e sports essay

Esports Part 1: What are Esports?

This is part 1 of a 4 part series on Esports.

Most people recognize the names Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Tom Brady, figures often seen as the faces of their respective sports. Names like Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok, Luka “Perkz” Perković, and Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang may not have quite the same recognition yet, but these athletes are also becoming global superstars.

Faker, Perkz, and Doinb are all professional players of the world’s most popular computer-based video game: League of Legends. League is one of many games that host competitions of increasing fanfare and popularity, part of the rapidly expanding genre of electronic sports.

Esports, as they are most commonly called, are in an international gray area. Their enormous popularity—some events routinely draw more than a million concurrent viewers— make esport athletes attractive options for lucrative corporate sponsorships, but the fluidity of esports over international boundaries and lack of defined rules make them incredibly complex. This four-part article will seek to explain the global phenomenon of esports, provide a comprehensive view into their functionality and practicality, and outline why they ought to be considered an integral, albeit turbulent, part of our constantly changing internet culture. The article series will dive into the unique challenges everyone—players, governments, teams, franchises, corporate sponsors, and fans—face when engaging with esports. This part will introduce the reader to the general structures behind video gaming and esports.

Simply put, esports are video games that are played in a highly organized competitive environment. These games can range from popular, team-oriented multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), to single player first person shooters, to survival battle royales, to virtual reconstructions of physical sports.

The rise in this genre of video games comes as the young adult demographic has started to create and control a host of new cultural trends. Specifically essential in this transformation is an evolution of young adults’ fundamental relationship with sports. Viewership of traditional sports is declining , while that of esports is skyrocketing . The boom is so significant that almost every major popular video game on the market currently has some type of pseudo-professional circuit (yes, even Farming Simulator 2019 ).

How did this transformation begin? The story begins in South Korea during the early 2000s. The South Korean government, in an attempt to soften a severe financial crisis , focused on developing their internet and telecommunications infrastructure. Soon a wildly popular type of social space arose: PC bangs . These were restaurants, bars, and other spaces that functioned as gaming clubs. These clubs became as ubiquitous as neighborhood basketball courts, places where gamers would gather together, show off their skills to one another, and bond over a shared love for video gaming. Soon these places began holding formal competitions.

Realizing the incredible market these spaces created, the Korean government got involved and created the Korean Esport Association (KeSPA) , the first governmental body dedicated to video game and esports regulation in the world. At the same time, a plethora of cheap television stations took off due to the South Korean government’s telecommunication development program. One of these, Naver, was founded to focus extensively on covering esports. This fusion between popular, competition-fostering social spaces and a free-access live streaming service dedicated to highly skilled players helped esports grow into a popular part of Korean society.

The two games that emerged as the first real esports were Starcraft (1998) /Starcraft II (2010) and Defense of the Ancients 2 (2013), commonly known as DOTA 2, developed by Activision Blizzard and Valve Corporation respectively. DOTA 2 gave rise to a robust network of small-scale tournaments, which over time, evolved into massive, privately organized competitions. Of the two however, the Starcrafts proved to be more popular in the Korean circuit, spawning the first developer organized and sponsored gaming leagues, some of which continue today. DOTA 2 remained immensely popular, and its international championship currently boasts the largest prize pool of any esport event, five and a half times more than the second largest prize pool; the 2019 DOTA 2 International had a winners prize pool of US$13.5 million , out of a total prize pool of US$30.8 million , more than even some traditional sports like golf and ultimate fighting.

Esports have several important elements that distinguish them from traditional sports: the role of the game publishers and developers, the threat of becoming obsolete, and distribution and access to the game.

There are two types of esports developers. First, there are “hands off” developers like Microsoft and Nintendo, who choose to abstain from organizing esports events or their respective titles, instead allowing the community to organize competitions and tournaments so long as they seek the developer’s approval. And there are the “hands on” developers like Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, and Valve Corporation, who actively organize the professional scene for their respective games. Of the two, the most popular and fastest growing are the “hands on” developers. This means that the private corporation which holds the sole intellectual property rights to the game is also the sole entity organizing its professional competition; in other words, the creators of the game have ultimate control over how their game is played.

Another important consideration is that, while physical sports are timeless and owned by no one—anyone can pick up a soccer ball at any time and play—esports are contingent on the choices of their developers. If a developer decides to shutter an online game, it’s gone. Often, this is a decision made to prioritize a new product or to cut monetary losses. Such an example is the game Fractured Space , which Edge Case Games decided to stop developing in late 2018 due to a small player base.

Because developers hold the sole intellectual property rights to their titles, they are also the sole entities that determine who has access to a game, and at what quality, making distribution and access also drastically different from traditional sports. Dedicated regional servers are required to make games playable. A high latency, referred to as lag—the time between a user’s input and the command being read—renders esports unplayable. A lag as low as 100 milliseconds can have debilitating effects on a user’s experience—in fact, professional matches with high lag are paused until the problem is resolved. In most cases, lag is a result of crowded networks or distance from a server. As a result, if a developer decides it doesn’t make financial sense to service a significant swath of the world, then players from those regions will never have the opportunity to enter the professional scene, or even play the game well.

This is largely what has happened in Africa. The majority of esports developers have yet to develop serious infrastructure for the African continent, preventing an entire swath of the world from competing in what could otherwise be truly global sports. Riot Games, for example, has decided for the past few years to not create an African server, mainly because they claim there is not enough demand to justify the cost of the servers. Players in Africa can theoretically play esports by connecting to the North American and European servers, but the high latency prevents them from competing effectively. As a result, there has been much grassroots mobilization around esports. As of now, the largest esports tournament on the continent is the Africa eSports Championship , which fielded competitive matches in FIFA19 and Tekken 7, both by “hands off” developers. The African esports market is also unique in that it is nationally organized, rather than developer organized. The AEC has more than 24 participating countries, each of which runs national leagues in various games. 2019 also saw the development of an African League of Legends tournament, the African Esports League , which is one of the only two League circuits not developed by Riot ; the other is in India and run by Lenovo. It is instead operated by a Tunisian organization called the AEL MENA . The existence of this professional circuit suggests that although Riot has signed off on the AEL operating the circuit, Riot is not committed to supporting it just yet. As a result, none of the games are streamable via Riot’s platforms, nor will AEL teams be invited to compete in international tournaments like the Mid-Season Invitational or Worlds.

