Asia
How Esports is a real sport, and must not be clubbed with iGaming, Fantasy, or other gaming categories
The tremendous rise of competitive gaming is the greatest phenomenon of the 21st century. Once emerged as a hobby for many, competitive gaming gradually turned into a very professional and disciplined system.
Pandemic 2020 proved a significant year for Esports both in terms of increased engagement and its growing acceptance. With more time in hand being indoors, gaming became a viable option for entertainment. This amazing growth introduced competitive gaming to an entirely new breed of highly engaged audiences. Player participation in competitive gaming along with viewership for Esports events saw a significant spike.
As per statistics, Indian Esports accounted for around 4% of all online gaming users and 9.13% of aggregate revenue in FY20. In 2020, Esports viewership increased to 17 million and is projected to reach 85 million by 2025. India’s esports industry is set to quadruple in size to Rs 1,100 crore by 2025 from Rs 250 crore at present—clocking a compounded annual growth rate of 46%, according to an EY report.
Tarun Gupta, Founder, Ultimate Battle, which is India’s first-ever one-stop online esports platform, explained why Esports should not be clubbed in with iGaming, Fantasy, or other gaming categories.
Online Games are primarily divided into the following categories based on how the game is designed, the way the games are played, and the amount of skill required to play these games:
1. Card-based Games (ex. Poker, Rummy)
2. Casual Games (ex. Pool, Bubble shooting)
3. Fantasy Games (ex. Fantasy Cricket, Fantasy Football)
4. Esports (ex. DOTA 2, BGMI, VALORANT)
In India, people confuse esports with fantasy, rummy, or other casual games. There is no reason to associate these games with Esports. Esports is the organized form of video game competitions online and/or offline including video game genres of traditional sports, multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), real-time strategy (RTS), and fighting & first-person shooter (FPS) games.
Esports games are designed with high indulging competitive experience in mind. The games have various elements to them which not only make them sporting in nature but also open opportunities for gamers to learn about the game, grow and become the best at it and compete at a professional level.
Esports is a Real Sport, Here is Why:
When you think of sports, count the things that quickly come into your mind? It surely would be fierce competition, physical activity, fans, practice, and adrenaline rush, etc. Moreover, we think of an Esports player sitting at a desk and staring at a screen all the time. Though Esports may not involve the same level of physical activities as compared to sports like football, athletes do need enough physical stamina, motor skills, and reflex to control gaming devices and compete well with the gameplay.
The amount of effort, practice, and discipline required by professional esports athletes is comparable to many popular sports. Despite all the statistics and data showing the steep growth in Esports over the past few years, there is still a debate going on- “Whether Esports can be categorized as real sports or if it’s a sport at all.”
Global sporting authorities have now started recognizing Esports as a sport. Recently the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that eight games including FIFA, PUBG, and Dota 2 will be a part of the Asian Games 2022. To recall, Esports was a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta.
Let’s look into the similarities to traditional sports and find out why these similarities match up and make Esports a real sport all the way.
1. Game Mechanics
Game mechanics are the rules and set of methods that guide the gamer’s actions and interactions between the player and the game. The depth and dynamics of in-game mechanics for Esports game titles are just as vibrant as sports in their gameplay and strategic movements. Combining this with the depth of the game’s mechanics which keeps evolving makes Esports a top-notch sporting match. Esports players have to master the game’s mechanics and concentrate on learning and improving game-specific skills. These game mechanics help to make gaming an engaging and fun-filled experience.
2. Learning Curve of the Game
Like traditional sports, Esports has a steep learning curve that helps gamers become more proficient with the game and gain a deeper understanding of the game. The curve elevates further as the player progresses through the game. As difficulty levels add up further, gamers have to play with more refined gameplay strategies to fight and win. To succeed in Esports, you’ll have to be the best in terms of game skills along with team coordination, opponent research, critical thinking, and multi-tasking.
3. Physical prowess and Strategic Thinking
Dive deeper into Esports games and you will find both forms of sports have a lot in common. Throughout the game, Esport athletes are required to sustain high levels of attention to make important decisions under time pressure. This is also true in the case of athletes in Esports. Traditional sports require mostly athletic abilities and then strategies to make scores. Esports, on the other hand, requires players to have flash reflexes, an understanding of deep in-game mechanics as well as coping with changing dynamics of in-game strategies to be implemented during gameplay. Only the players with superb athletic ability and strategic understanding of games can coordinate to strike at the right time.
