Competitive eSports is changing the way our world works in a number of ways. This week I want to provide my perspective on the rapidly developing and ultra competitive international phenomena that is eSports. ESports is defined as ‘electronic sports” and is currently changing the way a lot of the world defines professional competition. Since early years, we are taught that it is healthy to move our bodies and participate in “play” of some kind. Playing games with others our own age teaches several invaluable social skills while reestablishing the thought that with a healthy body comes a healthy mind. I don’t disagree with any of this, and I would be the first to advocate the value of regular exercise and play in the life of any young person or child, but as technology begins redefines the meaning of “play” for our generation, a wider perspective is required.
ESports is a young idea, the earliest known competition took place in 1972 at Stanford University, where students gathered to play Spacewar. Since then, eSports has become more pronounced with every phase in the evolution of gaming and how we play. In the 1990s as internet connectivity became more reliable throughout the U.S., access to competitions became much more simple. Advances in computer technology and web connectivity ultimately resulted in the current state of the eSports, a world where
Starcraft: Brood Wars – Plaguuuuuuuuuuuuuu
The rise of global tournaments let gamers compete against one-another for the coveted top spot in their respective titles. Professional gaming organizations started forming, giving players the very best a place to work together and grow. Official sponsors and the employment/contracting of professional players allowed gaming took its final step in graduating from a hobby and time drain to something that could considered to be a true career path.
The lives of professional gamers are similar to those of professional athletes; rigorous practice schedules keep pros busy, social obligations and other distractions, the most successful players are those who regularly make an attempt to interact with their fans. Sometimes their tenure is long and successful, iconic stars leaving behind legacies to be remembered. Some will be/have been brief and brutal, a common story for so many athletes in professional sports today. Getting into it is of course going to be difficult, and many aspiring young pros fall flat before they can even manage to leave the ground, but the fact that it’s possible speaks volumes about how far the industry has come in just a few short decades. It inspires me to work harder every day, so I may contribute to the growth of eSports in an even more significant way.
Team Curse LoL House Tour
It all comes down to two points of significance for me. The first is that eSports is making gaming more than just a passion, it’s a legitimate business that deals in millions of dollars, from prizes to costs of production, every year. Secondly, it’s giving a new generation of human beings another choice when growing up in an increasingly tech-based world. One day, children might have a choice between PE and EE (Electronic Education). I’ve no clue what the future holds for us as a race, but one thing is for sure, eSports is guaranteed to continue growing, and I intend to be a part of it.