The Ever-Evolving Esports Industry and Its Technology
Esports is one of the most innovative industries in the world today. It is reliant on the games and computer technology that comes out every year.
The Ever-Evolving Esports Industry and Its Technology
Esports is one of the most innovative industries in the world today. It is reliant on the games and computer technology that comes out every year. You can see the games constantly innovating alongside the peripherals and even the computer systems themselves.
When gaming was introduced to the world, people never anticipated that it would become the lifeblood of the entertainment industry. From the simple Pong game, it quickly became a medium for creative people to show their talent in creating stories and innovative gameplay.
You look at games like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Half-Life, and StarCraft that innovated entire genres. They were all innovative in their time and these days, it’s hard to create something unique in terms of games themselves.
When it comes to the hardware aspect, there are a lot of opportunities to innovate. Nintendo’s consoles in the latter part of the 20th century was a game-changer which influenced some companies to create their own. Sony’s PlayStation was a big deal when it came out and it continues to be one of the most popular items in the world with its fifth iteration’s release recently.
You also have to remember that most esports are played on the PC which is an industry all in itself. A lot of people have decided to build their own PCs so they can play games or even get involved in video production. It has quickly become the norm because people need to follow the new advancements.
Innovations in the esports industry
Esports has become one of the most unique industries right now. They have combined the essence of sports with the medium of video games. Of course, there have been a lot of video game competitions in the past with leaderboards in the arcades. However, they were always in that place all the time and people were unable to play against one another with home consoles.
The late 1990s was the genesis of the esports industry. Of course, there were some competitions held especially with the fighting game circuit but no games were played in legitimate sports formats.
Some of the games that were important in this era were Doom, Quake, Unreal Tournament and of course, StarCraft. The first esports league that was founded was during the late 90s.
The country that took it to the next level was South Korea. They legitimized the industry which led to the inception of the Korean Esports Association in 2000. This led to Korean players to have legitimate competitions that were even broadcasted on television networks.
StarCraft was the main game for Korea and it remains as one of the biggest esports titles in the world. It was the title that really took advantage of its player base and the ability to play online and match up with opponents.
In the same era, there was also another game that took another genre off the ground. This game was Counter-Strike. It was the proper representative for the first-person shooter genre because it centred around a five versus five model which is very similar to basketball’s model.
In the mid-2000s, another genre took over as the most popular genre in esports. This was the MOBA genre pioneered by the Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft III. This was a similar model to Counter-Strike because it involved a 5v5 framework. Of course, it was a widely different genre because it was a spin off of the familiar RTS genre which had StarCraft as its primary title.
In recent years, there have been some games that have combined multiple aspects of different genres. Think of something like Riot Games’ Valorant which has combined the skills aspect of the MOBA genre with the gameplay of the FPS genre. It has quickly gained popularity as one of the best esports titles in 2020. It looks like it will have a long life in the industry especially with Riot handling its development and esports scene.
There have even been some cosmetics for certain games. CSGO is a big game for this when it comes to some free CSGO skins or even the skins that come from paid cases.
The evolution of gaming peripherals over the years
When you play traditional sports, you will probably prefer wearing the highest quality gear in terms of performance level. Things like the latest sneakers are helpful when it comes to basketball. There are even some gear like compression apparel which helps in maintaining the body’s health during physical activities.
There are even some methods to help with the body’s recovery with things like ice baths. All of those kinds of technology are geared towards helping the athletes maintain their top physical state alongside speeding up the process so they can be more efficient with their time.
In esports, it is a similar situation. There are some technological advancements in terms of helping with the level of performance when it comes to playing some esports titles.
For the PC gamers, almost every single item needs to be accounted for. Some people scoff at gamers because they seem to have items that can be considered as ‘too much’. However, they need to have the best of the best when it comes to peripherals because they need to take advantage of the technology for them to win their competitions.
Mice, keyboards, headphones and monitors are all important in how PC esports are played. There are specifics when it comes to this because there are a lot that you need to consider.
For the mouse, you have to consider the player’s grip. The size is also another factor that should be taken into account because if the player is uncomfortable with the heft, they will have a tough time using it. Lastly, the sensor is also important because it will determine how fast their actions are sent to the computer. For example in CSGO, if you have a great sensor, you will have better flicks towards the target.
With keyboards, it is more clear-cut. It is more about preference but you still need to have a mechanical keyboard. These kinds of keyboards will be better because they have a quicker response time and will not hurt the hands compared to the membrane keyboards.
For the audio, headphones are usually the way to go. They usually involve a mic as well which will be key as communication is one of the most important qualities of esports. Having surround sound is the most important in competitive gaming because picking up on certain sound cues can win the game for the players.
These are just some of the peripherals that have shone brightly because the fighting game circuit also has the arcade pads which was a big deal when it came out. This was because people were used to playing in the arcade and the controllers were not good for performance.
What is next for technology in esports?
There are a lot of possible advancements in esports. On the broadcasting side, there have been a lot of innovations. You think of the touch screens that can be used when analyzing games. In LAN tournaments, you can see the advancements in terms of presentation which was a problem of the past. They are now comparable to the traditional athletes when it comes to how they are presented. There are even videos where you get to know the players themselves and their journey towards stardom.
Some games have been exploited which has led to cheaters breaching the experiences. There are a lot of developers that have developed anti-cheat softwares which has caught some people. CSGO is a major player in this because Valve anti-cheat is the most prolific.
There are even the video replay options for some games which help when teams are practicing. They can even scout their opponents' replays in preparation for a match. You can even use this to watch some of the teams that you like and analyze their moves. There are some things that you pick up using this method which can improve your own gameplay.
The esports industry is a testament to how continuous advancements can strengthen an industry. There are great games that get released every month but there are a lot of titles that do not make it to the top-level. You can attribute this to not making enough moves to draw people.
Hopefully, esports remains as one of the leading pioneers of innovation because it will surely resonate with a lot of people. Esports is already a well-known commodity but it has the potential to be as well known as the traditional sports that we have been watching for our entire lives.
Find out more info on CSGO at Gamdom
Words: Pocholo Magsino
