselves addicted; instead, they prefer the term over-indulgence.
The other face of esports
The world if esports may have earned recognition and money; nevertheless, it is not without controversies. With great popularity came the same issue as that of the legacy sport, that is cheating and exploitation. They have made systems more sensitive towards security issues and players more prone to cyber-attacks. Also, too much indulgence has nudged the WHO to add gaming addiction to the list of diseases.