Today, one of the fastest growing trends in the gaming industry is cybersport – individual or team competitions held in a virtual space modeled with the help of computer technology. In a number of countries cybersport is recognized as an official sport and is a popular entertainment. According to preliminary estimates of analysts Newzoo, in 2019 the volume of the global cybersport market amounted to more than $1 billion. Here it is worth noting that the size of the market depends on the level of the prize fund, media rights revenue, sponsorship and advertising. According to longer-term projections, the cybersports market could grow to $3.2 billion in 2024.
For example, the CS:GO championships. This game is one of the most popular eSports disciplines around the world.
It will be easier for you to understand what is happening on the screen if you know how to play Counter-Strike. You don’t have to become a professional, but the better you understand the game, the more details of the professional match you will be able to notice. It is not unreasonable to watch documentaries about professional players. You have to understand how the game is structured, how you can benefit from the money you already have, and what weapons are used in the game. When it comes to weapons, we recommend the hotpizza site. There you can find all kinds of skins and open cases.
Cyber sports tournaments can already be compared to traditional sports championships in terms of the amount of prize money. Experts estimate that over $700 million in prize money has been paid out during the entire existence of cybersports. In addition, as a rule, the largest tournaments – the majors (for example, IEM Katowice, ESL Pro Legue Season) – are held at real venues, gathering thousands of spectators. Table 2 shows examples of games with the largest budgets for cybersports tournaments.
At the same time, eSports tournaments are broadcast live on the Internet, attracting an audience of many millions. In the near future, major video services (such as Netflix) are expected to enter this market. Moreover, traditional media will also broadcast cybersports championships, attracting viewers by buying exclusive rights to content. According to Newzoo analysts, some game publishers may launch their own streaming video platforms to directly monetize traffic.
Why are computer games so popular today?
Since its emergence in the 1970s, the video game industry has steadily penetrated the global economy. Proof of this is the millions of dollars earned by developers and publishers through the release of just one arcade machine.
A couple of decades later, the games began to make money and ordinary people – with the emergence of cybersport. In 1997, during a Quake shooter tournament, the game’s creator John Carmack gave the winner a 328 GTS Ferrari. Today, eSports is growing exponentially.
You may have already noticed that computer games have become a very popular pastime of our time. Once this type of entertainment was considered childish, but now times have changed. And it is not surprising, because computer games have many advantages. But what are the advantages of computer games? Let’s try to answer this question!
Of course, it is much more interesting to play computer games in a gaming club. So if you too have decided to play computer games, do not forget to read the rating of the best game clubs and spend time for your favorite game is there.
So, naturally, the main virtue of computer games is the story. Maybe you didn’t know it, but the times when computer games were just meaningless actions without a hint of plot are long gone. Nowadays computer games can compete with some movies in terms of depth of plot. So when you play computer games, you can follow an interesting and intricate plot.
Thanks to the development of modern technology, most computer games have very good graphics. Thanks to good graphics, everything that happens in the game is almost indistinguishable from real life. The game world looks so natural that you can admire the perfectly drawn world. This makes playing computer games even more interesting!
Well, of course, it is impossible not to mention the fact that computer games are the perfect world in which a person can immerse themselves after a hard day’s work and relax. In fact, playing computer games is as interesting as, for example, watching TV series.
Modern computer games differ from their predecessors with fascinating gameplay. This is what attracts many new players, because playing a modern computer game is very interesting.
Many people think that computer games take up too much free time. Of course, this is just a misconception. Of course, some people sometimes get addicted and spend most of their life playing computer games. But if you play a few hours a day, you won’t notice the lack of free time caused by too many computer games.
The more powerful computers become, the more people are interested in this field. Video games used to be enjoyed only by people who were into computers. Now those people have grown up and continue to play. The average age of a player is approaching 40. Everyone from 10-year-old kids to 60-year-old retirees is playing. It’s one of the most mainstream and popular pastimes. There’s nothing to be surprised about. Some go to the movies or read a book, and some are interested in video games. It’s all the same kind of entertainment. As for cybersports, it’s important to understand that it’s a small part of the industry, but there’s a lot of talk about it. Cybersport is understandable to the media because it can be explained using examples of classic sporting disciplines, such as soccer. Broadcasts from video game tournaments are watched by millions, and it attracts more and more people.
Major giants
The most popular video games, both in Russia and around the world, are Dota 2 and Counter-Strike. These are team games in which cyber athletes also compete. In Counter-Strike the rules are simple – players need to kill their virtual enemies with weapons. But Dota 2 is more like a military-strategic battle to destroy the enemy’s base. Here, each player controls his fictional character with a specific set of abilities, like superheroes.
Serious Industry
One athlete is surrounded by a huge team that works for his victory. This includes coaches of all kinds, doctors, managers, press officers and promoters. Likewise, in the case of cyber athletes, there is a group of people who work with them. As a rule, the organization that owns the cyber sports team takes care of all the functions to promote the players: these include interviews with various gaming media, videos, and advertising – everything to keep the audience and the rank-and-file players satisfied. Managers organize training – in a bootcamp format, psychologists work with the team to maintain a common spirit and ensure that conflicts are resolved in a timely and cooperative manner.
Like soccer and boxing
Despite the non-contact nature of the discipline, eSports players can also get injured. For example, in March 2014, Evil Geniuses teammate Clinton Loomis injured his elbow while competing in the computer game Dota 2. He had to postpone training, and Clinton didn’t return until early 2015.
And cyber athletes, like office workers, often suffer from back pain and pinched nerves: they have to sit in one place for long periods of time and make repetitive movements with the computer mouse. In September 2016, former Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko proposed to oblige Russian athletes to pass TRP norms to prevent hypodynamia – disorders of the musculoskeletal system, blood circulation, respiration, digestion with limited motor activity.