by Ashley Elizabeth on Aug 24, 2021
The first eSports game was held at Stanford University in 1972. During the event, several gamers regarded as the best Spacewar players were invited to compete. The winner of the event took a Rolling Stone magazine subscription.
The university was chosen to host the event because its Artificial Intelligence Lab had the advanced hardware that could run the game. At that time, few people globally knew they could enjoy games on computers.
For any game to be considered a sport, it must have three essential components, i.e. spectators, tournaments and competition. In this sense, eSports is able to combine the competitive elements of gaming on leading platforms like vWin, with a fan base setting the foundation for the growing world of video games.
That solid base has seen the sport achieve extensive spectatorship and recognition. As a result, eSports are now on course to becoming one of the most followed events globally.
From the beginning, gamers in the video game industry have competed for top scores and bragging rights. For instance, in the 1980s, gaming competitions started becoming more prevalent. However, as internet connections improved, the world became more connected, presenting an opportunity for the gaming sector.
The gaming world was transformed again in the 1980s with the introduction of a team-based internet game, Netrek. The game grew to attract around 5000 players per day. This was a game-changer as gamers no longer had to track down their friends to enjoy games; they could enjoy games with friends remotely.
Additionally, hardware improvements and improved connectivity boosted the growth of online gaming. This growth provided the perfect foundation for the development of eSports.
The eSports industry is growing into a major spectator sport. All this growth is because of three key elements:
Streamed competitions with well-organized leagues. Professional eSports athletes from worldwide. Live events in top offline sports venues.These developments have also seen the growth of streaming platforms where top-rated gamers stream their gaming live. Furthermore, the live streams have attracted many viewers. For instance, a streaming platform like Twitch is reported to attract 5 million active viewers every day.
The typical audience for eSports gaming content is online. However, traditional television is also slowly starting to broadcast gaming content. The TV station managers find the massive following of eSports very appealing.
At the moment, eSports has developed to an extent it is competing with traditional sports. For example, eSports athletes receive massive income, taking them to the same level as conventional sports athletes. The eSports games have also attracted colossal viewership attracting the attention of sponsorship deals.
There is compelling evidence that the future of sports is digital. For instance, while it took the NBA and the NFL over 50 years to become the powerhouses they are, it only took eSports 46 years to attract massive viewership.
Nowadays, headline eSports tournaments fill major stadiums. They also attract travelling audiences and media like traditional sports. However, there are several obstacles that eSports has to overcome as it establishes itself as a mainstream sport.
For instance, increasing cyber-attacks and regulatory scrutiny are some of the things that the eSports industry has to overcome to get to the next level. Nevertheless, you should watch out for eSports as it is going to disrupt traditional sports as we know them.