Teresa Hoy 
There’s no denying the impact of competitive gaming over the past decade, with the League of Legends World Champions attracting several million viewers in the past few years. Gamers know it hasn’t always been this way. While competitive gaming has existed in some form since the 1970s, it wasn’t until recently that it became a global phenomenon. Today, competitive gaming has massive tournaments, professional teams, and lucrative sponsorships, just like those found in traditional sports. In this article, we look at what the future holds for esports.
The Rise of eSports: History and Growth
To understand the future of competitive gaming, it’s important to look at its past. Competitive gaming has been around for a lot longer than most people realize, getting its start in the early 1970s, with the Spacewar tournament at Stanford University being one of the first recorded gaming competitions. From there, in the 1980s, over 10,000 gamers came together for the Space Invaders Championship, which many consider to be a turning point for competitive gaming.
The arrival of the internet changed competitive gaming more than anything before it, with multiplayer games like Doom and Quake laying the foundation for what we know as esports today. In the early years, few considered gaming a legitimate sport, and if you look back at the history of legal sports betting, you won’t find it mentioned. However, the widespread acceptance by many of gaming as a sport has made it so that, today, many people wager on esports alongside traditional sports like football, basketball, and tennis.
Economic Impact
When you look at the economic impact of esports, you get a real idea of how far competitive gaming has come. A whole industry has sprung up around competitive gaming, with job opportunities for professional players, coaches, analysts, and event organizers. Streaming platforms have also played an important role in esports’ economic growth, where professional players broadcast their tips and tricks to fans all around the world.
Esports have also caught the attention of major brands, who’ve partnered with teams and tournaments to reach a new audience that includes tech-savvy fans who love video games. These deals have poured millions into the competitive gaming sphere, bringing a significant amount of money into the industry. Selling merchandise and tickets to esports events has been another way the industry has increased its revenue.
Technological Advancements
Technological advancements over the past two decades have allowed the esports sector to become the powerhouse it is today. Computers powered by high-performance software, including advanced graphics cards and processors, have made gameplay smoother and gaming more immersive. Without these advancements, gaming would have a hard time being a spectator event. High-speed internet has also played an important role in minimizing buffering and lag during multiplayer games. In the future, technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality will have a much bigger influence on competitive gaming, adding to the interactivity of the sport.
Traditional sports are following esports’ lead by incorporating many of these advanced tools into their training and preparation for games. Sports teams increasingly use analytics and data-driven strategies to optimize strategy and player performance. Teams are using VR to engage fans and also for training that simulates real-game scenarios or brings fans into the action.
Cultural Influence
As esports have become accepted and supported in mainstream media and society in general, professional gaming has gained recognition and respect. Esports competitions have been spotlighted on ESPN, lending them credibility as real sports. The discipline’s inclusion in the Asian Games has also added to its growing acceptance in the traditional sports domain. While we won’t see competitive gaming at the Olympics in Paris this year, many believe that, within a few years, esports will be an Olympic event.