This indicates that developers are beginning to increase their support of the Middle Eastern-North Africa (MENA) region, but it is a slow and incremental process that neglects the rest of the continent. Riot games recently held its first official event in the MENA region, which was part of an initiative by the Saudi Arabian government to transform the country into a globally recognized tourist and entertainment hub. This comes with an official statement from Riot in which Riot showed interest in developing servers and an official professional circuit for the Middle East, which would also serve North Africa. Other developers are eyeing similar ideas. While these developments are an important first step, it is important to recognize that they wouldn’t be enough. Both central and southern Africa would still be too far from the servers; South Africa in particular has large player bases that would continue to be under served.

Distribution and access to the actual professional scene is a different matter entirely. Players need to have access to tools and resources to be able to make a living competing and working for an esports team or company. Consumers comprise a combination of teens and young adults, a demographic that has grown up with YouTube and free media and is likely unwilling to pay monthly subscriptions to watch a dedicated channel. As a result, most esports are live streamed on free platforms replete with advertisers who sponsor specific titles. These rules are ambiguous as well.

Twitch, founded in 2011 and currently owned by Amazon, has become almost synonymous with gaming. Although not the first streaming platform, it has grown to be the largest . It has dominated such a prominent share of the streaming market that competitors are only now starting to create alternatives, but they are finding that convincing gamers to migrate to their platforms is difficult. Developers get to choose which platforms they use for their official broadcasts, and nearly all of them use Twitch, although some of them also use YouTube’s live streaming feature via their channel. This provides Twitch, and subsequently Amazon, with a near global, although free-to-watch, monopoly on esports entertainment, which even breaks into otherwise closed markets like China, which has its own internal streaming monopoly.

It is unlikely that esports would move exclusively to paid-to-watch platforms because part of their appeal is the authentic, direct connection between players and their viewers. Streamers interact with their audience live, respond to questions, and keep up a general conversation with the people viewing them. This intimacy and sense of personal connection would not be possible with a paywall. Some developers are adamant that they will not allow that to happen either; Riot Games has been particularly vocal about this .

And at its core, streaming is fundamentally international. You can live in Canada, tune into a stream broadcast by a North American player, like Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi; change your mind and watch a European player, like Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski; before tuning into a Korean stream from someone like Faker, all with the click of a button on a single streaming platform. Over time, viewers build bonds with these players, and watching them compete on formalized developer broadcasts becomes a competition not just between regions and teams, but between personalities as well.

While streaming is fundamental to esports, it also brings its own host of problems. Professional players and dedicated streamers are pressured by their teams to stream as much as possible in order to increase ad revenue, of which the players get a small fraction. They are also personally incentivized to create large amounts of content in order to stand out and gain sponsorships, which can lead to exhaustion and potential health risks from sitting hours on end.

One example of this is popular Chinese League of Legends player Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao. In an interview, he explained that he has struggled chronically with shoulder and lower back issues from being forced to sit for seven or more hours a day to practice. Other players, like ex-Cloud9 player Hai “Hai” Du Lam, have already retired due to shoulder and wrist problems. In other cases, mental disabilities have manifested and proven disastrous. Former Korean League of Legends player Heo “PawN” Won-seok was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder in 2018; he could not play the game unless his set up was arranged perfectly. While he was able to compete in the 2018 season, the strain became too much, and he retired halfway through the 2019 season.

In addition, countless popular streamers have gotten themselves in trouble while on camera. One streamer threw her cat , while another called his teammates dogs , and a third abused his girlfriend . The fall out from these cases can be swift, severe, and career-ending. And then there are the cases where streamers are “pranked” by their viewers, such as the particularly dangerous “S.W.A.T.” This is when a viewer calls 911 to the streamer’s address, upon which a S.W.A.T. team breaks into the house. This places the streamer in unnecessary danger and wastes law enforcement time and money. Already, at least one person has been killed by the practice ; although they weren’t a streamer, the intended target was a video game player. The global implications of this are severe. With no way of filtering prank tips from real tips, malicious actors could endanger streamers and individuals around the globe, selecting their targets due to nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, race, or any other host of factors.

While this all serves to highlight that esports are fundamentally a different beast than traditional sports, esports also share significant similarities with traditional sports. Professional leagues are increasingly franchised, and esports teams are building sizable, and in some cases nearly cult, followings —looking at you TeamSoloMid. There are seasons where teams play scheduled games which culminate in playoffs and major international events. More and more players now have contracts, and teams are increasingly investing in training facilities and headquarters. And there are even fantasy esports leagues .

Esports are dynamic creations, becoming cultural phenomena which attracts thousands of eager viewers. Their existence has been international since their inception. Yet they have also been hugely overlooked, and only now are receiving the acknowledgement that they deserve.

Click here to read Part 2, discussing the global rules surrounding Esports.

Marc Leroux-Parra

Marc Leroux-Parra is a Mexican-American junior at Harvard College studying Film in the AFVS department with a minor in Government. His portolio is at: https://www.xn--svereign-43a.com/

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Esports is the future of all sports – here’s why

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The future of all sports is esports. That may sound like a bold statement but there is growing evidence to support it. Today’s spectators and participants expect to be digitally engaged while they watch. And the most effective way to deliver digital engagement is through “gamification” – the transformation of watching into playing.

While the “real” sports world is still far bigger than the competitive esports community, esports is showing supporters a new kind of future. A future where experiences make the most of fans’ desire for interactivity within their leisure experiences. Today’s consumer does not just want to watch or listen, they also want to participate – and esports integrates these principles into people’s leisure time.

Read more: Will Super Mario ever be an Olympic sport?

The latest transformation that is bringing these two worlds even closer together is the creation of new, virtual reality gaming experiences, which are turning esports into physically active experiences. Virtual reality may just be the technology that unites the two worlds of sports and esports which are, otherwise, struggling to find common ground.

While it may take some years to fully realise the impact of esports, the rise of mobile and virtual reality gaming combine to make a tantalising prospect on which to imagine its future. Consider HADO, a new, two versus two, sports arena-based game consisting of virtual reality battles .

Players each wear VR headsets and strap mobile devices to their arms, through which they can see each others’ actions and fling virtual fireballs at each other – a sort of digital version of dodgeball. One of the reasons that HADO is so important is that it brings a three-dimensional experience to an esports arena, where otherwise they are played out on flat screens for spectators to watch. Sony is even working on a spectator VR system to watch esports in virtual reality.

The rise of affordable virtual reality headsets, are also kick-starting a new fitness revolution , with pimped-up gymnasia fast becoming virtual reality exercise spaces. This convergence of high-end gaming technology with physical fitness may be the most compelling way to bring these two worlds together.

