ESports is the term used to refer to professional video game competitions . It can be translated into Spanish as “electronic sports” and although it is true that they have existed for years, the global popularization that they have experienced recently has turned them into events of colossal dimensions and a true phenomenon in the current entertainment scene . Not only does eSports move millions of people around the world, it also moves amounts of money just as large.
Competitiveness as a starting point
The basis of these tournaments is the confrontation . Either individually or in teams, it seeks to oppose several rivals so that they fall until one can be proclaimed champion. The term eSports is generic and is used for all kinds of competitions but the peculiarities are so many that they are divided into modalities. The common element to all, as we have already said, is competitiveness and for this, shooter- style video games, sports simulators, racing, strategy, MMO ( Massive Multiplayer Online ) and basically anyone that allows participants to see who are used is better. This enhances the more interactive and social side of video games.
Due precisely to the wide variety of ways in which eSports can materialize, it is very difficult to determine how many competitions or disciplines exist. These can vary depending on the game they use (some of the most popular titles are League of Legends , Call of Duty , FIFA or Fortnite ) or their own structure. While small amateur tournaments are still common , major competitions such as EVO ( Evolution Champions Series ) are increasingly becoming more visible, which had its first edition in 1996 and has been the scene of epic moments such as the mythical Daigo parry. in the semifinal of Street Fighter III, during the 2004 edition.
This honeymoon that eSports are experiencing can be seen both in the follow-up they have and in the money they move. For example, the final of the 2017 League of Legends World Cup brought together 75 million viewers who watched it, and it is estimated that in 2018 eSports accumulated more than 300 million regular followers according to Movistar eSports . The money that these events move is striking both for what the prize winners take and for what is generated in the global sector. To give us an idea, the winner of the solo mode in the Fortnite World Cup 2019 pocketed three million dollars in a weekend and the consulting firm Newzoo estimates that by 2020 global income will be 1.100 million dollars.
Are eSports a sport?
This is a certainly sensitive issue that, although it now poses a much calmer scenario, was the subject of extensive discussions in those first moments in which eSports gained relevance and reached the general public. As it happened before with video games themselves, certain population groups saw eSports competitions as a marginal activity and they tended (and tend) to stigmatize them . Without going into the bag of whether they should be considered equal to physical sports or not, it is undeniable that they have common characteristics such as the grouping of different disciplines, the demand for skills and training, competition, their popularity in society or their marked style. for the show. Professional teams and players receive intense training that seeks to polish and improve their skills and in which they have experts and analysts who help them both in physical and psychological aspects .
Many wondered why disciplines such as chess have been recognized as a sport while eSports are still in open debate but the truth is that the South Korean Olympic Committee recognized in 2015 the status of ‘second level Olympic sport’ of eSports , although it was withdrawn in 2017. The complexity of the discussion and the novelty of this discipline, as well as its unique peculiarities, make it not easy to reach an agreement, but the important thing is not so much the name they receive but respect let it be given to them.
Esports are not a thing of yesterday and in addition to being part of the world of video games, one of the most powerful industries on the current cultural scene, they must be considered as the hobby of billions of people, who enjoy them and dedicate them More than commendable amounts of time and effort .
