Not to beat a dead horse, but eSports is kind of a big deal. There is also a marketplace taking shape around this global phenomenon. Yet, outside of the clear overlap with gaming (eSports is a subset of the worldwide gaming market), it’s not evident what other opportunities exist. Well, one such opportunity is taking shape as eSports performance; and analogous to its sports performance cousin, it pertains to the training, preparation and instruction necessary to maximize performance in competitive gaming. So while the never-ending debate around whether it’s a sport or not continues to rage, there’s substantial opportunity to capitalize on the market for understanding/enabling success for the digital “athlete.”
No sweat, no problem
With a reduced emphasis on physical measurables, eSports places a premium on emotional/mental makeup. Top gaming pros don’t just sport superior reflexes and reaction times, they have what it takes to succeed from the head up. In a domain where change is inevitable, the ability to adjust, counter and think flexibly is imperative. For example, new patches are consistently released by developers forcing teams and individual players to adjust a new version of the game. These changes can create unexpected scenarios and gameplay strategies, literally overnight. Imagine the outcry from NBA players, if their league released a new change to its rule book, every three months or so! Well, this is par the course for eSport pros.
Accordingly the market for eSports performance cannot assume as much as its traditional sport counterparts. Products and services must adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of its target audience. Game titles are bound to rise and fall as eSport leaders, complicating stability but also creating new gaps to be filled. Over the near term, look for less physical equipment/offerings and more virtual environments where player mental/emotional state can be monitored and levels of performance evaluated. This is akin to measuring how high an athlete jumps, runs or moves to better hone training techniques.
Put me in coach
The most mature opportunity, professionalization of eSports coaching, is also perhaps the most critical. See here, for details on how the demands of eSports contribute to a short shelf life for its pro players. As a whole, there is no engine for the techniques and infrastructure key in developing coaches properly prepared to manage and coax the best out of pro players. Not to mention the void for research into the effect of coaching on player success and performance. Obviously, the need for coaching is magnified when dealing with team play, but still applies across the board for all eSports played at a professional level.
In either case, Understanding the game mechanics, strategy, etc. is only a small part of successful coaching. In traditional sports, there are well-defined career paths for coaches; one does not simply become a coach at the pro level without progressing through a development path. The same is necessary in eSports. Coaches must be prepared to deal, not only, with the game itself but the humans who compete on the digital playing field.
It’s not just for the pros
Today, eSports is commonly referred to as a monolithic entirety; a term used to encapsulate the entire domain of competitive gaming. However, just as all fútbol being played across the world is not the same (there are pro, semi-pro, recreational levels), similar distinctions exist for eSports. And for all the success leagues like Riot’s League of Legends Championship Series has attained, the potential market for non-pro (amateur) eSports is absolutely massive. Buoyed by the rapid acceptance of competitive gaming at the collegiate level, there is a fast expanding universe of tournaments, leagues and organizations competing outside the paid ranks of pros. And as the career path for pro players stabilizes, there will be more gamers seeking to enter those ranks.
This is fertile breeding ground for a market of enhancing the skills of everyday gamers, not just pros. While most will never reach the highest levels of eSports, the prospect of investing in skill development will be well worth it. A digital landscape and reduced emphasis on physicality will cast a wider net across the globe. Unlike traditional sports, which self-select for certain physical traits, eSports feature a more inclusive set of skill requirements. Even if very few people possess them at a level required to “go pro.”
Moving forward
The future market for eSports performance will be dictated by the research being done today. Without the case studies, scientific models and hard data, it will be very difficult to capture market share. Even if today’s indicators all point towards a huge opportunity. One way or the other, if eSports performance rivals anything close to traditional sports, it will represent a substantial shift across the world.
Alex Fletcher finds and recruits top talent in the eSports world – by working with and nurturing the next generation of rising stars. Visit eSports Group for more info. When he isn’t glued to a screen, he spends time with his wife, their two dogs, and pretends to learn Polish.