The VR Olympics?

Rumours are that the International Olympic Committee is interested in virtual reality as a possible route for esports inclusion within the Olympic programme. But rather than just being virtual versions of today’s sports, new kinds of sports such as HADO are likely to emerge. Alternatively, the stadia and fields of play of conventional sports may be re-imagined in virtual arenas, designed to maximise excitement. For example, tomorrow’s tennis stars could be playing on VR courts where they are able to move in three dimensions, rather than two. This could be made possible with three dimensional, full-body virtual reality systems where you can feel and truly experience the world around you by wearing a exo-suit to simulate the virtual environment.

In less than one year, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will take place, amid widespread speculation that esports will find a place on – or at least near – the podium. For example, recently in Tokyo an esports hotel has just been launched and is expected to be ready for Games time. As well, Olympic partner Intel recently announced an Olympic-sanctioned esports tournament taking place days before the Games open.

And while esports won’t be a medal sport in Tokyo next year, 2019 is the first year in which a major sports event has included esports medals. In this respect, the South-East Asian Games is pioneering the association with esports and further indicating that this emerging technology is gradually finding its way into sports mega-events.

Read more: Fortnite World Cup and the rise of the esports industry

Meanwhile, talks continue to take place in relation to the programme for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which is likely to follow its two predecessors and have some kind of esports event . And in 2019, the European Games included esports within its cultural programme, rather than the sports programme.

It is worth remembering that, in the early decades of the modern Olympic Games, medals were given for cultural achievements. The original vision was to celebrate sport blended with culture and education, values still enshrined in the Olympic Charter .

So, before we conclude the conversation about the relationship between esports and traditional sports, we should remember that today’s esports may be analogised to the silent film era from 100 years ago. There’s a great deal of technological evolution still to come and esports are still in the process of being established.

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Conclusion: The Future of eSports

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The eSports industry is a highly complex environment that is continually evolving. Based on this innovativeness, there are groundbreaking changes that disrupt the industry every five years or so. Furthermore, many external stakeholders invest in eSports, creating a potential bubble, due to an overheated market. Such a development may result in a correction or a crisis, but it highlights the importance of creating a business model to monetize the audience. Besides the risk of not having a solid business model, eSports organizations need to govern the risk concerning future developments related to franchising, new markets, new games, and an ongoing fragmentation of the eSports industry. The eSports industry will, despite any events, grow, though the composition of stakeholders may change.

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Recognizing Esports as a Sport

Authors: Daniel Kane, Brandon D. Spradley

Affiliations: United States Sports Academy

Corresponding Author: Daniel Kane [email protected] 917-545-9179

Daniel Kane is a doctoral student at the United States Sports Academy pursuing his degree in sports management.

ABSTRACT The commentary is a theoretical framework that builds on the concept that eSports should be considered a sport. The first part of the paper analyzes the definition of a sport and determines that competitive video games should apply to the meaning. The second part of the paper discusses how eSports should be recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In addition, the application of Title IX is applied to have eSports listed as an emerging sport for women.

Keywords: eSports, NCAA, Title IX, video games

Recognizing ESports as a Sport Sitting in front of a computer and playing video games is not the image that comes to mind when a person thinks of an athlete. Instead, an image of someone who may not be physically fit and lacks athletic abilities is usually the stereotype that is associated. In some cases, people would refer to a gamer as a nerd or associate it with nerd culture (Kendall, 2011). The term gamer can be used to classify many different types of people. The most popular classification are people that play board games, collectible card games, and video games. For the purpose of this paper, the term gamer will be used to describe individuals that participate in competitive video gaming. With the advance of technology, competitive video gamers are starting to demonstrate the same athletic properties as traditional sports athlete. The concept of video games has also changed. Instead of playing video games recreationally, people are starting to play video games competitively in tournaments that closely resemble sports competition. This review paper will attempt to build the theoretical framework that eSports should be considered a sport and be recognized by The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

ESports Is a Sport The first video game competition can be traced back to October 19, 1972, at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in which about two dozen students competed playing Spacewar (Li, 2016). One of the first recognized competitive tournaments in video games was when Atari held a multi-city competition that offered 10,000 participants a chance to become a world champion in Space Invaders (“Players Guide”, 1982). Since then the way video games have been played has changed. The evolution of eSports is now known as competitive video gaming (Li, 2016). For the purpose of this review paper, eSports will be a general term that includes all the various eSports leagues from around the world. Each league could be compared to a different sports league that plays the same sport such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator and Invicta Fighting Championship. The various eSports leagues have different rules, play different games, rank professionals differently and host tournaments and competitions. The consistent aspect throughout the leagues is that the competitors play video games and the athletes that win matches consistently could progress to a professional level.

One of the biggest debates concerning eSports is whether competitive video gaming can be defined as a sport. The definition of sport has been attempted many times, and a universal definition has not been determined (Perks, 1999). Rather than a definitive academic definition, people refer to the Oxford English Dictionary (n.d.) definition, “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (para. 1). The definition of sport needs to be discussed to ensure that eSports can be defined as a sport.

The first term to analyze is physical exertion. Aadahl, Kjaer, and Jørgensen (2007) state that absolute intensity can be used to determine the intensity of exercise, by analyzing the multiple of an individual’s basal metabolic rate (MET). Since the MET could be used to determine exertion, a connection could be made via how the MET is affected when playing video games. Additionally, the oxygen levels (VO2) can be used; a moderate physical activity would have a 40%-60% VO2 reserve and/or 4-6 MET’s (Stroud, Amonette, & Dupler, 2010). In a study performed by Bronner, Pinsker, and Noah, (2013) male and female participants MET’s raised between 4-9 while participating in video games that involved dancing. Stroud et al., (2010) was able to get their participants VO2 and MET at a low to moderate activity level by standing and shaking Nintendo Wii controllers while playing Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. This shows physical exertion being demonstrated during the playing of video games.

Multiple links can be observed between physical exertion and video games. Modesti, et al., (1994) conducted a study that showed the basal blood pressure is raised while playing a video game. Also, physical exertion could also be considered perceived exertion. Two ways to measure perceived exertion is using the 15-point Borg Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) or the 10-point Borg category ratio (CR10) (Borg, 1998). Using RPE and CR10, a participant looks at the scale and determines how strenuous the activity feels. Heart rate can also be used to gauge perceived exertion, as the RPE scale is structured from 6-20 to represent heart rates. During video game competitions and training, many eSports athletes exhibited signs that could be considered physical exertion to keep up with the routine of being a professional video gamer (Li, 2016; Rodriguez, et al., 2016).

