In 2017, the game company Riot decided to change the North American League of Legends Championship Series (NALCS) from a relegation league in favor of franchising. Several established E-Sport organizations such as Cloud 9 and TSM took spots in the league using their influence in other game leagues as leverage. However, what came as a surprise was that three prominent basketball organizations, the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, all put in a bid to have a team in the league. In addition to them, other prominent groups like the New York Yankees and T-Mobile and a wide variety of high profile individuals invested in the different teams within the NALCS. The NALCS is only one part of the E-sports world, albeit a large part. However, the E-sports industry is one of the fastest growing amongst its peers, indicating a new trend and the turning of tides in the entertainment industry.
There are many critics that doubt the legitimacy of video games as a watchable form of entertainment. One of the most famous skeptics includes Jimmy Kimmel, who poked fun at the idea of people watching people play video games, calling it a “waste of time.” Whether it is a waste of time or not, the numbers don’t lie. The e-sports industry was estimated to be valued at 1.5 billion dollars in 2017 and continues to grow around 12% every year. In 2017, the World Championships for League of Legends represented 28 different nationalities and drew in 43 million unique viewers at its peak. An older, more established league, the Counter Strike: Global Offensive Major drew in over 1.5 million viewers. The average viewership in the NBA finals was 20.4 million people. Although many of the E-sports numbers include viewership from all over the world, just with these numbers alone the impact of these E-leagues can be seen.
Image shows the 2016 League of Legends World Finals held in the Staples Center
Although E-sports organizations still have some ways to go before they can match the influence of established sports leagues like the NBS and the NFL, the future of competitive gaming seems bright. However, with the increasing attention on E-sports, more and more criticism will begin to arise on the validity of the idea of video games being seen as a competitive sport. In my opinion, these leagues should not be viewed in the same way as traditional sports. I believe that there are too many differences to call them a part of traditional sports and that the qualification by adding “E” in front of their name is very appropriate. Although it may not conform to traditional standards, it is true that these players are forced to be at their peak mentally and often focus on physical health in order to maintain a high level of reflexes and mechanical skill. Take for example a famous player in the NALCS, Svenskeren, when he first started playing compared to his present figure.
These players are provided numerous coaches, nutritionists, physical trainers, sports psychologists, and a variety of support faculty. Practicing nearly 16 hours a day, they dedicate themselves to their jobs as much as, if not even more, than athletes from other sports. With the industry growing as it is, it is important to begin recognizing E-sports and being understanding the impact it has on the future of video games, sports, and entertainment in general.
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Hi joshuaCTH,
I also find the e-sports space to be very interesting. The ownership groups of many professional sports teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL have invested in e-sports teams indicating that there must be some value there at the moment. However, I would argue in the long run the current state of e-sports is not sustainable.
As it currently stands, there are relatively low barriers to entry for an e-sports team (i.e. they do not require a billion dollar stadium or arena). Additionally, there are no rules in the legislation of e-sports that limit the number of teams that can be created. With low barriers to entry and limited restrictions on the number of teams that can enter a league, the value of e-sports teams is subject to dilution. The main questions to be answered here is will the legislation change to protect value dilution and do people want to watch video games? The second question is especially important as to whether people like to play video games or watch video games. I would argue at the moment it seems that people do enjoy watching with streaming services like twitch catching on. Nonetheless, e-sports has shown great promise and it will be interesting to follow whether they become mainstream.
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Hey rneedham91!
Just for clarities sake, I’ll reference the NALCS as an example throughout the rest of my comment. Other leagues suffer some of the problems that you mentioned. However, the NALCS could be considered the forerunner for E-sports and the model for what is to come. In order to become franchised and join the league, the entry fee was 10 million dollars for only ten spots. Around 15 different organizations fought for those spots, using their financial investment in the League as leverage to gain a spot. However, you are right in the fact that most E-sport leagues aren’t as regulated as the NALCS is, as the NALCS is considered the model for the E-sports industry. In addition, I believe that video games are a very niche form of entertainment. Oftentimes the mechanics involved are much more convoluted, and so there is a much higher barrier in the path to becoming mainstream. However, just as you are, I am very excited to see what the future has in store.
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I agree with you in that the concept of e-sports in general is not like traditional sports, but I think some parts are similar. How much the players commit to the game and how much they practice is absurd and very similar to traditional sports. The fact that many e-sports are also very team-based is also a similarity with traditional sports. However, some differences could include that traditional sports involve more physical activity while e-sports does not, and it is not as popular and streamed on national television. I still think e-sports is still as much as competitive sport as traditional sports. The professional gamers put in as much work and commitment as traditional sports players. There will always be people, such as Jimmy Kimmel, who do not like e-sports and will disagree that it a real sport and call it a waste of time. But there are also plenty of people, like me, who personally think that watching even traditional sports is a waste of time if it is of no interest to them. But just because I don’t enjoy watching it doesn’t mean I don’t want it to exist. So, I think others should respect e-sports as much as traditional sports because the players put in so much time commitment.
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The esports scene is a very promising one. It’s exciting to see what will come of it and I hope that teams like the ones in the LCS will reach star status that may rival ones of even NFL teams.
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