Whether you love playing video games or you’ve never played one in your life, the probability that you’ve heard the term ‘eSports’ is high. For those of us who’ve been gaming for a while, we can actually know just how huge the whole professional gaming scene is. However, for the uninitiated, here’s a little information that might actually blow your mind.
What is eSports?
The easiest way to define eSports would be to call it competitive gaming at a professional level. While the list of video games that are played competitively has increased over the years, some of the biggest names like Leauge Of Legends, Dota, CS: GO and Overwatch are examples how large the industry really is. While the games mentioned are actually team based games in which a group of 5 compete against another group of 5, there are also single player games. Basically, any video game in which there are winners and losers can be played as an eSport.
So, just how big is the whole eSports industry?
The bigger the player base, the more the support and the better the competition. These are the general rules of the eSports world. How that exactly works differs from game to game. The majority of popular esports are team-based games played in leagues or tournaments throughout the year, culminating in one final event. Before the final event, there are usually regional tournaments in which the teams need to qualify before the finals, which is like a world cup of sorts. Just to put it into perspective, the eSports industry is estimated to worth almost 1.5 billion dollars by 2020. With prize pools that range from 2-24 million dollars, there is no denying it’s only going to grow bigger.
Interesting Numbers To Consider
1. In 2017, there were close to 145 million eSports enthusiasts. That’s triple the number recorded in 2012.
2. Roughly 300 million watched eSports streams in 2017.
3. There are about 60 million die-hard fans of eSports that span across all the games played competitively.
4. 40% of the people who watch eSports aren’t active players. They just enjoy watching these games being played at a competitive level.
5. There are roughly 13 million players who participate in various eSports competitions around the world.
What are the various categories or genres that are played competitively?
The games that are played on a competitive level can be broken down into 6 genres. They are Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs), First Person Shooters (FPS), Card Games, Sports Games, Strategy Games and Fighting Games. All of the games in these categories have a massive player base. They are some of the best in their own right and have the largest communities and following.
So, what’s your take on the whole thing?
The eSports industry has come a long way since it’s inception. There was a time when people laughed at the word eSports and now it has an undeniable standing. It has grown so large that even major corporations have taken a keen interest in investing into teams of their own. More and more players now consider this a legitimate profession as compared to what was once considered just a hobby. That being said, the level of competition and the pressure on the players who compete has also gone up exponentially. The need to constantly perform and stay at the top of your game has seen many big names go down in flames. As for India, the competitive scene does exist! However, only the more serious gamers are aware of it. While the tides of change seem to be coming, it isn’t as fast-paced as the rest of the world.
What do you think about the development of eSports? Let us know in the comments below.
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