An esports gamer practices and hones their skills for hours in order to perfect their movements on the keyboard and mouse while simultaneously coordinating with teammates. The Esports athletes achieve up to 400 movements on the keyboard and the mouse per minute, four times as much as the average person. The whole thing is asymmetrical because both hands are being moved at the same time and various parts of the brain are also being used at the same time.
4. Practice and Training is essential
In terms of practice and training, Professional esports and traditional sports athletes share several common characteristics. Like traditional athletes, Esports professionals exhibit a commitment to excellence, perseverance, and a passion for their sport. Moreover, they both go through physical and mental training to fine-tune their athletic and gameplay abilities.
Esports athletes work hard to physically and mentally prepare themselves and practice for each competition that they are competing in.
Conclusion:
It requires rigorous training and efforts to become a professional Esports professional. Like other traditional sports, Esports athletes need to have qualities like concentration, precision, and execution that only come after the solid in-game experience. The government needs to take this into cognizance and bring Esports under the umbrella of policies and legislations of Sports.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a limited meeting which discussed the efforts taken to eradicate online gambling in the country on Thursday 18 April, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi, in his press statement after the limited meeting, said that the Government will form a task force to counter online gambling.
“It has been decided that within a week, we will formulate measures to form an integrated task force in order to eradicate online gambling,” Budi said.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology mentioned that forming a cross-ministries/institutions task force is aimed to handle online gambling more thoroughly, collaboratively and efficiently.
“Gambling is an illegal act based on regulations. So, we need to impose measures effectively to settle it,” Budi stated, adding that his ministry will focus on handling online gambling websites and contents, while the law enforcement officers will enforce the law.
“Our authority is only to take down the websites, while the Financial Services Authority (OJK) blocks their financial accounts, and then followed by law enforcement officers, police officers, and the public prosecution service officers,” he remarked.
Similarly, OJK’s Chairperson of Commissioner Board Mahendra Siregar also highlighted the importance of holistic measures in eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.
“Some online gambling activities are not conducted in Indonesia, some are cross-borders, some do not use bank accounts, some needs to be tracked and traced through bank accounts, including transfers and so on. So, the next layers must also be addressed, and that way it leaves no empty rooms,” Mahendra explained.
Mahendra said that according to the institution’s authority, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, OJK has blocked around 5000 bank accounts that indicate its relation to online gambling.
“So far, we have cooperated closely with Communications and Information Technology Ministry. So, if we receive a list of bank accounts suspected to be used or are being used in online gambling activities, we immediately block them, and it has reached up to 5000 bank accounts,” Mahendra mentioned.
The post Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Chinese Men’s Professional Basketball League (CBA League) and Sportradar announced a strategic extension of their partnership aimed at growing the league’s global presence and ensuring integrity within Chinese basketball.
This extension will leverage Sportradar’s expansive network to distribute more than 550 games, including highlights and short form video, through the regular and post-season. Through international broadcast and audio-visual distribution channels, including leading broadcasters, streaming services and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, the collaboration seeks to enhance fan engagement and broaden the league’s viewership in international markets.
CBA League will also continue to receive Sportradar’s market-leading integrity services, with its suite of technological solutions and products deployed to safeguard CBA League competitions against a range of integrity threats.
Shirley Lv, who led the broadcast rights negotiation at CBA League, said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Sportradar and believe it will provide enriched possibilities and further awareness for CBA League, given the company’s extensive experience and recent track record. By building up opportunities globally in this long-term partnership, we look forward to developing the continued growth of the CBA League and reaching out to new audiences around the world.”
Ben Turner, Head of Sports Content and Partnerships, APAC and Head of Global Basketball, Sportradar said: “Sportradar is the unparalleled partner to propel CBA League towards previously untapped levels of global visibility. Basketball is one of only a few sports with significant global appeal, and Sportradar is committed to maximizing this potential for both the CBA League and our clients. Together, we will continue to unlock immense value through our content offering, fostering growth and engagements across diverse markets.”
The 2023/24 season is the CBA league’s 29th edition, with 20 teams vying for top honours.
The post China’s CBA League Extends Global Broadcast and Integrity Partnership with Sportradar appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
- Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, Founder & CEO of 8Bit Creatives and Co-Founder of S8UL
Mr Animesh Agarwal is the Founder, and CEO of 8Bit Creatives, India’s leading Esports consulting and talent management agency. He is also the founder of S8UL, a hub of gaming content and Esports. S8UL is the parent org of IQOO SOUL, the leading Esports organization in India.