The second part of the definition to analyze is skill. To become a professional gamer, a player must learn different skills and techniques to get better. Researchers have used video games as a way to understand how a person develops skills (Boot, Sumner, Towne, Rodriguez, & Ericsson, 2016). Green and Bavelier (2015) conducted a study that showed people learn skills from playing action video games. Bavelier, Green, Pouget, and Schrater, (2012) conclude that not one skill but many skills are obtained playing action video games. In competitive gaming, the skilled players dominate people that play for fun (Li, 2016). In eSports, there is a clear divide in win – loss record between players that are considered professionals and those that are not.

The final part of the definition deals with a person or team that competes against another person or team for entertainment. Playing video games as a hobby has evolved into competitions and tournaments with cash prizes. Depending on the game being played, a person can enter a contest solo in the cases of fighting games such as Street Fighter, or join with a team, playing games such as Counter-Strike or League of Legends. ESports are broadcasted on ESPN in the United States and various networks around the world. Special eSports arenas have been constructed to host the events.

Countries have begun to recognize professional gamers as athletes. In the United States, professional gamers can obtain P-1 visas, which are given to athletes (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, n.d.). In 2013, professional gamer Danny “Shiphtur” Le was the first to receive a P-1 visa for eSports (Dave, 2013). In South Korea, the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) is recognized by the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KeSPA, n.d.). KeSPA regulates athlete’s amateur and professional status (Li, 2016). The recognition of professional gamers grew in South Korea that the South Korean Air Force had an eSports team when professional gamers had to do mandatory military service (Li, 2016). Using the examples provided, eSports should be recognized as a sport.

ESports in the NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a member-based organization that has set the standard for college athletics in the United States (Masteralexis, Barr, & Hums, 2015). In 1989, a poll was administered in the United States that discovered 78% of Americans thought college sports was out of control (Masteralexis, Barr, & Hums, 2015). Since then, the NCAA has become the recognized authority over collegiate athletics. The NCAA has 1,121 college members with nearly half a million college athletes, competing in 24 sports among three divisions (The National Collegiate Athletic Association, n.d.). For eSports to be taken seriously as a sport at the collegiate level, the NCAA will need to recognize eSports as a sport. For that to happen, the sport must go through an extensive review process.

NCAA Definition of Sport The first step for eSports to become recognized as a collegiate sport is to meet the NCAA’s definition of sport. The NCAA (n.d.) has a similar definition in the Oxford English Dictionary but expands on the sport being played at the collegiate level. Definition of a sport: For purposes of reviewing proposals, a sport shall be defined as an institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus other teams or individuals within a collegiate competition structure. Furthermore, a sport includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within the competitive season(s); and standardized rules with rating/scoring systems ratified by official regulatory agencies and governing bodies. (para. 6)

As discussed earlier, eSports falls into the definition of a sport and is already being recognized and organized by several college campuses (Wingfield, 2014). ESports also has an advantage to being acknowledged as a collegiate sport, since no defined gender is required to play competitive video games. Women and men can play together without an imbalance being created by gender differences. Since women can start a women-only team or participate with men, the recognition of eSports in the NCAA could fall under the emerging sports for women list.

Emerging Sports for Women A common misconception is that video games are just for men. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 48% of women play video games in the United States (Duggan, 2015). The Entertainment Software Association (2016) has discovered, women over the age of 18 represent a larger portion of the gaming community than boys 18 years and under in age. The number of women that are playing video games continues to rise, according to Newzoo, female gamers increased 70% from 2011-2014, 18 million to 30.3 million (Harwell, 2014). There is a lack of data to account for the number of women that are currently participating in eSports, but women are starting to make an impact on the sport. Intel has begun to sponsor and nurture female only competitive teams in hopes to raise the number of female competitors (Buck, 2015).

With women creating female-only teams or being able to play with men in eSports, the ability for the NCAA to recognize eSports could fall under Title IX. The creation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C §§ 1681 et seq., was enacted to end discrimination on the basis of gender (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 1972). The original text was vague and made it difficult to decipher what sports would be covered under the original amendment. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) which oversees Title IX released a letter in 2008 that helps try to define how a sport will be recognized under Title IX (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008). OCR’s definition will help determine if eSports should be covered by Title IX.

To determine eSports as a Title IX sport, Robert Morris University (RMU) in Chicago, Illinois will be used as a primary example. Although RMU is not a NCAA member, the University is a member of a comparable organization, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and currently has eSports listed as a sport under the athletics department (Robert Morris University, n.d.). RMU treats eSports as a sport and the participants as athletes.

In the letter distributed by OCR, two main categories are reviewed. The first category that OCR uses to make the determination is to analyze the program structure and administration (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008). This review has two parts, the first part is to check “whether the operating budget, support services (including academic, sports medicine and strength and conditioning support) and coaching staff are administered by the athletics department or another entity, and are provided in a manner consistent with established varsity sports” (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008, para. 11). In 2014, Kurt Melcher brought eSports to RMU under the athletic department, with an operating budget that included hiring coaches and building an arena (Ruby, 2004). Initially, to comply with being consistent with varsity sports, 35 scholarships were provided to varsity and junior varsity players (Ruby, 2004).

The second part of the first category requirement questions if participants are recruited and receive scholarships compared to other varsity sports (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008). When the eSports program was just beginning at RMU, the recruitment mimicked other sports. Top amateurs were being contacted as well as the program was being marketed. The university received over 7,000 people who showed interest in joining the team and was able to secure amateurs who turned down going pro to play at RMU (Ruby, 2004). The university now grants around half a million dollars in scholarships for the eSports teams (TEDx Talks, 2016). The program structure and administration of RMU’s eSports closely resembles the structure of other athletic departments.

The second category that needs to be reviewed by OCR is team preparation and condition (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008). This category analyzes four different parts of the team to ensure that the teams are being treated like other sports, and that the sport itself can be compared to other sports. The review will look at eSports in the same way a sport like football will be examined, including the schedule, practices, equipment and competitions.

