Gamers Unite!

One thing that I’ve noticed throughout the years is the relatively quick rise of Esports in the 2000s. Ever since my days in college watching my friends participate in tournaments for games such as Tekken, Street Fighter, and Counterstrike, I’ve been hooked. The mass appeal of video games combined with watching the best in the world perform at their craft has led to a new avenue of entertainment for people in my generation and younger consumers.

Before you laugh, consider this. Most sports fans know about Boston Celtics Forward, Gordon Hayward. However, what you don’t know is that if Hayward was not able to play professional basketball, he’d probably be a professional gamer. In fact a few months ago, Hayward invested in Tribe Gaming, a mobile esports gaming company. Also take note that he is not the only prominent investor in the company. WWE wrestler Claudio Castagnoli, aka Cesaro, is another stakehoulder in the company who hope that Tribe’s reach can be expanded in the coming years. Cesaro is also notable as he is a frequent contributor/guest on Up Up Down Down a gaming YouTube channel run by fellow WWE superstar Xavier Woods. In fact just look at YouTube for popular series of gaming such as Rage Quit or even the popularity of streaming gaming on Twitch.

Another sign of the emergence of Esports is the amount of mainstream coverage its now receiving. Gaming shows are featured on stations such as TBS and ESPN. A few years ago there was also a gaming cable channel G4, whose flagship show featured a platform for a young Olivia Munn. Additionally all the sportsbooks are now offering lines and betting for Esports competitions and you can even make a daily fantasy team composed of E-gamers. It would be foolish to not be a part of the wave.

It does make me smile inside to see that gaming is being recognized now as a competitive sport. Video games have provided countless hours of entertainment for me and millions/billions of others across the globe. I readily admit that baseball has helped me gain a better understanding of my favorite sports as well due to the impressive realism. We are now in an age where it is not taboo to recognize the skill level of these professionals and that’s fine by me!

About Author