Esports Is The New College Football

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rgMekanic

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An article on Forbes from Neal Robinson (formerly of AMD) says the esports is the new college football. Esports is now making it's way into the college sports arena, with many collegiate teams being developed, and even a National Association of Collegiate esports, consisting of 45 schools, and students getting scholarships for esports prowess. According to one source esports had almost $700 million in revenue in 2017, with an audience of nearly 400 million.

It's amazing how much competitive gaming has grown. I remember years upon years ago I played in competitive Medal of Honor: Allied Assault leagues, it was amazed groups like the OGL could even get anything organized back then.

The question is, now that they are sharing space with athletics and sports programs in colleges, where do they stand? For now, the scholarship amounts themselves serve as a good benchmark. While video games are getting more viewership from the 18-25 age demographic in the U.S. than the NBA Finals or the World Series, the scholarships are nowhere in the ballpark of those given to college sports. The highest scholarship figures top out around the $20K mark, while most tend to hover much lower around $2-5K.
 
I think it is weird calling it a sport. Like poker and golf. The definition says physical and skill. Not a whole lot of physical work being done, just skill.

I know my son loves it and hopes to become a trainer after he is done playing. You don't see any old people playing so the demographic sounds right.
 
It will be a while until ticket sales for esports usurp those for regular events. This is the reason I don't see them as a direct competitor to college or professional sports,but more of a partner. Imagine half the population likes sports, well the other half has to do something , might as well watch esports( or engage in something similar).
 
Nunu said:
It will be a while until ticket sales for esports usurp those for regular events. This is the reason I don't see them as a direct competitor to college or professional sports,but more of a partner. Imagine half the population likes sports, well the other half has to do something , might as well watch esports( or engage in something similar).
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the numbers for major events already rival some major sports.

CptCabbit said:
The term "esport" needs to die in a fire. Call it competitive videogaming or something. Anything.
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Too late, it's stuck. Continuing to moan about it just makes you come off as old and crochety.
 
If there are no political protests during e-sports, then I'd rather watch them than the old caveman sports.
 
pcgeekesq said:
If there are no political protests during e-sports, then I'd rather watch them than the old caveman sports.
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Oh just give it time Bro! eSports will be turn your mouse over or flip your keyboard over or stickers on your headsets. #IntelInside
 
Really glad that colleges are moving to something that's so much better at teaching life lessons. For example sportsmanship, if you get beat:

Football - Accept you were defeated and work hard to achieve victory the next time round.

Video Games - Fuck that guy he's probably hacking.
 
U-238 said:
Really glad that colleges are moving to something that's so much better at teaching life lessons. For example sportsmanship, if you get beat:

Football - Accept you were defeated and work hard to achieve victory the next time round.

Video Games - Fuck that guy he's probably hacking.
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That is a bit harder to do at tournaments.
 
My interest in any sports outside of AMA Superbike/Motoamerica or Hockey is about 0.
E-sports? I don't even like multiplayer games...I'd honestly rather be playing than watching.

What I find really interesting is watching the KTM RC390s in person. You watch some guy in full body armor cut the inside of a corner dragging a knee to win & then when he takes off his helmet to get interviewed he isn't old enough to have facial hair yet :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
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pcgeekesq said:
If there are no political protests during e-sports, then I'd rather watch them than the old caveman sports.
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Man the right for people to protest just seems to have disappeared. Put your big boy pants on and ignore it and enjoy entertainment you enjoy.
 
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DF-1 said:
i absolutely hate those stupid sounding headlines

"rgMekanic is the new megalith"

also: fuck esports.
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You know that's the headline of the actual article, right? rgMekanic didn't come up with it.

But agreed, fuck esports. I mean sure, a league and a career around it are fine. But a scholarship? That's a bit far.
 
haste. said:
Man the right for people to protest just seems to have disappeared. Put your big boy pants on and ignore it and enjoy entertainment you enjoy.
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How about you put your load back in your diaper and learn to read. I just choose not to watch them protest, that's all I said. Or don't I have that right?
 
pcgeekesq said:
How about you put your load back in your diaper and learn to read. I just choose not to watch them protest, that's all I said. Or don't I have that right?
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Hmm? You who complain about the protests are so sensitive it seems. You were making an obvious statement and you have every right too. But if a handful of people protesting gets you so hot and bothered you have to post about it on an unrelated thread there is obviously something going on. My point was ignore it and enjoy entertainment if you like it... but it's evident they got to you! Btw cave man sports referencing the big two- nba and NFL? Just curious... cause...
 
rgMekanic said:
An article on Forbes from Neal Robinson (formerly of AMD) says the esports is the new college football. Esports is now making it's way into the college sports arena, with many collegiate teams being developed, and even a National Association of Collegiate esports, consisting of 45 schools, and students getting scholarships for esports prowess. According to one source esports had almost $700 million in revenue in 2017, with an audience of nearly 400 million.

It's amazing how much competitive gaming has grown. I remember years upon years ago I played in competitive Medal of Honor: Allied Assault leagues, it was amazed groups like the OGL could even get anything organized back then.

The question is, now that they are sharing space with athletics and sports programs in colleges, where do they stand? For now, the scholarship amounts themselves serve as a good benchmark. While video games are getting more viewership from the 18-25 age demographic in the U.S. than the NBA Finals or the World Series, the scholarships are nowhere in the ballpark of those given to college sports. The highest scholarship figures top out around the $20K mark, while most tend to hover much lower around $2-5K.
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700 million in revenue... LOL. Look at college football revenues, and keep in mind, that is 100% from USA alone.

esports revenue in USA is much smaller than Asia
 
haste. said:
Hmm? You who complain about the protests are so sensitive it seems. You were making an obvious statement and you have every right too. But if a handful of people protesting gets you so hot and bothered you have to post about it on an unrelated thread there is obviously something going on. My point was ignore it and enjoy entertainment if you like it... but it's evident they got to you! Btw cave man sports referencing the big two- nba and NFL? Just curious... cause...
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My "obvious statement" was "If there are no political protests during e-sports, then I'd rather watch them than the old caveman sports."