In the first subsection of category two states, “Whether the practice opportunities (e.g., number, length, and quality) are available in a manner consistent with established varsity sports in the institution’s athletics program” (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008, para. 14). RMU created an eSports arena that cost the athletic budget $100,000 (Ruby, 2004). The arena could be compared to stadiums or arenas that universities build for athletic teams, and the arena is sponsored by iBUYPOWER. The iBUYPOWER eSports arena is different than computer labs found on other campuses. At some colleges, computer labs are created using student association fees which allow any student at the university to use the computers. The eSports arena is only for eSports athletes to be used for practice and competitions (TEDx Talks, 2016). Regarding practice, eSports at RMU are operated and scheduled in the same manner as other sports.

The second subsection of category two analyzes regular season competitions compared to other varsity sports. “Whether the regular season competitive opportunities differ quantitatively and/or qualitatively from established varsity sports; whether the team competes against intercollegiate or interscholastic varsity opponents in a manner consistent with established varsity sports” (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008, para. 15). The Collegiate Starleague (CSL) has become an organization that oversees college eSports athletics. Colleges can enroll in the league as either casual or competitive teams. The CSL is compared to the NCAA for eSports, the CSL oversees eight different leagues, has three divisions, sets rules, schedules, rankings and tournaments (Collegiate Starleague, n.d.).

The third subsection of category two raises the question of preseason and postseason compared to varsity sports. The CSL has a structured postseason playoff system and championship. Also, regarding having a championship, CSL tournaments also offer prize amounts for winning that are applied to scholarships. The ability for eSports athletes to win scholarship money would help subsidize the athletes that only receive partial scholarships at his/her college.

The fourth subsection of category two, “Whether the primary purpose of the activity is to provide athletic competition at the intercollegiate or interscholastic varsity levels rather than to support or promote other athletic activities” (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008, para. 21). ESports has an advantage in this category versus other athletic activities. The concept and actions in playing in an eSports league are unique and would be difficult to compare to other athletic activities. The primary purpose of having an eSports team would be to provide the student athletes with the ability to be able to compete at the collegiate level.

A difficulty that eSports would have with gaining Title IX compliance is the first factor under the fourth subsection of category two. “Whether the activity is governed by a specific set of rules of play adopted by a state, national, or conference organization and/or consistent with established varsity sports, which include objective, standardized criteria by which competition must be judged (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2008, para. 23). As previously mentioned, eSports is currently compared to the organizational structure of mixed martial arts (MMA) as there are many different professional leagues. Although the CSL is considered the main collegiate league, universities can still participate in eSports tournaments ran by other organizations. By participating in other leagues and not having membership to only one would alter how varsity sports currently structure their competitions. Once eSports would be deemed different from varsity sports, the sport would not be in compliance with Title IX.

To ensure that eSports are recognized under Title IX the sport needs a national governing body. The NCAA created the Gender Equity Task Force that will oversee a sports compliance with Title IX and help gain Division 1 recognition (Stafford, 2004). The Gender Equity Task Force helped create the emerging sports for women in the NCAA. For a sport to be determined as an emerging sport, the NCAA definition of sport is used with the addition that female-student-athletes will have additional opportunities (The National Collegiate Athletic Association, n.d.).

Since eSports provides females with a fair opportunity to compete against men on teams that are only female or mixed, the sport should be listed as an emerging sport. During the review process, the sport will be listed on the emerging sports for women’s list. The sport then has ten years to gain championship status at a minimum of 40 NCAA universities or continue to show growth towards that goal (The National Collegiate Athletic Association, n.d.). The benefit of being on the emerging sports list is universities can count eSports towards their Title IX compliance regarding how many female sports they offer.

Benefits of Having ESports in the NCAA There are numerous advantages for the NCAA recognizing and becoming the national governing body of eSports at the collegiate level. The first is the discussion listed above that eSports would provide an additional female sport for universities and help the university stay in Title IX compliance. Universities can sometimes find it difficult to remain in compliance based on the Title IX proportional requirement since the number of teams needs to be proportionate to the number of students based on gender (Yuracko, 2002). With women being able to form female-only teams or play on a team with men, the opportunities to increase female participation in sports could expand.

Universities can also benefit from the cost of starting up an eSports team compared to other collegiate sports. The iBUYPOWER arena cost RMU $100,000 to start up (Ruby, 2004). The amount included renovations to the location and all of the equipment. The average college football stadium construction requires around $400 million in capital investments (Maxcy & Larson, 2015). The University of Michigan facility expenses cost around $8 million in 2008, for repairs, utilities, supplies and equipment, and other expenses (Rosner & Shropshire, 2011). The operation budget is going to be cheaper than other sports. Once the location is built, the team needs a small budget for jerseys, travel and if repairs will be required in the future. In some cases, travel, may not be necessary since competitions take place online and judges from the event can monitor the computers from a remote satellite location. The operational cost is in contrast to that of traditional sports. NCAA Division 1 baseball teams can cost a university an average of $900,000 and the average Division 1 baseball team loses the university around $700,000 a year (Wolverton, 2009). Also, varsity lacrosse and track average more than $500,000 in losses for a university (Wolverton, 2009).

Another advantage eSports has over varsity sports is the number of viewers that watch eSports and the ability to watch via the internet. In June 2011, twitch.tv started broadcasting video games and created a social platform for gamers on the internet (Twitch, n.d.). The platform has 9.7 million active users, who watch an average of 106 minutes a day, with over 2 million people streaming (Twitch, n.d.). The ability to watch eSports competitions is not limited to having to go to a stadium. People can look at a team compete anywhere in the world. In 2013, 32 million people watched the League of Legends Season 3 World Championship, that is more viewers than the Major League Baseball World Series (14.9 million), NCAA Basketball Final Four (15.7 million), National Basketball Association Finals Game 7 (26.3 million) and the Bowl Championship Series (26.4 million) (TEDx Talks, 2016). People are not only interested in viewing the competitions online, but also visit arenas and stadiums to observe. The League of Legends World Championship in 2013 sold out the Staples Center in Los Angeles in one hour, and in 2014 filled up a former Fédération Internationale de Football Association stadium with 40,000 people (TEDx Talks, 2016).

The benefits of having an eSports team is not limited to saving a university money as a low-cost sport; ESports can generate money for their athletes. As discussed earlier, if the eSports athletes win tournaments in the CSL, that money is applied towards that student’s scholarship. The subsidized money will save the university, as other scholarship money can be allocated to other student athletes. The university also has an ability to gain sponsorship money from the many different companies that do not usually sponsor sports. RMU was able to secure four sponsors when bringing eSports to their university (Ruby, 2004).

