What is e-sports and how big is it?
E-sports are only getting bigger and bigger, but many do not yet understand what e-sports actually is and how big it is. In this article we go through what e-sports is and lots more!
What is e-sports?
E-sports or electronic sports as it is also called is a collective name for all competitions that take place in a virtual environment. It can thus be about computer games, video games, virtual reality games and mobile games.
Where does e-sports come from?
That people play computer games against each other is nothing new, computer players have been doing it for over 30 years.
Around the 2000s, computers became cheaper and the internet faster, which made it much easier for more people to participate in gaming .
It also became easier to communicate with people around the world, so that people could play against or with each other.
Not everyone thinks that e-sports is a real sport, some think that it must be physically demanding to be a sport. While some think that the skill required for e-sports makes it a real sport. Those who are professionals in e-sports also spend extremely much time, many times more than, for example, football players do. It is also a reason why some people think it is a sport.
How big is e-sports?
Now we know what e-sports is and where it comes from, but how big is it really? Unfortunately, there are not many statistics about e-sports, but we know that the player base continues to increase.
Today we see that e-sports interest has increased among more than the practitioners themselves. E-sports is broadcast live by large companies such as SVT and Aftonbladet.
Data from News 2017 show that more than 191 million people play more than 4 days a week, 29% of whom are women.
What’s good about e-sports?
E-sports is good because it gives people who do not like traditional sports a chance to become really good at something. It can also give you the chance to become a professional e-sportsman, which can give you a well-paying salary depending on which game you become a professional in.
It is also good as they provide an opportunity for people who feel excluded from society to feel involved. Today, there are many people who feel excluded and e-sports are very welcoming. If you play a game, you can often meet new people there and maybe make new friends.
How to become an e-sportsman?
To become an e-sportsman, you must first and foremost be good at a game. There is almost only one way to get good at a game, train, train, train. But other things that also play a role are getting enough sleep and physical exercise at, for example, a gym.
If you are still young and go either to school or high school, there are some schools that have e-sports as a profile. If this option is possible for you, it will give you more time to practice your favorite games. The profiles offer the most competitive games on the market. If you want to see which high schools offer e-sports.
Once you are good enough, you need to be heard. It does not matter if you are the best in the world if you do not make your voice heard. This can be done in a few different ways. One of the most popular ways is to stream on platforms such as twitch. This makes it easier for teams looking for players to find you.
If you play a game with a rating, you can meet professional players in your matches. This can make you meet someone who wants to have you in their team. For this to work, you must play well in the matches you meet someone who has or is part of a team.
Also Read About: What is gaming?
Once you have joined a team, it is best if you join your team in a league. There are leagues for all the big games. When your team is in a league, you start in the lowest league, but if you win a lot, you can quickly get to the higher leagues. But even if you do not win that much, it does not matter because if you play well, you can be recruited to a better team in a higher league.
How many people watch e-sports?
As we know, many people play e-sports, but how many people actually watch it?
In USA, an average of 400,000 United State watch e-sports per day and in 2018, 380 million people worldwide watched live e-sports. This was an increase of approximately 14% from the previous year. The most common games are League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike Global Offensive, Overwatch and Fortnite.
But not everyone watches live. This means that there are even more people who watch e-sports than the statistics show.
The main platforms you watch on e-sports are Youtube and Twitch, but there are also other platforms that mix.
Which games are included in e-sports?
All games that can be played on a computer, TV or other consoles belong to e-sports. The idea with e-sports is that it should be for everyone and inclusive. Therefore, you can play any game and still say that you practice e-sports.
What does the future hold for e-sports?
The future of e-sports looks bright as more and more people can afford computers.
Newzoo has conducted a survey of what e-sports will look like in 2021. Their forecast shows that e-sports and the gaming industry together will be worth more than a traditional sport.
E-sports alone is expected to be worth $ 1.7 billion, although the word e-sports will not be used as much. This is because individual players will become more prominent and e-sports as the name suggests a group or team of players.
