eSports is a genre of gaming, and within eSports there are many genres too. However, just what is it that attracts so many to eSports? Well, that is what we are to consider here. You will note the different ways of representing eSports as a word. For this article, we will stick to eSports.
So, to the elements of eSports that will attract gamers.
Audience Participation
Many gamers enjoy the social side of eSports when there are games that involve team play. It is a good way to meet friends online that are into the same thing. Like-minded eSports players, whether they speak a different language or not, all have an aptitude for gaming and competition. They welcome fellow gamers into their community with the ulterior motive of wanting to beat them. As competitive as it all is, there is an almost palpable friendliness existing within the gaming community with most of the games.
I am sure as time goes on, we will discover that more and more relationships have begun online whilst both parties were gamers. Romance is not promised, but friendship can almost be guaranteed. Whereas we used to have pen pals that we wrote to and then more recently emailed instead, we now have gamers that meet up regularly online, through streaming, and at tournaments.
Competitive Element
We all deep down love competition. We follow shows on TV where elimination of the weakest will be involved and desire a piece of that while gaming. We want to be the last male or female standing, having conquered everyone else within a game. This does not have to be an individual thing because we can also win or lose as a team. It can soften the blow when we lose, to be a part of a team, knowing that we are not the only one that may not have entirely been successful. Gaming is not a blame culture, though, it is about thinking that as our skills get better our time will come for succeeding and winning a game. At least, improving our performance in the next game. That is all part of the fun as much as the ultimate reward of success. So, eSports can promise plenty of competition.
The Tournaments
Many eSports players relish the tournaments where there will be the opportunity to win large sums of prize money. All those hours of fun honing skills can then turn into something profitable. We can point out to those who think we have been wasting our time just how much of an investment playing eSports has been.
The most popular eSports tournaments include CS:GO, ESL ONE CS:GO, Dota 2, ESL ONE Dota 2, and League of Legends. The make-up of the games makes them ideal for tournaments where knock-out will be the eventual aim to find a winner.
The 2021 Free Fire World Series (Garena Free Fire tournament), in Singapore, would become the most-watched eSports event ever. It received a recorded 5.41 million viewers at its peak. The second most-watched tournament is reported as being the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, attracting nearly 3.99 million viewers at its peak. There is no escaping the fact that League of Legends still represents a big name in eSports.
The Chance to Learn New Skills
eSports and video games are a way to learn new skills transferrable to employment and a way to fine-tune our existing ones. We will begin by having good hand-to-eye coordination and then develop skills in strategy and problem-solving. Also, we will learn social skills such as leadership, which will be vital for playing team games. So, seek out games that allow for skill development. This is not difficult as there will be skills to be learned from all the eSports.
League of Legends, for instance, will improve the communication skills of eSports players because it is about teamwork and building relationships. It is a game that brings people together because they need to work as a team to succeed. You can learn to work with difficult people to get the job done.
In conclusion, as eSports players, we love the audience participation as much as the competitive element. For those who are very competitive, there are tournaments to enter which will allow you to earn significant prize money. While preparing for tournaments, or to get better at playing live online, we are learning new skills to help us be the best that we can be. Despite the competitiveness, there is that fun element to playing too.
