reading10 — eSports

reading10 — eSports

What do you think of eSports or competitive video gaming? Are you a competitor or a spectator? If so, which games? Is esports something that will reach the level of an Olympic event and should it receive the same level of recognition and support as other types of competitive activities?

While I have never competed in an eSports competition, I lived with a guy who has competed in dozens of Smash tournaments during college. I was able to learn a lot from him about the game through conversation, and when a big tournament was on and his favorite gamer was competing, I would watch with him. As someone from the outside, it was a ton of fun to watch. The community, the “meta”, the scale of competition that was occurring from two guys crouched in front of a CRT television was remarkable. I’m not sure if it will ever reach the level of an Olympic event, but that shouldn’t be the litmus test of success for this industry. Today, there are people out there that are able to show off their skills and make a living off it. There are competitions all over the world where people of the same interests come together to compete. This year, there was even a draft for the best NBA 2k players out there. There is competition flowing and there are people out there enjoying it and loving it. I’d say that what we have now is great for eSports and I only think it’s going to get bigger. The growth of Twitch and other video game streaming services makes it very accessible for people to watch and learn about the games. The commentators in every single match I’ve ever watched were very well informed and entertaining and as the gaming industry grows, I feel like that will just keep improving and get people to join in on the fun.