According to Peter Warman, CEO of eSports analyst Newzoo, it is estimated that about 160 million people currently watch eSports on a regular basis, and about the same number of viewers watch major championship games. This puts eSports on par with some medium-sized hobbies. Esports are once again becoming clear that technology is changing the way we enjoy and interact with your favorite games, and the eSports phenomenon isn`t slowing down. Recently, Louis Vuitton announced a strategic partnership with Riot Games during the World Cup in Paris. And while this may seem like an inappropriate partnership, it has been reported that Louis Vuitton experienced a huge social commitment after the championship when the championship trophy was held in a Louis Vuitton case. Imagine that for a moment. One of the world`s most valuable luxury brands sees value in esports. This study flies in the face of the deterministic view that professional play should be built as a sport (Taylor, 2012; Voorhees, 2015). The stereotypical male player is examined in relation to user representations created for eSports; i.e. athletic masculinity and geek technology users. How does this relate to the individual`s performance in terms of gender, work and sport? Using a framework of game studies and scientific and technological studies, 10 women and men involved in esports were interviewed. Regardless of gender, competition was a great motivation to develop skills in the professional game.
People in eSports consider gambling primarily to be fun. They generally refer to their “day jobs” and possible future careers that arise from university studies. It has been found that those who have played organized sports in the past are more likely to accept the athlete label. Discussions about the toxic environment in esports have been explicit with female players, but only implicitly with men. Women in the lower ranks confirmed that it is ubiquitous, and two strategies for dealing with it were mentioned; Ignore and disable voice chat to silence toxic players or confront and retaliate. Men implicitly spoke of hostility between competitors and the need to quickly acquire skills to overcome them. The question is, what makes eSports so popular? For gaming enthusiasts, eSports offer the opportunity to see the benefits in action and appreciate them not only for their skills, but also to collect tips and tricks for games. What`s more, just like observers of traditional professional sports, whether it`s basketball, tennis, or baseball, eSports fans can enjoy the beauty and mastery of the game without being a gamer themselves. Replace the image of casino legend Benny Binion riding his horse to start the rodeo with Matt Maddox playing esports superstar Ninja in a Fortnite friendly match, and we`re talking about national news on the front page. Although there are a dozen operators accepting eSports betting in Europe, we can count the number of events where American sports betting has taken bets on both hands.
Is it because the market does not exist in the United States or because sports betting has not figured out how to market to that audience? Recently, the ability to play and master video games has led to the professionalization of the activity in the form of “eSports”. The objective of this article was to review the main topics of psychological interest on eSports and then examine the similarities between eSports and professional and problem gaming. Following a systematic review of the literature, eight studies were identified that examined three topics: (1) the process of becoming an esports player, (2) characteristics of esports players such as mental abilities and motivations, and (3) motivation of esports viewers. These results draw attention to the new field of research of professional video games and give a first insight into the psychology of eSportsmen. The article also explores the similarities between esports players and professional players (and poker players in particular). It is suggested that future research should focus on the psychological vulnerability of esports players, as some studies have begun to investigate the difference between problem and professional gambling, which could shed light on whether playing eSports could also be potentially problematic for some gamers. It is estimated that currently more than 300 million people worldwide watch eSports. It is also estimated that this number will reach 500 or 600 million by 2020. In 2016, investment bank Goldman Sachs estimated the eSports market at $500 million, and the company expects that valuation to reach more than $1 billion by 2020. If we apply the same strategy to eSports, we will see success. It is the operator that makes a deal with Twitch that has the greatest advantage. Today, there are no less than a dozen international sports bets that accept bets on eSports games and tournaments, and many that now accept bets on Twitch streamers.
If this is not proof enough that there is a growing audience of eSports bettors, then the fact that the Twitch platform itself has recently (November 2020) introduced a feature that looks and smells a lot like the game should surely grab your attention. When thinking about how to monetize eSports, it`s best to think of eSports first as another sport. Then we can see a clear path forward: tested, trustworthy and proven. With a loyal, fanatical and large following, eSports have complemented and, in many cases, replaced traditional sports fans. Esports fans spend time, money, and bets on their favorite teams and players, just like traditional sports fans.
