What is competitive gaming?
Competitive gaming is defined by Juho Hamari and Max Sjöblom, scientists at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tampere, as a team-based competition with a common goal for all participants. The games that these players compete in are complex, requiring a lot of strategizing.
What are these games like?
One such game is League of Legends, where its description on the game’s information page is provided by its creator, Riot Games, as “a fast-paced, competitive online game…Two teams of powerful [characters], each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple battlefields and game modes”. Competitive League of Legends players must understand how each character works, and how to play them under specific rules.
How big is the industry?
According to Henry Young, a sports reporter for CNN, the industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Between 2014 and 2016, its global audience grew by 43%, and global revenue increased by 239%. More people are discovering the thrill of eSports, helping the market thrive with their support. Young goes on to list some qualities in competitive gaming that make it seem like a traditional sport: hours of practice, coaches, and analysts. With its immense growth and popularity, along with some sports-like qualities, the competitive gaming industry is extremely successful. The term eSports, short for electronic sports, was even coined for the activity.
Competitive gaming is defined by Juho Hamari and Max Sjöblom, scientists at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tampere, as a team-based competition with a common goal for all participants. The games that these players compete in are complex, requiring a lot of strategizing.
What are these games like?
One such game is League of Legends, where its description on the game’s information page is provided by its creator, Riot Games, as “a fast-paced, competitive online game…Two teams of powerful [characters], each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple battlefields and game modes”. Competitive League of Legends players must understand how each character works, and how to play them under specific rules.
How big is the industry?
According to Henry Young, a sports reporter for CNN, the industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Between 2014 and 2016, its global audience grew by 43%, and global revenue increased by 239%. More people are discovering the thrill of eSports, helping the market thrive with their support. Young goes on to list some qualities in competitive gaming that make it seem like a traditional sport: hours of practice, coaches, and analysts. With its immense growth and popularity, along with some sports-like qualities, the competitive gaming industry is extremely successful. The term eSports, short for electronic sports, was even coined for the activity.