In the meantime, every second German has already heard the term eSport. This refers to professional video players who often compete against other video players in international competitions. The days when playing computer or console video games was a niche topic are long gone. For large publishers and game developers, eSport has developed into a real marketing instrument to gain additional publicity and worldwide recognition.
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Professional competitions in eSport outside classical sports
A common understanding problem with eSport is that it is no longer just sports games that are used for competitions. Contrary to what the term suggests, computer and console video games from various genres can be used for eSport events in professional competitions. Of course, there are also eSport competitions for classic sports such as football or basketball. Everyone should be familiar with FIFA or NBA. This is probably the best known football and basketball game in the video game industry. But this is no longer the only genre in which eSports events are held.
Blizzard as Examples of Successful Marketing in eSports
The computer game developer and publisher Blizzard has been leading the way for years. The most popular eSports games today are called “Overwatch” “Hearthstone” or “Heroes often he Storm”. Under the term Blizzard eSports, twelve different tournament events are currently marketed. Blizzard even has its own Blizzard Arena to host the tournaments. In Los Angeles and Taipei, Blizzard chose two locations in the U.S. and China to provide players with multiple venues worldwide. With BlizzCon, Blizzard has even established its own computer games fair, where eSport meets Cosplay. It’s more than a typical meet and greet, it’s a global marketing and PR event for the company.
Virtual racing events are also at home in eSport
The brand Need for Speed of the publisher Electronic Arts, also known as EA, is one of the most famous racing games worldwide. The mass phenomenon Rocket League, in which a comparatively simple racing game meets football, has also become part of eSport and is played by players worldwide as an addictive break game. A special feature here is the principle that the game rules and controls are relatively simple, but it is difficult to master them perfectly. True to the English motto “Easy to learn, hard to master”, the best players worldwide are represented at the eSport events, against whom beginners won’t have the slightest chance.
First-person shooters have been used for eSports for years
For years, first-person shooters have been among the fixed fixtures of recurring game series in the gaming industry. Microsoft’s Halo on the XBOX console is the biggest figurehead, while Killzone on the Playstation defines the genre. As multiplatform titles on consoles and PCs, the video game series Call of Duty by the American publisher Activision and Battlefield by Electronic Arts have become indispensable and are supplied with new titles almost every year. Especially Call of Duty, which exists as a series since 2003 and has received another offshoot in 2017, is one of the most played titles at eSport Events. Source: https://www.esports.net/
What makes a video game an eSport title?
This is possible with a lot of video games, but it works differently and therefore some titles are better than others. There are also video games that were designed exclusively for single players and therefore no longer apply. For example, it wouldn’t be possible to compete against others in a point-and-click adventure. Many adventure or RPG games are still programmed exclusively for single players. There are also many titles where a multiplayer mode exists, but this is rather a modest accessory. Only titles that focus on multiplayer are predestined for eSports events. This includes the already mentioned game “Rocket League”, which is designed with a simple game principle for local as well as online multiplayers from 2 against 2 to 5 against 5. The title was originally a download-only title, became a sales success and is now also available in physical form for consoles and PCs. An eSport title is usually also provided with numerous updates and innovations and thus remains interesting for old as well as new players over a longer period of time.