Gaming competitions have been around for quite some while now. Think back to the Nintendo World Championship in 1990, or if you go back even further, you’ll find the first-ever Space Invaders Championship held by Atari back in 1980.
And as the internet came into being, we saw the concept of the eSport game take off, first in Korea and then in the world, and boomed into a whole new, rapidly-rising industry.
But the internet is not the only reason for eSports’ popularity. There are many other reasons, which include:
Competitive
Competition is the foundation of the eSport game. Whether it is baseball, football, basketball, or any eSports game, people just love competition. It’s straightforward to follow, become a team fan and a diehard supporter.
People everywhere love to watch professionals fight each other in the arena. Plus, professional games are easily accessible and free since they’re mostly available on online streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch. And you can watch them 24/7. On the other hand, it’s only fun to watch traditional sports in-person or live, and in most cases, you need a pricey cable subscription.
Plus, like other sports, eSports has controversy and drama to spice up things. And the more attention an eSports get, the more compelling narratives surface that compel media and fans to promote competitions.
And just like other sports, the best gamers are fired, traded, and transferred from one team to another. And as you might have expected, there’s always one underdog in every competition that quickly rises to the top. And new players are constantly trying to dethrone those at the top. Plus, rivalries are quick to form against the best players, making it an overall great sport to take part in.
Accessible and inclusive
Esports have also become popular because of the easy accessibility of video games. You don’t need a lot of money to buy a game, and you can play whatever game you like from the comfort of your home whenever you want on a platform of your choice, whether that’s a PC, a PlayStation, or an Xbox.
With other traditional sports, you need a lot of equipment, like space to play and organizations to host competitions and gaming leagues. Meanwhile, gaming is very easy and cheap to get into and is very accessible.
You also don’t need to be physically very fit or have a very specific physique (a certain body size or build, agility, strength, etc.) to be able to play and be successful. In comparison, for traditional sports like football or success, you need to be able to throw, kick, run, etc., to even have a chance of competing.
Take NBA, for instance. To be able to play for the NBA, you need to be tall but that’s not the case with professional gaming. Anyone who can pick up a mouse or controller and start playing can take part in eSports.
Wide variety of games
When it comes to the video games you can play, there are a huge number of options with different complexities and variables. For instance, there are first-person shooter games like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty, traditional sports games like NBA 2k and FIFA, and MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) games like Fortnite or League of Legends.
So you can just find a game you like and get started!
Great quality of games
With the improvement in technology, video games have also improved. Gone are the days of 8-bit graphics games. Video game graphics are nothing short of impressive now, making games easier to play and even watch. You can now easily sit and watch or play games for hours without straining your eyes or getting a bad headache due to terrible graphics.
In fact, some games are so realistic now that it’s hard to distinguish video games from movies or shows. Plus, the motion has also improved; gone are the days of slow graphics that made gaming difficult and frustrating.
The cutting-edge improvements of games today immerse gamers in rendered worlds with realistic sceneries and textures. In fact, they’ve gotten so realistic that it feels like you’re in the game.
These improvements also play a role in the popularity of eSports.
Gaming is addictive
Video games are highly addictive, and people can’t get enough of them, which is another reason for their popularity. They’re addicted to advancing to the next rank or level, beating the competition, or unlocking a new weapon or hero. The same goes for esports.
Teams and pro games are addicted to improving themselves and winning. And to do that, they play for hours on end to become better. And their fans follow in their footsteps; they support them to become better players.
Gaming brings people together
Another thing that makes esports so popular is that it’s a very social activity. Video games allow friends to play against each other, learn from each other, improve, and help each other. In fact, in the 200s, online gamers from all over the world could meet and connect with each other like never before. People from any part of the world can sign in to the virtual arena, play with each other, and make friendships.
Plus, many eSports games are team-based, which means you get to play with teammates, and it’s impossible to win without the team, which adds to the social nature of online gaming. Skills like coordination and communication are essential and highly valuable, and it’s impossible to succeed without a team.
Esports is just getting started
Esports has dramatically improved ever since its inception, and it continues to grow, with projected revenue of more than a billion dollars each year. This is quite impressive, especially for an industry that’s still in its infancy.
Like traditional sports, eSports has also garnered a huge following now, and people worldwide look forward to mega-events where their favorite players and teams come to work together. So it’s very clear that eSports will only continue to become more popular!
