“In the digital age, digital sports [are] a new frontier — and schools should be ready to embrace it and lead the way for both gamers and fans.”
— Victoria Rose, The Case for Collegiate Esports
The eSports generation is here, and colleges around the North American continent must be prepared to take notice. While a handful of eSports scholarship programs have received the lion share of attention, the big picture involves a groundswell of activity across an increasing number of schools. Whether competitive video game play is considered a varsity sport or not, it combines several key elements that make it an undeniable, emergent force at the collegiate level.
eSports are the New STEM
eSports is composed of Social Technology Entertainment and Media (STEM) principles. And similar to its namesake, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, is a mixed group of traditional elements. This new form of STEM embodies the hallmarks of traditional sports – competition, community and recreation – in addition to, a growing set of skills and knowledge applicable to real world disciplines.
Social – The global eSports community is a connected web of enthusiasts who compete, share and interact through a variety of platforms. Likewise, the growth of competitive gaming at the collegiate level is driven by the increasing role of gaming as shared social activity. The stereotype that video games are associated with social isolation is being proved bogus at places like Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU). Junior Layne Shirley, KWU eSports team co-founder, sees online team video game competitions as the source of social cohesion, “Instead of playing video games alone in their room, [students] are involved in social team environments with other students.” At KWU, there is also a healthy overlap between traditional sports where, according to Mr. Shirley, 70% of the eSports team is composed of varsity athletes. In essence, eSports are more than just video games; they are current version of yester year’s ice cream social.
Entertainment and Media – The fast growing eSports industry is materialization of the rapid shift in how entertainment and media is consumed in the 21st century. This mandates the embrace of a new set of perspectives, beginning with institutions of higher learning. Given the skyrocketing costs of pursuing a degree, collegiate programs must align with the complexion of their student populations or risking falling behind. The reality that college-aged youth spend more time experiencing video games from a second or third person perspective provides colleges with ample opportunity to create innovative forms of interactive, educational experiences.
Technology – Worldwide, competitive video gaming is both a disruptor and ripe for disruption. Featuring a digital playing field, eSports offers immediate integration with new a new wave of technologies. Trends like mobile commerce, crypto currency and even virtual reality will play out across globally connected gaming communities over the next 2 – 3 years; offering a wealth of opportunities for practical research & development. eSports also holds potential to apply academic approaches and methodologies from traditional sport and training science into the notion of “eSports science.” Universities, serious about remaining at the cutting edge of thought leadership, can’t afford to be late adopters.
Scoping the opportunity
As eSport participation increases across North American college campuses, the debate over whether competitive video gaming qualifies as a varsity sport will intensify. However important the classification is, it must not overshadow the place that eSports will play for this generation of college students. Not only can colleges establish themselves as a place for young people to simultaneously pursue an education and prepare themselves for a pro gaming career, but the general student body can benefit from eSports with or without official support as varsity sport. Administrators must, at least, consider competitive gaming as a viable form of intramural activity; especially, given the cost effective nature of gaming compared to physical sports.
The multi-varied nature of eSports provides multiple channels of participation from which universities will benefit. For instance, the director of Maryville University’s eSports program is Dan Clerkie, founder and CEO of professional eSports organization Enemy eSports. Under Mr. Clerkie’s guidance, MU eSports is structured like a pro organization, including roles for a coach and assistant coach. Students, involved with the program, gain exposure to the dynamics of a fast-rising eSports industry in which they will have the opportunity to pursue a career if they so choose. This is a winning formula and model that begs to be emulated.
The way forward
As the commercial prospects of professional eSports continue to rise, the collegiate level will see the same. Currently, there is no system of amateur eSports player development. Potential eSports pros are faced with the prospect of postponing or altogether neglecting pursuit of higher education. If colleges develop as a home for high level amateur gaming competition, a substantial opportunity to eventually generate additional revenue will follow.
The All MID organization provided a working use case for the potential of bringing together active collegiate gaming communities, with its fall 2015 regional tournament. Combining over a decade of collective experience in hosting and producing high quality gaming events, All MID developed and executed a substantial tournament that brought gamers from multiple schools across state lines to compete on a professionally produced platform. The event, known as the Invitational, generated significant turnout and drew sponsorship from companies like Microsoft, amongst others.
Today, the ecosystem surrounding collegiate eSports is embryonic but fast developing. Case in point, the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF), a startup focused on creating traction for competitive gaming in colleges across the USA. The company is engaging universities to make a case for including eSports within athletic programs, which is an admittedly tough sell. To simplify the proposition, EGF provides professional services and consulting within a business model that includes running tournaments. The goal is to provide an anchor for eSports in the collegiate world, less dependent on the publishers who own the video game titles. This objective, shared by an increasing number of organized entities, has 2016 shaping up as an eventful year for eSports on college campuses across North America.
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Alex Fletcher is founder & president at eSports Group, where he helps customers meet their eSports advisory & consulting needs. When Alex isn’t glued to a screen, he spends time with his wife, their two dogs, and pretends to learn Polish. Feel free to stalk him on Twitter – @FletchUnleashed