The eSports model will also easily fit into the NCAA structure of Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3. Each university can provide different games and structure different teams based on the athlete’s ability level. The CSL already has a divisional system structure amongst the teams and universities that participate. Designation of the various divisional teams will also help control the budget for athlete’s scholarships, following the NCAA’s protocols that are already in place for division scholarship requirements.

Conclusion This review paper is a theoretical framework that explains why eSports is a sport and why the NCAA should recognize the sport. The topic of eSports has limited academic research, and limited data is available on the subject. Future researchers should consider issues that were discussed in the paper to help build a foundation for additional studies.

The first topic that needs more study is women in eSports. The data is limited as to how many women play competitive video games. One website using public data was able to show that around 364 women have placed in the money in eSports tournaments, with the top female winning around $170,000 (E-sports Earnings, n.d.). By starting to collect data on the number of women playing competitive e-sports, the data could be used to determine future papers on the topic. Women in eSports could create a change in people’s perspective on women and video games.

Another topic to consider is the lack of gender identification needed within the eSports community. Playing video games does not require a specific gender or label to participate. A cultural divide still exists between men and women concerning video games and who should be playing them. The topic could be looked at from various disciplines in hopes to arrive at an equality amongst gamers.

The third topic that requires additional research is the comparison of eSports to MMA as a business. MMA competitions and leagues have been around for years. In the early 1990’s the UFC was able to change their image from street brawls to the leading organization in MMA (Watanabe, 2015). The same concept is happening to eSports currently. The stigma that only nerds play video games is still currently active as well as the many different leagues that have not been able to become the premier organization. Both sports can be compared and contrasted to attempt to answer how eSports can grow like the UFC did within a stigmatized sport.

The fourth topic that could be investigated is the definition of amateur and professional in the e-sports environment. Unlike many traditional sports, age is not a factor when playing competitive video games. The competition structure for eSports compares to the pro-am structure of different sports tournaments. Having amateurs play with professionals allows younger age participants to move up to a professional title at a younger age. The third top-earning male athlete Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan was recruited to a team as a professional at the age of 15 years old (E-sports Earnings, n.d.). A problem will arise when eSports competitors want to participate in collegiate eSports athletics. Currently, the NCAA has set strict rules on amateurism and restrictions on collegiate athletes gaining money from competitions before entering college (Rosner & Shropshire, 2011). ESports has already found a way to allow college students to compete for cash prizes as long as the winnings are applied to scholarships. As for students who already have full scholarships, the money could be used to offset various living costs such as a stipend or larger meal plan.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS None

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Annals of Esports Research

(AER), the first American journal centered on Esports, is an international, multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to expanding the scientific, qualitative, and quantitative knowledge of Esports. AER, a gold open access journal , publishes innovative original research, opinion, and educational information related to all aspects of Esports.  

Gold Open Access means that the final published version of your article  is permanently and freely available online for anyone, anywhere to read.

All disciplines and approaches to understanding Esports are encouraged with special interest in the health, performance,  experience and well-being of players, fans, coaches, industry practices and the teaching, management, and research of Esports.

The journal welcomes submissions from international contributors and researchers of all specialties.

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Original Research Original investigations in areas relevant to Esports. Maximum 5,000 words, 250-word abstract, 20 references; 6 tables and/or figures. Additional material may be placed in web-only appendices.

Brief Research Reports Original reports of preliminary data and findings or studies with small numbers demonstrating the need for further investigation. Maximum 2,500 words, 250-word abstract, 10 references, 3 tables and/or figures.

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Reviews without rigid structure that address a specific question or issue that is relevant to Esports. Review articles summarize current research relevant to the field, are evidence-based to the extent possible, and should address the importance of the subject to the field. Maximum 5,000 words.

Esports Industry Management

Short, practical articles focused on novel approaches to specific Esports challenges. Titles usually begin with the word “Managing.” These submissions – usually solicited – are written by recognized experts in the area. These experts summarize the best available evidence relating to the topic, include practical recommendations, and acknowledge what is opinion and not evidence-supported. Maximum 2,500 words unless specifically approved.

Please write to  [email protected]   if you would like to propose a topic.

Authoritative comments or opinions on controversial matters with significant implications for Esports. Maximum 2,500 words; 3 figures/tables.

Brief Commentaries

Brief discussion about a single article’s strengths and weaknesses, controversies, and/or how it should or should not change Esports practice. Maximum 1000 words.

Original personal essays or poetry reflecting the human experience of Esports. Selection for this section will be based on originality of concept, writing skill, and appropriateness. Maximum 1,000 words.

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Corrections on topics appearing in AER.   Letters discussing an AER article should be received within 8 weeks of the article’s publication. The original author(s) will be given the opportunity to reply. Letters of political or other unrelated topics, as well as those containing personal criticisms, will not be published. Maximum 500 words.

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The Players’ Perspective section provides a platform for manuscripts, essays on topics pertinent to players that have not been well-covered elsewhere. This includes informative pieces, educational research, and perspectives on current Esports topics. Maximum 750 words.

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Why the rise of esports is good for schools, students and even employers.

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While the general public is still largely unaware of the growing prevalence of esports, it's a form of sports competition that's very strongly on the radar for most college administrators.

According to the National Association of Collegiate Esports , more than 170 U.S. colleges have varsity esports programs and are offering around $16 million per year in scholarships. College esports tournament organizer Tespa notes that its competitions attract more than 1,350 schools and more than 40,000 players. It has also awarded more than $3 million in tournament winnings.

As the CEO of a global IT solutions provider (and an avid gamer myself), my team works closely with leading technology manufacturers to help advance esports and gaming solutions in K-12 and college/universities. We are seeing — and I’m hearing directly from our clients as well — some of our best employees and recent hires are passionate gamers. That comes in handy when we consult with colleges and universities on recruiting or setting up esports facilities on their campuses.

Some colleges and universities are already all-in, with on-campus arenas and practice facilities dedicated to esports. A short list of examples includes the University of California at Irvine (UCI), which was the first to have an arena on campus , the University of Akron and the Ohio State University.

Others are on the opposite end of the spectrum, treating esports teams like a club and providing minimal support. At these schools, players often provide their own computers or gaming systems and practice (and compete) in computer labs or tiny rooms in underutilized parts of buildings.

For colleges, attracting good students is a competition. If you look at the percentage of high school students who are gamers and those who simply watch esports, you realize it’s a part of their lives now. Pew Research found in 2018 that 90% of teens (ages 13-17) play video games. Among boys of that age, the percentage is 97%.

