It’s a question that has been asked for years: Who will be the last team standing? In traditional sports, it’s usually been answered with something akin to ‘strength of victory’. But in the global marketplace of eSports, where teams of human players compete to entertain each other and, more importantly, earn money, the answer is a little more complicated.
The Importance of Psychological Resilience
To truly understand who will be the winners in this year’s eSports ‘race’, we need to take a step back and examine what exactly is eSports.
To start with, let’s examine the fundamental difference between traditional sports and eSports. As the name would suggest, eSports are sports played online. They can either be competitive or recreational in nature. The focus, however, is on competition and the rankings that derive from it.
Traditional sports, on the other hand, are sports played by people in venues ranging from indoor to outdoor. Indoor sports like basketball and skating are often referred to as ‘virtual sports’ because they can be played entirely online. This is also true of e-sporting events like golf and tennis. Outdoor sports like running and cycling are often considered ‘contact sports’ because they involve bodily contact between players (i.e. hitting and tackling).
Another important distinction to make is that eSports are usually between two and eight players per team. This is much more like an ‘individual sport’ than a ‘team sport’ and it affects how you should approach competition. With individual sports, the focus is on each individual and their performance rather than the team’s collective performance. The analogy here is similar to that of a concert. While the individuals in a band might be talented, it’s the overall performance that counts. In an e-sport, however, individual performances don’t always equal victory. This is because the emphasis is on strategy and building a team rather than just relying on talent.
The Rise of eSports
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re probably thinking about entering the world of eSports as well. If that’s the case, then congratulations! You’re in the right place. Without further ado, here’s a more detailed explanation of what eSports are and why you should care about them.
An Entertainment Option
Sports have always been a popular pastime, and not just in the United States. Over the past decade, eSports have gained a lot of popularity around the world and for good reason. They’re a fantastic way to entertain yourself while also being active. They’re also a great way for people to come together who would normally not play sports together.
For instance, if you go to a traditional sports game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, there will probably be a lot of empty seats. The reason behind this is that fans in New York City often don’t care much for baseball and vice versa. So, while there might be a lot of fans around the stadium, they’ll mostly just be there to watch the game and cheer for their team.
But if you go to an e-sporting event, say, between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, the scene will be entirely different. You’ll not only see people there to watch the game, but also to cheer for their team. This is because eSports are normally between two and eight players per team and, thus, much more accessible. There’s also a lot more competition in eSports, so the stakes are usually higher. This makes it a much more attractive option for people who adore sports but don’t necessarily get to play them often.
A Record-Breaking Year For eSports
If you’ve been paying attention to eSports, then you’ll know that this year was an eventful one. Not only was it the inaugural Electronic Sports Competition (ESC) World Championships, but it was also a record-breaking year for eSports. Never before had so many people banded together to play and watch eSports in one place. There were also a number of firsts in eSports this year, including the first-ever NBA eLeague, first-ever NFL Europe Championship, first-ever NCAA Division I College Championship, and first-ever ESEA (eSports Southeast Asia) Championship.
Also, for the first time ever, two eSports leagues (the NBA and NHL) held joint promotions, running a series of contests and giveaways in tandem. The idea is to generate buzz and excitement around both leagues and their brand products.
Going forward, the trend is clear. With more and more people interested in eSports and the related industries, the opportunities are endless.