Esports – an Untapped ReserveeSports – An Untapped Reserve eSports can be defined as a form of sports where the primary aspects of the sport are facilitated by electronic systems. This includes individual games as well as games which require teams of players to compete against each other. eSports is slowly but steadily bursting onto the main stage as one of the highest grossing international sport or as a new form of commerce. As an avid gamer myself, I have an above average understanding of the nuances of most of the RPG (Role Playing game), RTS (Real Time Strategy), FPS (First Person Shooter) and MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genres of the games. This has what has fuelled my drive to work on a thesis in this particular area. The gaming industry, at least in the international competitions and tournaments sector is fairly new but booming. I know that there are various ways in which the eSports or gaming scene can be improved worldwide as well as it can attract huge investments. These games are not only amazing to play but also form an engrossing pastime for the audience as well. Till a few years ago it was unheard of to hold eSports tournaments in actual stadiums but last year’s WCG played in Wembley was a huge sell out.
Ever since then eSports have grown tremendously in terms of viewership and prize money, with the most recent tournament TI2015 (The International) having a winners prize of around 18 million dollars for a game called DOTA2 and more than 70 million people watched eSports during the 2015 tournament. This shows that the foundations of eSports are in place and very strong , it is poised to be one of the biggest events of the future both in terms of money and interest. Brands and marketers took notice of this and companies like Coca-Cola, Nvidia, SK telekom, Nissan etc are major team sponsors. But sadly this is only in a few developed countries in Europe, USA and China. Countries like Philippines, India and Middle East have a long way to go before eSports is taken seriously. This can tremendously help tap into the talent pool in these countries as there are many young players who play well but do not go ahead to bigger platforms due to lack of proper training and sponsors.
ESports: Tournaments in the Developed World, 2005-2014
By the mid-eighties there were a number of developments, but with some surprising trends. One of the early developments was the new eSports world championships (EwSC), which took place in 2015 with teams from more developed countries and developed countries. In recent years the number of teams and tournaments has continued to grow and players across the globe have come to support them with their efforts to reach a common goal of hosting a championship event. However, this has been mainly due to more innovative strategies and tactics, especially the increasing frequency with which the world of eSports has grown so rapidly.
One of the major trends in this period was the rapid growth in professional eSports. The number of pro tournaments in the world reached a record in 2013, as in 2004, just under 2 million were held, but it has steadily grown to over 500,000 each year, a fact that has only increased further due to changes in technology/entertainment (Ethernet, Twitch etc) and increasing interest in the idea of professional leagues. And so when this new international tournament turned into a tournament like the recent WESC event in Tbilisi, Georgia, it brought together the interest of pro players that competed together for the biggest prize money ever, while the teams playing in top ten league in the world. A tournament like the WESC in Tbilisi is probably the most similar to the World Cup so far in that it showcases the capabilities of the game which has been around for generations but has taken on a more global appearance.
Egads
In 2010, a lot of great companies were forming in the eSports scene. The first of these was SK Gaming. SK Gaming was a non-profit organization that hosted and supported tournaments at their gaming house in Tbilisi. The gaming house had won four games in the year prior to that, which meant it was a very good venue for both pro and amateur players alike. For instance, in a recent article I quoted from and published in Game Developer magazine it was described by a journalist as the largest eSports studio around:
“As the number of tournaments continued to grow, it became apparent that the game was increasingly being looked at by young, passionate game developers and the potential for the game to become a professional franchise. So many top quality players from around Russia, China and India came to Tbilisi to play in the tournament, and because they wanted to, they were accepted into the team.”
Now, more and more tournaments have come to attend the WESC where this year saw a number of great tournament success rates. The biggest one came from Team SoloMid in WSL and was by far the most successful tournament the scene ever had. This tournament was also the grand prize from the MLG Summer Championship series which saw the best team in the world defeated by a group of teams like Liquid, Dignitas and NiP for the highest prize money ever. This tournament was also the world’s first and only tournament to feature Top teams from South Korea, but the teams who qualified were simply named team and that is where many Koreans from around Europe attended as well.
With that in mind, the next big thing to work on was EG, an organisation that had recently established their own professional franchise and was looking to secure an expansion in a bid to gain an foothold in South Korea due to the South Korean government’s involvement. The next step was to open up to the community. To that end, the eStar Series for North Korea was built the same year. At that time they were not just a professional club but also a professional organization with the potential to become one of the biggest online esports esports tournaments ever, but they were in the market for an eSports powerhouse in the region. And now that their first major major tournament was held. The first of many large events,