Buzz
Unraveling the Narrative of Electronic Sports
Delving into the Realm of eSports and Its Historical Trajectory
Defining eSports
eSports, also known as electronic sports, can be translated as Electronic Sports. It is a form of competitive gaming where players compete against each other. eSports can be likened to traditional sports such as soccer, basketball, or tennis, but with the difference that participants use electronic devices like mice, keyboards, or controllers instead of physical sports equipment like bats or balls. They compete against each other in virtual environments rather than physical stadiums, using electronic games such as instead of traditional sports fields.
The games selected as 'competitive disciplines' for eSports typically have high competitive elements, with all players starting on equal footing to ensure fairness. Competitions are divided into individual and team-based matches depending on the game genre, and they all have referees to prevent cheating and determine winners and losers.
The athletes chosen to participate in eSports tournaments are highly skilled individuals who have dedicated many hours to mastering a single game. For team-based competitions, it involves rigorous training to improve skills, strategic thinking, and teamwork. If a round ball is the love of a soccer player, then the game is the endless passion of professional eSports athletes.
The Evolutionary Journey
1. Emergence (1972-1989)
The first electronic gaming competition took place on October 19, 1972, at Stanford University, featuring the game Spacewar. Stanford students were invited to participate in the 'Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics' with a prize of one year's free subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. The Space Invaders Championship, organized by Atari in 1980, marked the first large-scale gaming competition, attracting over 10,000 participants from across the United States, officially establishing competitive gaming as a mainstream hobby.
In 1981, Twin Galaxies was founded by Walter Day with the aim of promoting electronic games, maintaining gaming records, and publicly announcing them through publications such as the Guinness World Records. In 1983, the first gaming team was formed in the United States, paving the way for the establishment of numerous gaming teams worldwide, beginning to define the concept of 'professional gamers.' Gamers began to garner attention from major newspapers, with many gaming records established between 1983 and 1989. However, gaming products during this period still only catered to individual play, focusing on who could complete games faster.
2. Rise of Online eSports (1990 - 2000)
The emergence of the Internet alongside computer technology advancement propelled Electronic Sports into a period of rapid growth. Competitive team-based and PvP games allowing up to 20 players to compete online began to replace the solitary gaming competitions of the earlier era.
The late 21st century witnessed the significant development of first-person shooter (FPS) games such as Doom, Quake, and notably Half-Life. Building upon the foundation of Half-Life, a mod called Counter-Strike emerged in 1998, becoming a pivotal competitive discipline in the subsequent 10 years' evolution of eSports.
In addition to FPS games, various other genres contributed to the establishment of eSports tournaments including real-time strategy games like AoE, Starcraft, Warcraft; fighting games like Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter; sports simulations like FIFA, PES, along with numerous other titles.
This era also saw the emergence of numerous major tournaments with high prize pools such as the World Cyber Games, Cyberathlete Professional League, and QuakeCon. These events attracted a large number of gamers from all continents to participate in competitions.
3. Global eSports Boom (2000 to Present)
The advent of MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games, with flagship titles like Dota and League of Legends, continued to drive the robust growth of eSports. Technological infrastructure upgrades and digital advancements enabled eSports tournaments to be broadcasted globally, reaching millions of gamers worldwide. This was followed by the emergence of livestreaming services like Twitch, allowing audiences to easily watch live tournaments in real-time and get closer to the professional gamers they admire. This became the platform where gamers built their massive fan base.
While major tournaments were only starting to be organized at the end of the 21st century, the number and scope of tournaments have impressively increased, from around 10 tournaments in 2000 to about 260 in 2010. Notable successes include tournaments like the World Cyber Games, the Intel Extreme Masters, and Major League Gaming. The rise in tournaments accompanied by rich experiences has surpassed the traditional definition of eSports, with prize pools reaching millions of dollars continuing to be organized.
eSports has undergone tremendous growth and shows no signs of slowing down, thanks to the gaming industry's development. According to Newzoo's research, eSports revenue reached $906 million globally in 2018, and it is expected to surpass the $1 billion mark in 2019. This is a lucrative market not only for gamers but also for advertising brands and video game producers.
Newer games with more diverse gameplay and higher competitiveness continue to emerge, pushing gamers to constantly adapt to trends if they don't want to fall behind. Contrary to the famous gamers standing in the spotlight of victory, earning millions of dollars, are those who have failed, stumbled on the path of conquering the dream of Electronic Sports. It's enough to show us the fierce competition and ruthless elimination in eSports, not inferior to real-world sports disciplines.
eSports has evolved from a term to a concept and now becomes a culture that is increasingly spreading and penetrating into the mainstream. According to its relentless trajectory and statistics, eSports will continue to develop as an industry and a form of entertainment for a long time to come. By the end of 2018, 1.6 billion people had basic knowledge of eSports, meaning more than one-fifth of the world's population had been exposed to it. So, if you haven't heard much about eSports yet, take some time to learn about it if you don't want to fall behind.