Another consideration is that students who are interested in esports have a higher tendency to be academic achievers and interested in high-paying, STEM fields valued by employers. Michael Sherman, Riot Games’ director of collegiate esports, told SportTechie that 62% of the players on collegiate League of Legends teams in 2018 were STEM majors.

From a social standpoint, esports is more inclusive than other sports, with men and women able to play on the same teams and participants coming from various social groups and demographics.

For schools that are interested in upping their esports game, it’s important that they do their research and support the program in the best way possible. If a school is setting up an esports program just to check a box, it would be better off doing nothing at all.

If you’re starting completely from scratch, don’t feel overwhelmed. Finding players is usually the easiest part, as any college or high school is likely to have students who already play esports for fun. Put the word out, and meet with students to identify the games they would like to play competitively. League of Legends, DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive are some of the most popular. The next step is getting connected to a league.

Here are a few good places to start:

• Tespa organizes national competitions for several titles, including Overwatch and Hearthstone .

• Riot Games organizes its own collegiate league for League of Legends .

• Collegiate Starleague (CSL) hosts leagues and tournaments for a constantly rotating list of popular games.

The best thing about these leagues is that they’re often free to enter.

As for the equipment you’ll need, keep in mind that today’s students expect something that’s more than just a little room in the back of a computer lab. They expect good hardware and a high-speed network. That’s what they’re used to. Talk to the students themselves to get their input.

Here are a few considerations for building out an esports infrastructure in a collegiate or K-12 environment:

• Flexible spaces: Build a space that’s flexible and can be used for other purposes when not being used by an esports team. This approach maximizes every dollar of investment.

• Wired connections: Games don’t require high amounts of bandwidth, but having wired connections is a must, as even a slight Wi-Fi lag is a competitive disadvantage. Test each game on the existing network to ensure there are no firewall issues.

• Display monitors: Displays make a difference. Pros use monitors with a 144- or 240-hertz refresh rate, whereas most monitors in use today are 60- or 75-hertz. That’s a disadvantage for players competing in a setting where milliseconds matter.

• Wired mice: Esports players prefer wired mice, not wireless, and want them to be highly customizable with extra buttons so they can map to specific in-game actions.

• Ergonomics matter: Players sometimes practice for hours at a time, and a space designed to minimize fatigue is better for the students — and keeps them sharp for gameplay.

It may be a while before a school’s Overwatch team is as well recognized on campus as the basketball team, but there’s no doubt that the popularity of esports is rising fast. The good news is that getting a team up and running is fairly manageable, and there are plenty of resources out there to help.

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The Benefits of Esports

By Dr. Laurie Walczak

Video games can be widely adored or vehemently loathed, depending on who you ask. But the truth is, esports—or competitive gaming—is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and creating an impressive presence on college campuses and K-12 schools alike. Esports share many of the same benefits of traditional athletics, like sportsmanship, leadership, communication, and teamwork, without the drawbacks of travel for practices, games, and tournaments or risk of injury, particularly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Are Esports?

Esports—not to be confused with video games—employ organized, competitive gameplay between two teams and are governed by their own strict set of rules and guidelines. Students can choose from a variety of teams to join based on their interests, and teams compete in a multitude of games from Minecraft and Super Smash Brothers to Rocket League, Valorant, chess, and more. As a parent, teacher, and esports team coach at University School of Milwaukee, I’ve seen the numerous benefits of esports firsthand in my child and students, and I’ve become one of the sport’s biggest fans. 

The benefits of esports are numerous and varied, and include:

Building Community

Esports is an ideal opportunity for students who are not necessarily interested in traditional athletics, but who want to be a part of a team and learn new skills. They also offer a unique opportunity to build connections across diverse populations; esoprts openness to everyone encourages inclusion. Playing together in a shared space—whether a shared virtual space or a physical space like an esports arena—is the goal of esports, and doing so establishes community, friendship, school spirit, and a sense of belonging. Official esports teams, like the one at USM, operate under the supervision of an advisor or coach.

Fostering Social-emotional Learning Skills

Regardless of one’s skill in gaming, esports players gain social and emotional learning skills as they establish teams, develop mentorships, collaborate, and compete amongst students who may not otherwise interact with one another. Coming together to play, teach, discover, and enjoy time together builds relationships, opens means of socialization, and improves school spirit. Like any team, players must work together to overcome obstacles and failure, which helps to develop grit and perseverance. They also must be willing to adapt to changes quickly, try new tactics, and encourage teamwork.

Connecting Students to STEM Education

Esports provide a bridge to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, and not just because students play the games on a computer. In order to improve, teams must analyze data and statistics, review strategies, and become proficient in using both computer hardware and software.  

Convenience for Busy Families

Ultimately, the goal of USM’s esports program is to have a dedicated space on campus where students can game together and become just as strong a team as they would on any other playing field. When the team plays in tournaments or matches, or even for practices, students would only need to travel to school. Members of USM’s team have been playing from home.  

Meeting Kids Where They Are

From laptops, to gaming consoles, to their omnipresent phones, many kids have rich online lives, part of which includes games. Esports encourage kids to seek and build community where they already are. The widely popular games that are part of esports already appeal to kids, so students jump at the chance to play with classmates, kids they don’t usually hang out with, and even alumni. 

About Dr. Laurie Walczak:

Dr. Laurie Walczak has worked at University School of Milwaukee since 2007, holding various teaching positions including English, American Studies, Tower Project, and English department chair in the Middle School, and, currently, Upper School English teacher. She serves as USM’s esports coach and is a co-creator of USM’s Tower Project program. Her son Xavier Barth is a member of USM's Class of 2022.

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The E-Sports Generation

Step Aside, LeBron and Dak, and Make Room for Banjo and Kazooie

Kids were already drifting away from traditional sports before the pandemic, with ramifications for the entire sports industry. The trend has accelerated in the pandemic.

David Grimes, 13, left, and his brother Matthew, 11, started participating in e-sports as an alternative to in-person athletics during the pandemic. Credit... Jake Dockins for The New York Times

Supported by

By Joe Drape

• Published Dec. 19, 2021 Updated Dec. 22, 2021

FRISCO, Texas — A miniature basketball hoop hangs from the bedroom door. Soccer trophies are prominent on the dresser. Each sport competes for the time and attention of David and Matthew Grimes. But both are losing ground to another staple of adolescence: the video game console.

David, 13, and Matthew, 11, are fledgling e-sports athletes.

David thumbs his controllers and listens to strategy talk from a YMCA coach on Monday nights. On Wednesday, he takes on all comers. Matthew has league play on Thursday. At least one weekend a month, they compete in a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament.