You snowflaked that into an assault of the precious right of millionaire knuckle-draggers to prove themselves idiots at entertainment events they are paid to perform at.
We'll never know if you did that because you were triggered, not very bright, dishonest, trolling, or some combination thereof.

And I haven't watched caveman sports in at least seven years, not even highlights. They bore me.
I'd rather watch ballet, what those dancers can do is unbelievable, and the ballet company we have here in Arizona is one of the nation's best.
 
DF-1 said:
i absolutely hate those stupid sounding headlines[...]
also: fuck esports.
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Meh. Tell me why esports are worse than traditional sports. I don't participate in either, I have no vested interest.

esports: bunch of kids to (if they're lucky) 30-somes playing a game you can't easily break into that requires very domain specific knowledge and prolonged exposure/experience. The field has widened from difficult to understand games like StarCraft to easier to understand MOBAs, becoming more accessible.

What is so bad about that? That they don't show physical strength?

It's an emerging market and we don't know if it'll make it big. It's certainly widened its footprint, but looking at traditional sports, nowhere near.

Why can't there be something new? Do we have to play football forever and have people with brain injuries just so we can be happy they are physically engaging?

And fuck, where is the god damn American spirit? Huh? Something exciting and new, digital and worldwide? "Let's squash it cause not hurr durr physical"? I say fuck that, I say if it is strong, invest in it, make it ours. Make money.
 
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Think of esports as a term like saying golf. The reason the term sticks is because really its the best way to put it. If you say something more specific it can get wordy. If you say something to specific like CSGO then it gets too specific. Computer gaming constantly changes so you cant say anything to specific, 10 years ago I don't think something like competitive hearthstone would have been something I saw coming. Same with MoBas, we just cant know what new twist on video gaming will end up being the next big hit with a competitive scene. So esports becomes a great catch all that very succinctly tells you exactly what is going on without being so specific we have to reinvent the term every time a new genre hits.
 
eSport, ePenis. All the same damn thing. There is no sport in eSport. Show me where they work their cardio or muscles. Oh, maybe they do while they whack off to some chick toon on Overwatch...
 
Lol some salty people in here.

Wish this was a thing back in my younger years. TA, Q3 Rocket Arena, Team Fortress, Weapons Factory or Action Quake... even break out some broken Codename Eagle...
 
Do they get called sportsmen and woman? I refuse that. I had to work hard for on field abilities and to get some salty kid with macros raging is insulting at best.
 
Boy we've come a long way from having to start a club in college and going through the process or trying to book a room big enough to hold 30 people and their computers... with enough power and daisy-chained power strips to hopefully not blow a circuit or start a small fire. Ahh... memories of hauling around your prized 21" CRT - playing the original Halo and CS:S and feeling pretty awesome that you just got Bawls to sponsor the club.

Now the school itself is organizing this... letting interested students use high-powered lab computers...and potentially while having some fun times might get some college paid for? Man. Kids got it easy nowadays. Totally reminds me of The Far-Side comic of "Hopeful Parents" (crap.. from the late 80ies, early 90ies?) where companies were looking to pay people who can play video games. A long way indeed!
 
Hakaba said:
Too late, it's stuck. Continuing to moan about it just makes you come off as old and crochety.
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Not really no. Esports IN ITS ENTIRETY is stupid. There is nothing 'old and crotchety' about it. I will never understand the desire to watch rather than do.
 
Spire3660 said:
Not really no. Esports IN ITS ENTIRETY is stupid. There is nothing 'old and crotchety' about it. I will never understand the desire to watch rather than do.
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So ALL sports are stupid to you then.

I don't know, I like watching a display of levels of skill I could never obtain without entirely dedicating myself to it, and then would still fail because I'm too old.

Is all entertainment stupid?
 
Hakaba said:
Lol some salty people in here.

Wish this was a thing back in my younger years. TA, Q3 Rocket Arena, Team Fortress, Weapons Factory or Action Quake... even break out some broken Codename Eagle...
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I could have been a professional gamer had this been around 20 years ago. I can still hang with all the young whipper snappers though.
 
I wish this was around when I was in school. Several colleges had intermural video game competitions (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Cyberball, NBA Jam, Madden, etc.) but it was all just random fun.

I enjoy watching competitive gaming. At least I enjoy fighting and sports games. They're easy enough to follow if you've played them, and the commentators are often good enough to fill in the blanks when something is more complex than it appears.
 
lollerwaffle said:
So ALL sports are stupid to you then.

I don't know, I like watching a display of levels of skill I could never obtain without entirely dedicating myself to it, and then would still fail because I'm too old.

Is all entertainment stupid?
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To me, entertainment is doing, not watching. That is really all there is to it. I have competed at the global level, there is little fun to be had there. There is nothing fun about competition at the pro level. (unless you are like John Daly and insanely talented)
 
so how long till we start seeing stories of parents ruining the fun of their kids gaming because now its a sport and they have to train..train..train..
 
If one becomes less healthly by doing it, I'm pretty sure its not a "sport".
As far as scholarships go, wouldn't that money be better spent on low-income students with excellent grades?
 
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