A nybody who grew up playing video or arcade games will remember their parents standing behind them saying: “You’re wasting your time with that!”
Back in the ’80s it was probably a legitimate concern. But in hindsight, it’s kind of like Christiano Ronaldo hearing he should’ve forgotten about soccer because there was no future in it.
Video games now have a future for their players, one that stretches beyond entertainment. Gamers who put the work in can carve out a rather decent living playing games through eSports (electronic - sports) by honing their talents, practicing hard and entering tournaments in which they compete against the best in their field for trophies, glory – and big cash prizes.
You know, kind of like tennis players. Or golfers. Or any other professional individual in a pro-sports league.
eSports is such a young concept that it’s easily dismissed by the mainstream. After all, most popular (and recognised) sports usually involve teams chasing a piece of air with some leather wrapped around it, or throwing a ball at a bat.
There may be an argument to be made that sport should involve some athletic prowess, but tactics, reflexes and opponent research aren’t exactly foreign concepts in eSports. Besides, if chess players can receive national colours, why can’t video game players?
It’s the same skill-set coupled with reflexes.
Like chess players, Street Fighter eSports pros have a working knowledge of every player they go up against and they have to think two or three moves ahead of what they think their opponent will do. They just have to react faster.
Where did it start?
The rise of eSports can be easily attributed to a game called Starcraft. Developed by California publisher Blizzard – today the world’s most bankable studio thanks to its other major games, World Of Warcraft and Hearthstone – Starcraft landed in the late ’90s and drew a fanatical following in (of all places) South Korea.
This real-time-strategy (RTS) game is a cultural touchstone in that nation. Not only did Starcraft become popular enough for national TV stations to broadcast games, it was one of the reasons South Korea invested in robust internet infrastructure.
The popularity of the game spread like wildfire in the Far East and soon professional Starcraft tournaments were popping up everywhere.
It’s hardly surprising that South Korean players still dominate Starcraft eSports tournaments to this day. Last year’s prize pool was $500 000 (roughly R7.4m). Not bad for a space-western genre video game released in 1997.
Where is it going?
As impressive as that prize money sounds, it’s nothing compared to a contest called The International, in which teams of players battle it out in a game called Defense Of The Ancients 2 (or Dota 2, as it’s known in the gaming community). This game started life as a modification of Starcraft. Today it’s one of the most popular competitive games in existence. Every year, its best players compete in The International for insane prize money – this year the prize pool was $24m – and its
viewer numbers are off the charts; this year’s competition was watched live by more than five-million people.
eSports is also growing locally. While South Africa has a long way to go before homegrown tournaments are able to compete in terms of prestige and prize money, SA eSports is certainly on the rise.
Last year, Telkom put up R1m to fund local eSports leagues. This year saw the introduction of RUSH, an eSports tournament that took place at the Sandton Convention Centre, which involves dozens of teams competing for prize money across a number of games – FIFA being one of them.
eSports has grown in leaps and bounds in South Africa. Where once it was just a sideline curiosity, now eSports is a centerpiece in some of the country’s biggest gaming events.
It may be hard to get your head around, but video games have moved beyond simple entertainment to being a professional competitive field. You might not call it a ‘sport’ at this stage, but given the prize money, skill and commitment from the players and the audience (who are prepared to both sign in online and pitch up physically), it’s safe to say that video games are no longer just a hobby.