It is really interesting to see how strategy games, MOBAs, and fighters have become a legitimate sport in America. Anyone with their palms remotely near the heartbeat of gaming understands why eSports have blown up in popularity in america over the last few years. With tens of thousands of gamers competing and countless watching, the occurrence has come a substantial way in a very brief period of time. More than ever before, players are thinking about pro gaming as a valid career, particularly in the U.S. Professional gaming isn't exactly new. Gamers have been making a living off their abilities since the late 90s, but not even coming close to the scale that we see today.
However it was when Blizzard Entertainment published StarCraft II in 2010 which eSports in America actually seemed to blossom into the exceptionally successful spectator sport it became today. Major League Gaming, or MLG, became the most esteemed eSports association on earth, and is among the true leaders of eSports in the US. When MLG began in 2002 the goal had been to supply people who had a desire for video game contest the capability to participate and spectate, clarified Sundance DiGiovanni, Co Founder and Chief executive officer of Major League Gaming.
Over 10 years later, MLG is still flourishing, offering tens of thousand of dollars in prizes to professional players via on-line and live events. According to MLG, more than 11.7 million distinctive Viewers tuned in to see the four 2012 MLG Pro Circuit Championship events online, compared to 3.5 million viewers in 2011. An impressive 334% increase. The rapid increase in viewers Is fairly awesome, but MLG is not that the only organization getting in on that the action. Other big leagues and tournaments have begun popping up stateside as well. The Evolution Championship Series, or EVO, is that the most outstanding fighting game tournament in the world.
Shortly after that the event was put on by Shoryuken.com and was held in in Las Vegas, drawing a record breaking 1.7 million distinctive on-line viewers. Professional players from around the globe competed at the event, which was attended by thousands. It's not only the big associations like MLG and EVO putting on these events from America, but the programmers of those eSports titles have started hosting their very own massive tournaments and leagues in that the states as well. Blizzard hosts the StarCraft II World Championship Series, or WCS, which had a $1.6 million series which spread through 13 events. The tournament includes players from all over the globe, and the Championships are most commonly being held in California during BlizzCon. Riot Games, developer of the enormously popular League of Legends, also hosts their very own tournament league, The League Championship Series, or LCS.
These are some highlights up until now to showcase the development of eSports. What are your thoughts on the development so far, as well as where eSports will be in 10 years? Looking forward to read your comments!
-LochFlush