Why are ESports a worldwide phenomenon for young people?

A group of warriors is fighting a white dragon with magic spells, weapons, and melee attacks. Their goal is to defeat it and then annihilate their opponents to win victory.

The battle takes place in a virtual world known as “Summoner’s Rift” which forms part of the video game League of Legends (LoL), in which thousands of users square up to each other online every day.

Besides League of Legends, games such as Dota 2, StarCraft, Warcraft, or Fifa, to name a few, inspire such interest that they have begun to generate international competitions, known as eSports.

This is a global phenomenon. Last year, the League of Legends world final was held in South Korea and reached an audience of more than 200 million simultaneous spectators.

This figure surpassed the number of people following the Super Bowl this year (98 million spectators).

Jesús Martín, Director of Marketing Services at Tec de Monterrey, believes that eSports are becoming a global trend due to an alignment with a new society that’s immersed in electronic devices.

“They’re a global phenomenon due to a series of elements that really resonate with new generations: there’s an aspect of socialization, as they redefine the way in which people observe and play with others.

“Accessibility is also important, because anyone can dream of becoming an eSports professional from home, as is democratization, because the fans create their own communities and tournaments,” he explains.

What’s more, he believes they’re highly aspirational, due to the prizes on offer (some can pay out up to 20 million dollars for the final, depending on the competition).

Martín predicts that the popularity of eSports will continue to rise in line with the development of new technologies such as virtual reality.

“In future, you won’t have to be in front of a screen in order to play,” he foresees.

ARE ESPORTS A REAL SPORT?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) now considers them to be “a sporting activity” that attracts a lot of “attention from young people”.

What’s more, it recognizes that this requires intensive training at a high level, just like traditional sports, although the jury is still out as to whether it can now be considered a sport or not.

However, they’re beginning to gain ground with several international organizations, including universities, and are beginning to receive formal acceptance.

At Tec de Monterrey for instance, eSports are already an official recreational sport on campus and an official internal tournament: the Borregos (Rams) eSports Cup began last year.

Óscar López, National Athletics and Sports Director at the Tec, believes that these electronic competitions offer young people the chance to develop skills and values, such as teamwork and self-confidence.

“They have rules and obligations that the teams must respect. Participants also need a lot of concentration and strategy,” says Alejandra Delgado, Athletics and Sports Coordinator.

The first official inter-university tournament for eSports is currently underway, run by the National Student Sports Commission for Private Institutions (Comisión Nacional Deportiva Estudiantil de Instituciones Privadas, CONADEIP) and hosted by the Guadalajara campus of Tec de Monterrey.

Emilio Altamirano, who’s studying law at Tec Guadalajara and is captain of the Zaga Talent team taking part in the inter-university tournament, also gives his opinion on the sport’s growth.

“I used to think that video games were for kids, but when you realize that NBA players are investing in them or there are entrepreneurs from Shark Tank involved, people open their eyes and see the opportunities.”

For now, he and his teammates are trying to concentrate on winning on the virtual pitch to get the trophy (which is a physical one), to become national university champions in this new discipline.

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