Esports is defined as ‘a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers.’ It turns online gaming into a spectator sport.
Esports originated from an event in 1971 at an American university whereby students competed against each other in a battle of the vintage Spacewar game. However, the first real esports competition is recognised as the Space Invaders Championship in 1980, and more than 10,000 players participated.
The popularity of Nintendo grew, and they pioneered eports in the 1990’s, holding very popular championships that bought together gamers from across the globe. The introduction of the internet eventually took esports to the next level.
Struggles with broadcasting came about in the 2000’s as battles for rights, and different viewing mediums across the globe made it difficult for the events to reach a wider audience. However, Twitch (an online streaming site) changed this completely, allowing the online broadcast of popular games like CSGO, League of Legends and Dota to reach thousands of people.
The esports industry is rapidly growing and full of career opportunities or just great hobby to explore. Esports teams are now recognised and sponsored by huge companies to compete on world stages. Therefore, the future is bright for the industry.
Are you interested in finding out more about esports? Why not take a look at our Computing courses here at North Kent College.