This week we spoke about the esports industry. The esports industry is something I am very familiar with and have followed for quite some time. To start off, there are organizations within each genre of game that typically gather a large amount of talent and form some type of team. In doing so, they gather a large following from the fans. These organizations can then form leagues with others and create an NFL type atmosphere for each up and coming game that the community enjoys.

There are only a few games that can outlast the competition such as CSGO and League of Legends being very popular in the recent years. I think part of the reason for these games being so popular is their ease of access. Certain games need a beefy computer but these seem to be playable on all types of machines. Furthermore, these games are free for the base game and allow new players to try it out without any risk or upfront cost aside from a computer that they most likely already owned.

The esports industry has opened a lot of new career paths for those interested in gaming. To start off, there are more games than ever, as each one becomes more popular, more money is invested into the scene. This has a great effect on the industry and it has been growing at a steady rate ever since the internet has become widely available.

I think the appeal of esports is that just about anyone can participate. There is a barrier of having a computer but in today’s world, they have become widely available and are cheaper every year. Esports is simply more than just playing games, it is highly competitive.

Over the course of my gaming history, I have seen FPS grow wildly popular due to their competitive team environment attracting new players due to their vocal and engaging fanbase. Some of these games have been criticized for being violent and having too much gore which opens up the space for games like FortNite to shine due to their cartoony graphics and more playful vibe. Having said that, there has not been enough research to see the lasting effects playing these games will have on everyone which will be interesting in the long run to see what happens.

Esports is an ever evolving field that will continue to change in the near future. Having said that, I think there needs to be a focus on inclusion within Esports. Due to their lack of female involvement it begs the question of why. I think a good start would be to have females represented throughout all teams and have a fair chance to play. Having said that, many people believe that there are not many females on these professional teams due to the lack of female involvement in gaming at all. I find this hard to believe and am pushing for change. In this class alone, I have seen the female involvement and think that in the near future it will even out and Esports can take the lead and have more equality than sports in the “non-gaming” world. Certainly, this is an evolving space and has much more room to grow, I am definitely interested in this field.