Esports is the competitive gaming of video games. Various types of esports have emerged. These include CS:GO, the Counter-Strike series, and the Madden franchise. However, the emergence of esports is causing concerns about its viability. Here are some factors to consider before you take part in these events.
CS:GO
CS:GO is one of the most popular esports games today. It boasts a robust competitive ecosystem, with three tournaments running daily throughout the year. As such, it has a wide following of casual fans and hardcore CS:GO players. However, CS:GO has been plagued by several controversies and mishaps throughout its life.
The top teams in CS:GO can earn millions of dollars. During some seasons, Astralis has earned over $5 million. This is despite not playing as many tournaments as other groups. These top teams typically play between 100 to 200 matches a year. However, smaller teams such as Natus Vincere are giving the big boys a run for their money.
Counter-Strike series
Counter-Strike is an incredibly popular game that is played around the world. Its players are professional athletes that have huge fan bases. These fans often go to live events, buy branded merchandise, and donate to the players’ online accounts. Pro players can amass millions of followers and hundreds of millions of views. Despite its popularity, Counter-Strike has been hit by controversy.
Founded in 1999, the Counter-Strike franchise has grown rapidly thanks to community-led development and its core gameplay. The game is a fast-paced first-person shooter, with players dividing into teams of five. In a typical match, the goal is to kill as many opposing team members as possible, plant a bomb, or blow up the defense team’s base. Players also purchase new weapons at the start of each round, making teamwork crucial.
Madden franchise
Madden franchise esports are growing fast. The game is popular with fans of sports and has a global following. EA, the publisher of the popular franchise, has seen sales increase double digits in 2019 and will likely see further increases in 2020. The first quarter of fiscal 2020 saw sales rise 12% while the second quarter saw an increase of 20%. This growth was largely due to increased number of users.
EA also announced a change to Madden 20 Franchise Mode, which was widely criticized by fans. The new Franchise mode is called Face of the Franchise, and offers a more interactive experience. The new mode has elements similar to The Journey in recent Fifa games.
Threat of becoming obsolete
Despite the growing popularity of esports, the industry is facing several challenges. The biggest hurdle is the lack of infrastructure. Despite the increasing demand, few esports developers have put in the effort to establish serious infrastructure on the African continent. This makes it impossible for a whole swath of the globe to compete in esports. For example, Riot Games has yet to set up an African server, saying that there is not enough demand to warrant a server in the continent. Instead, players in Africa have to connect to European and North American servers. As a result, they experience high latency, making them ineffective for competitive gaming.
Esports also face a potential threat of becoming obsolete. Fortunately, there is a growing esports audience that is more sophisticated than average. These people are both technologically sophisticated and have higher incomes than average. The esports industry is growing rapidly, reaching a value of 1.13 billion dollars in 2017 and 1.24 billion dollars in 2018, which is a 9.7% increase compared to the previous year.
Distribution of games
While eSports have gained widespread popularity in recent years, the most common distribution channels still involve television. While eSports have taken a while to reach sufficient numbers, many of the major television channels are now starting to broadcast games. Pay per view events are also popular in traditional sports.
Esports broadcasting offers many opportunities for media technology companies. The growing popularity of these games has attracted new sponsors including major media companies and Fortune 500 companies. But it is not without its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is prize payments.
