You’ve probably heard of the term “eSports” by now and found yourself wondering just what the heck is all that about? Well, I’ve got some news for you. eSports is term for professional competitive video gaming, It’s big, and it’s getting bigger every day. Briefly, it’s just a bunch of nerds playing video games for money, but it’s much deeper than that. 

Video gaming is an industry unlike any other, it’s popularity kicked off with rise of the Internet and it’s constantly growing. A lot of people, like myself, have been drawn to it ever since we first got into it, and for good reasons. Unlike traditional sports, video gaming is world-wide, which means you are competing with players from all around the world, and let me tell you, that’s appealing. There’s an increased sense of competitive spirit when you’re battling it out with this guy from other side of the world. However, the icing on the cake is really the community.  

Video games connect people from all around the globe, they hang around, work together to overcome the challenges, all while having immense fun while doing so. Some of my best experiences are from the days I worked to overcome some challenges with my friends, and after months of preparing, practicing and trying, there’s nothing like a feeling of accomplishment you get after all of that.

Gaming has something for everyone 

It would be pretty rash to put all of gaming into one section and just say “This is it, that’s gaming and you either like it or not”. It’s much more diverse than that and there’s something for everyone. You’re a big fan of adventure, or perhaps, you’re more into sport, perhaps fighting? Well, worry not, video games come in various shapes and forms. 

Genres 

Let’s say you’re more of a loner type of guy, you prefer adventure, exploring, but you don’t want to be dependant of other people. Well i’ve got good news for you, there’s so many single player games out there just waiting for you to explore them!

However, the real fun begins when you get out there to play with your friends.

So what is it that excites you? Is it adventure, role-playing, puzzles, strategy, sports?

One of the most popular genres of video gaming is first-person shooter (FPS) games, the themes vary, from world wars to modern age to sci-fi world FPS games. It’s truly a thrilling experience playing an FPS game, the action never stops, and you will find yourself on the edge of your seat many many times. Games like Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Battlefield 1 will have you so engaged that you’ll lose track of the time, trust me, it happened to me many times before.  

Perhaps, you’re more into sport. Well, personally, sport games are one of my favorites, there’s nothing like playing with your friends and competing in a game of football, basketball or perhaps even fighting. Even professional athletes, who spend so much time playing their sport, like to come home and just play a few video games for change.  

Or maybe, you just want to have some adventure, explore these massive worlds that were built by people just like us, I’m always amazed of the size, graphics and storylines when it comes to adventure games. It’s like Game of Thrones, except you’re inside of it, with ability to choose what is it that you want to do, where you want to go, these games have no endings. You’ll be left in awe after experiencing games like The Witcher 3, The Elder Scrolls, Assassin’s Creed. 

A spectator sport 

Something that is perhaps, even more fun than playing the game, is spectating professional players who are duking it out. This is where term eSports comes into play. For me, spectating professional players who bring the game to absolute perfection is an experience like no other. It is beautiful to watch these players showing off their A game and showcasing the level of complexity the game has to offer. They spend hours training every day just to beat the game mechanics and use them in unique, innovative way to compete against each other. 

Personally, the best part about it is following the storylines of these players and teams unwind. There’s these players with their unique personalities, stories and lives who are brought up together in a team of 5 and following their careers, season after season, tournament after tournament is amazing. Nothing like an underdog team who has been written off even before the tournament began as just a participant, fighting and beating the favorite teams and in the end, claiming the trophy and the tournament. Seeing these players come from basically just playing the game to making a career and rising into a celebrity status is awe inspiring. It’s this passion and persistence which shows itself in it’s purest form, and eSports is no different in that regard. 

Following your favorite players/teams is a truly unique thing, their accomplishments are your accomplishments, their struggles are your struggles, but i enjoy every feeling associated with it. 

eSports has seen a lot of growth in last few years, and it hasn’t reached it’s peak yet. Currently, It’s at an all time high and I believe we are witnessing the Golden Age of competitive gaming just about now. It continues to flourish tournament after tournament, season after season, game after game. Statistically, eSports is in steady growth from ever since, and I’m personally looking forward to see where will it peak.

These big eSports tournaments are held in world’s biggest arenas around the world, with thousands of fans coming to watch and cheer for their favorite teams. It started back in 2012, when World Championship in a game called League of Legends was held in Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers. The biggest attendance of these offline events was the 2014 World Championship, which was held in South Korean Olympics stadium with approximately 40,000 people attending to see it live.  

Now, here’s an interesting fact about eSports: the highest prize pool for eSports tournament was 18,400,000$ . Yup, thats right. And that’s just for one tournament! There are several tournaments over the course of one year leading up to one final Championship tournament for the trophy. And let me just mention the fact that, for example, Super Bowl championship weights $8 million and NBA $6 million.

I am thrilled to see what the future brings for eSports, it’s looking pretty bright and how wouldn’t it? It’s packed with entertainment, fun, passion and love for the game. It is truly a revolutionary thing when it comes to spectator sports and I’d suggest everyone to give it a try, you might just get to like that kid from South Korea who is acclaimed to be the best player in the world.  

The world of video gaming is open for anyone, the young, the old, family or a loner, competitor or an adventurous and It’s certainly something worth giving a try.

I will leave you with this beautiful shot from Staples Center: 

You may also like: VR - Virtual reality is the future of gaming