TECH CORNER
Electronic sports (Photo – commons.wikimedia.org).
Electronic sports (e-sports) is an exciting and evolving industry that will forever be changing because popular games will eventually fade from popularity and gamers who excel at some games may not necessarily excel at others.
By Chris Boutros
From saving high scores on Pac-Man to live player versus player (PvP) match-ups, the competitive gaming industry has thrived for decades.
By playing poker or an online computer game to competing against other players to achieve victory, the world has begun to realize that it is not only entertaining for the players to compete against each other, but many people are willing to pay money to watch others compete. From televised game shows to televised poker, viewers enjoy watching players compete to win a grand prize. But why stop there?
Twitch, Ciinow, OnLive and a variety of other live broadcast screen-share services have taken this idea and created the next generation of online entertainment. By creating a free account with any of these websites, anyone can become a part of the fastest growing industries in the world electronic sports (e-sports).
A new way to make money
Ever since we were kids, we have been told that games are supposed to be a fun past-time and won’t amount to anything in real life. However, by utilizing these streaming programs, avid gamers can share their experience(s) and fun with the world. There are numerous websites being created and designed to advertise and entertain the fans of leagues, clans, and teams of gamers who play together on a regular basis.
Some of these websites, with the help of a big enough fan base, are able to transform themselves into companies. These companies are cutting deals with server companies, game design companies, even online advertising agencies to broadcast ads, commercials, and play new games for their fans. Some of these companies have a fan base of hundreds of thousands of regular viewers. These companies hire popular gaming legends for a salary pay to continue to entertain their fans under the company logo. Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment are two of the biggest game designing companies that broadcast world championships with cash prizes up to $1 million to the winner or winning team. With a fan base of over 1 million viewers worldwide, e-sports may grow to rival many different real life sports leagues in the near future.
Electronic sports (Photo – commons.wikimedia.org).
Fulfilled dreams one social media at a time
It is a childhood dream that could come true for many gamers who have always wanted to make money playing video games all day. So long as gamers can entertain their viewers and maintain a popular fan base, they can just as easily be hired by a gaming company. With social media outlets like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Google+ on their side, it has become much easier to be discovered. When it comes to creating a resume for gaming company head hunters, having these social media outlets updated regularly and a consistent flow of fans interacting with social media feeds is better than any resume could explain. It is not an easy task, but as long as it is free to build an online presence and a fan base to such an extent, some players do not even need a gaming company to hire them in order to turn a profit.
With the right knowledge, it is becoming increasingly possible for a gamer to set up their own contracts with software and gaming companies in order to make a decent living.
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