S8UL is the only Indian Esports organization to win at the global Esports Awards and has done so multiple times by securing the prestigious ‘Esports Content Creator of the Year’ recently. Having also won the inaugural ‘Global Impact on Mobile Gaming’ award at the MOBIES earlier this year, the organization has elevated the stature of Indian Esports worldwide. Moreover, team SOUL has also roped in iQOO as its exclusive title sponsor, marking the first time that an Esports organization in the country secured a high-profile title sponsorship with a mobile manufacturer that extends beyond individual tournaments.
Animesh dons several hats as an entrepreneur, an ex-pro gamer, a monster energy Esports athlete, a gaming & luxury lifestyle content creator, and a pioneer in the Indian Gaming Industry. He has a deep understanding of the industry and is dedicated to shaping the Esports and gaming industry in India. He has partnered with other industry front runners like Nodwin Gaming & LOCO to make substantial strides in advancing gaming & Esports in India.
His Company, 8Bit Creatives is equally making remarkable milestones in the business of content creation and brand collaborations around gaming and esports. With some of India’s top gaming talents in their line-up and backed with experience and exposure of collaborating and curating campaigns with 100+ top-notch brands like Netflix, Coca-cola, Reliance Digital, Mx Players, OnePlus, Realme Narzo, Flipkart, Airtel, and many others; 8Bit Creatives boasts of managing popular and renowned gaming content creators and influencers- Mortal, Scout, Mavi, Snax, Thug, Payal, Kaashvi, 8bit Goldy, 8bit Sid to name a few.
- Naman Mathur aka Mortal, Co-Founder of S8UL
Naman Mathur, popularly known as Mortal, is a prominent figure in the Indian Esports community and the Co-Founder and CMO of S8UL Esports. Known for his exceptional gaming skills and influential presence, Naman has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of Indian Esports. His achievements both as an Esports athlete and a gaming creator have earned him global recognition, cementing him as the face of Indian Esports.
Naman holds the distinction of being the only Indian Esports athlete nominated four times in the prestigious global Esports Awards. The 26-year-old clinched the runner-up in the ‘Esports Personality of the Year’ category in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, following his previous nomination for the ‘Streamer of the Year’ category in 2020 and 2021 where he secured the second position on both occasions.
As an Esports athlete, the Mumbai-born gamer has won notable tournaments including the BMPS Season 1 (2022), PUBG: Mobile Club Open, and PUBG Mobile India Series (2019) while also representing India on the international stage. Acknowledged for his exceptional gaming content, Naman was honored with the ‘Best Gaming Influencer’ at the Impact Digital Influencer Awards last year.
With an impressive following of 7 million subscribers on YouTube and over 5.3 million followers on Instagram, Naman’s influence transcends his gaming prowess, as he has played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Indian Esports on a global scale.
- Payal Dhare aka PayalGaming, India’s leading female gamer who is part of 8Bit Creatives
Payal Dhare, hailing from the small city of Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, defied societal stereotypes from an early age and embarked on a journey as a gamer. It all began when her cousin brothers introduced her to the world of video games.
While Payal’s father provided unwavering support, her mother initially shared the concerns for her future. However, Payal’s determination and passion gradually changed her mother’s perspective. As a result, her mother now stands as a proud supporter of Payal’s achievements.
Payal commenced her career as a hardcore content creator. Although her first video on YouTube did not feature gameplay, it served as a significant starting point for her. Unlike aspiring lifestyle influencers, Payal’s primary focus was to connect with her audience through gaming. She aimed to have fun while playing games and involve more people in the process. Payal believed that competitiveness was not always necessary when engaging in video games.
By breaking stereotypes and pursuing her passion, Payal Dhare has become an inspiration for aspiring gamers, content creators, and individuals seeking to challenge societal norms. With over 3.1 million followers on Instagram and 3.69 million subscribers on YouTube, her journey exemplifies the importance of following one’s dreams, even in the face of adversity.
- Tirth Mehta, Bronze medal winner in Hearthstone at Asian Games 2018
Tirth Mehta, a 28-year-old lad from the sleepy town of Bhuj in Gujarat’s Kutch district won the bronze medal in Hearthstone — a popular online digital collectible card game — at the Esports demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games. Hearthstone, developed and published by American video game company, Blizzard Entertainment, has garnered huge interest among online gamers from across Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, besides India. The game is a combination of chess and poker, requiring players to have core skills in maths and probability.
The post Profiles of Animesh Agarwal, Naman Mathur, Payal Dhare and Tirth Mehta appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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