The rise in popularity of the esports industry has put it on par with other well-established entertainment industries.
As long as humans have existed so to has entertainment, be it from books, theatre or gaming and sports. Entertainment takes on many forms and with the evolution of technology, our tastes have changed. Now we don’t just read books, we listen to them, video killed the radio star, and video games are outselling films.
While video games have been around for some time, its once niche audience has expanded. Because of this growth, we are seeing other forms of entertainment stem from the industry. The esports space takes gaming and turns it into a competitive gaming space. Despite some economic difficulties for the industry, we could potentially see the esports industry be neck to neck with the traditional entertainment industry. Why? Because it’s impactful.
Gaming and esports
It’s called esports for a reason because it closely resembles the themes we follow through other sporting events. Sometimes we have favourite teams and watching them win or lose feels personal, we root for them and suffer the pang of disappointment when they don’t perform well. Before the internet, sports existed as a mode of immersive entertainment. The viewer experience has curated an over $500 billion industry in 2023, which continues to grow. We could see esports follow the same trajectory and become one of the biggest entertainment industries.
In 2021, there were an estimated 234 million esports enthusiasts. This growth among youngsters attracts brands to kick-start their esports organisations, ultimately expanding the industry. Many traditional sports teams have already entered gaming, PSG, Beskitas, and Ellevens esports are examples of this. Esports has grown so much that students can even study it at college or university and certain governments are making sure they invest in the space.
If the growth of the esports industry continues, it could break away from the typical entertainment industry and create a huge fan base and following. In 2023, movies, podcasts, and similar entertainment sectors are thriving, but big industry players enter sports to make money. Esports is attempting to walk the path which sets it apart from other traditional media forms.
Immersive entertainment
Another way that esports sets itself apart from traditional TV is that it engages the viewer. Similar to other sporting events fan rivalries exist and having access to playing the same game you are actually watching changes the viewer experience. While watching a movie may be an experience that stays with you for some time, sports are often able to truly make us remember a moment. If your team in the World Cup misses a penalty that sends them home, the moment sticks. Similarly, with esports, fans can be full of adrenaline watching their favourite player.
Unlike other media, in gaming, the creators are constantly updating the game. Riot‘s method, with its gaming titles, is an example of this. Besides rolling out consistent content updates in new games like the recent League of Legends season 13, it’s deploying other entertainment methods in Valorant to keep the fans hooked.
The esports industry has tons of room to grow and could reach huge potential. It’s naturally a cutting-edge industry that uses computers, AI and more to curate the best gaming experience. Moreover, it’s an industry that is expected to grow as our technology improves. The esports industry has captured the hearts of many and with a younger generation that looks toward a future in professional games, we could see the industry grow to heights that bring it closer to other big sporting events.
Paige Cook is a writer with a multi-media background. She has experience covering video games and technology and also has freelance experience in video editing, graphic design, and photography. Paige is a massive fan of the movie industry and loves a good TV show, if she is not watching something interesting then she's probably playing video games or buried in a good book. Her latest addiction is virtual photography and currently spends far too much time taking pretty pictures in games rather than actually finishing them.
