Yet, there’s still a lot of confusion from those unfamiliar with esports. What is it? And what role does it play in educational settings? What are the job prospects in esports?
In this post, I answer these questions, clarifying the value of gaming and esports programs in higher education.
In this post, I answer these questions, clarifying the value of gaming and esports programs in higher education.
What is esports, exactly?
Esports has come a long way since arcade tournaments and even the LAN parties of the 1990s.
A lot of people hear “esports” and think sports-simulation video games like the FIFA soccer or Madden NFL football franchises.
And people make a living off this?
They do! Esports is a thriving global industry. Global esports revenues eclipsed $1 billion in 2020, up from $950 million in 2019. Projections suggest global revenue will hit $1.6 billion by 2023 (Newzoo, 2020).
Esports is a complex network of many different actors. Just like with traditional sports, there are professional, salaried players with a coaching staff and general manager.
There are corporate sponsors for nearly facet of esports – the teams, the tournaments, the leagues – and media deals. Approximately two-thirds of all global esports revenue stems from sponsorship and media deals (Newzoo, 2020).
Esports even has their own version of play-by-play announcers, known in the esports world as “shoutcasters.”
One of the amazing things about esports is that there are so many different entry points into the industry.
What sort of skills do students gain from studying/playing esports?
A lot of esports students go into broadcast, social media management, and content creation.
In short, esports has a lot to offer students, while also being a fun way to spend your free time. Take it from a life-long gamer.
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