David and Matthew are part of a surging migration among members of Generation Z — as those born from 1997 to 2012 are often labeled — away from the basketball courts and soccer fields built for previous generations and toward the PlayStations and Xboxes of theirs.

It’s not a zero-sum game: Many children, including the Grimeses, enjoy sports both virtual and physical. But it’s clear that the rise of e-sports has come at the expense of traditional youth sports, with implications for their future and for the way children grow up.

E-sports got a boost, especially at the grass-roots level, during the pandemic. Between at-home learning and the shutdown of youth sports, a high-tech generation found even more escape and engagement on its smartphones and consoles.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Video Games — ESport as a real sport

Esport as a Real Sport

• Categories: Competitive Sports Video Games

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Words: 2134 |

11 min read

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 2134 | Pages: 5 | 11 min read

Works Cited

• Kendall, L. (2011). Gaming masculinity: Exploring the construction of masculinity in video games. Gender and Society, 25(6), 779-799.
• Li, S. (2016). Competitive video gaming: A review of the literature and implications for future research. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 8(2), 1-14.
• Players Guide. (1982). World champion contest: Official rules. Atari, Inc.
• Perks, R. W. (1999). The definition and classification of sport: An interdisciplinary mosaic. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 23(4), 381-401.
• Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Sport. Retrieved from [URL]
• Aadahl, M., Kjaer, M., & Jørgensen, T. (2007). Perceived exertion related to heart rate and blood lactate during arm and leg exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 99(1), 19-26.
• Stroud, L., Amonette, W. E., & Dupler, T. L. (2010). The energy cost of playing Nintendo Wii. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(5), 804-808.
• Bronner, S., Pinsker, R., & Noah, B. (2013). Active gaming in physical education: A comparative study. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 13(4), 388-392.
• Boot, W. R., Sumner, A., Towne, T. J., Rodriguez, P., & Ericsson, K. A. (2016). Professional video gaming as a new sport: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 202.
• Masteralexis, L. P., Barr, C. A., & Hums, M. A. (2015). Principles and practice of sport management. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

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Esports Essay: Tips on Writing an Impressive and Interesting Paper

During studying, students are required to make different essays on various topics. Nowadays, the subject of electronic sports became quite popular because a lot of people play video games on the professional level. In fact, creating an interesting esports essay is a difficult task, but you have high chances to get a high grade if you prepare and plan everything beforehand.

Esports are competitive gaming that became quite popular all over the world. Millions of players participate in various tournaments and events, and millions of devoted fans watch games online. Of course, esports is quite different from traditional sports like football and baseball, but many people say that esports are real sports because they have a huge fan base and competitive gaming.

Feel stuck with your writing? Stop struggling and look through our article! In this guide, we have gathered the most important tips on writing a good essay about esports. Read all information carefully, follow simple and effective recommendations, and make a marvelous and impressive paper without wasting your time!

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Good Essay on Esports in 6 Simple Steps

Follow these six effective steps to create a bright document

• Brainstorm your ideas. Take a piece of paper, think about esports, and write down everything that comes to mind. Then work with the most successful ideas and figure out the main direction of your future essay.
• Choose a bright topic. Be creative and make an interesting issue to attract your readers’ attention. Sometimes it may be difficult for students to select a good theme for their work. Keep reading our guide, and you will find more information about choosing a bright subject for your future paper.
• Find enough sources. When you have defined a topic, try to find as much information you can use for writing as possible. Surf the Internet, read various books, magazines, and newspapers to find many reliable sources.
• Make a detailed and clear outline. Many students prefer skipping this step because they don’t see any sense in wasting their time on the outline. It is a huge mistake because the outline is a great helper in writing. You can start writing your work without a clear plan, and most likely, you will feel stuck in the middle without knowing what to do next. So, making an outline is necessary.
• Write your rough draft. Make your paper in accordance with the outline. Don’t pay attention to errors and misprints, your main task here is to concentrate on the essay line to make the entire story smooth and interesting.
• Proofread your finished paper. Take a break to refresh your mind, and revise your work thoroughly to find and correct all grammar and logical mistakes. If you want to make your work perfect, repeat this step at least 3-4 times.

Bright Essay about Esports — Ideas for Writing

There are a lot of various types of essays, and we want to make recommendations on choosing the most interesting ideas for your future paper:

• Write a descriptive essay on esports. You will have to read a lot of information about electronic sports to know the tiniest details. If it is possible, interview a person who participates in esports for a long time, and base your paper on their experience. Don’t forget to ask their permission on releasing beforehand.
• If you are good at persuading people in various issues, make a persuasive essay on should esports be considered a sport. Find strong arguments and support them with evidence to convince your future readers. Put statistics and interesting facts from reliable sources to show your audience the significance of esports.
• Maybe your opinion is quite the opposite. Then write an argumentative paper on why esports can’t be compared with real sports. If you are a sportsman, make examples from your own experience. Show the real life of athletes, compare it with the life of online players, and convince your audience that sports and esports are two big differences.
• Are you in doubt if it is possible to consider esports as a sport or no? Write a compare and contrast essay. All you have to do is find resemblances and differences between sports and esports. We suggest making a list of differences and resemblances, and it will help you to compare esports and sports more effectively.
• If you are a good storyteller, prepare a narrative essay. It is not hard to create this paper, just make sure you have put all facts in chronological order and be very attentive to details. Don’t forget about making a hook at the beginning to attract people to read the entire story.

Good Esports Essay Topics

We know it may be difficult for students to select a bright topic for their work, and we want to share some successful esports essay topics to give you more interesting ideas for your own paper.

Persuasive Topics on Why Esports is not a Sport

Use this list of topics if you are required to persuade your future readers in why esports is not a sport:

• Compare and contrast an athlete who plays sports games and a game.
• Difference between winning NBA Championship in real and in video games.
• 10 Reasons why esports will never be considered a sport.
• Modern generation chooses real sports with powerful athletes over video games.
• Why are esports a “fake” sports?

Argumentative Topics on Esports are a Real Sport

Read these interesting topics if you need to argue in your future paper about the fact that esports are a real sport:

• Should eSports be included in the Olympic Games?
• If chess is a sport, why esports is not?
• Will esports be more popular than sports in the future?
• Modern world chooses esports
• New technology in sports: esports is our future

Making a successful essay about esports becomes easier when you have got a good piece of advice on writing. We hope that you have followed all our hints and created an interesting paper to impress your readers!

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