Why You Should Care About E-Sports

[10calexis]

Have you heard of a game called League of Legends?

League of Legends (LoL) is another one of those multiplayer video games that has seemingly swept the nation in a short amount of time (being released in 2009). Now, I know very little about this game, having only been faced with mentions of gameplay thanks to various friends geeking out a lot over it. Due to all the hype, I’ve even downloaded the game myself (but still have never played it).

However, League of Legends is definitely not just another online multiplayer game anymore. It’s still a fun game to play casually with your friends on a night in — but now, $2 million in total prize money was at stake for the top competitors at this year’s League of Legends Season Four World Championships. And it’s not just intense for those competing —32 million people worldwide tuned in to watch last year’s stream (with 40,000 to 50,000 fans actually present at the stadium).

At this point, those competing in the games (which took place this year in Seoul), are now considered “pro gamers”. But this is not the first time we’ve heard of such a seemingly weird trend. Other games like “Defense of the Ancients (DotA)” and the “Dead or Alive” series are other popular e-sports games that have competitions and championships of their own.

And yes, competitors in those contests make money, too.

Even players who simply record their gameplay and upload their commentaries to YouTube are making serious cash off of these games. Rooster Teeth, a company that makes most of their revenue off of uploading “Let’s Plays” of various video games to their YouTube channel, gets an average of 1.5 million views per video uploaded, with their most famous Let’s Play series being gameplay of Minecraft. Minecraft. Seriously. It’s the same with LoL players too — they upload their gameplay online as well and attract tons of views.

But to sum it all up — E-Sports have become a serious thing in the past couple of years. In my opinion, it will only keep growing. A “gamer” isn’t just the typical “loser who lives in their basement” anymore.

Some links to check out: 

NYT Article posted before this year's League Championships

The Impact of E-Sports in South Korea

"Behind The Scenes"

[10levan]

As a (very) avid League of Legends player, I could not be happier with the paradigm shift that is occurring right now. As you said, the definition of "gamer" isn't what it was 5-10 years ago. One of my main pet peeves of being an enthusiastic gamer is that I get instantly labeled. Not too long ago, the idea of watching people play a competitive video game would be ridiculous. However, with events like the Season 4 World Championships drawing New York Times' journalistic attention, societal attitude towards gaming in the United States has slowly began to change. Asian countries, most notably South Korea, have a huge video game culture, with professional gamers getting scholarships to college, sponsorships to play on teams, and all the attention that an athlete would get here in the US. The World Championships this year drew tens of thousands of people to the group stages and quarterfinals in Taiwan and Singapore, to the semifinals and finals in the Olympic and World Cup Stadiums in Seoul. Not to mention, the millions of people watching on internet gaming stream websites such as twitch.tv. And why not? The hypocrisy of mocking people for watching a video game is evident; what is the difference between watching a video game and watching a sporting event? Why are pro gamers, who often scrim and practice the game for hours a day in a rigorous schedule, deserving of any less merit, especially on a game such as DoTA or League of Legends, which requires the most top-notch reflexes, logical thinking, critical decision making, and teamwork?
This is why I'm glad e-sports are gaining traction in the US, and turning the heads of the new generation. I am confident the scene will continue to grow, and more people will find enjoyment in a great new pastime.