“Transcending borders and time zones, live gaming tournaments are revolutionizing the gaming industry by transforming it into a global sport where players around the world can compete in real-time. This global playground has woven a new fabric of dynamism and excitement into the realm of gaming, revealing its potential to become a serious contender among traditional sports.”
Live Tournaments Go Global: A new revolution sweeping across the video gaming industry is making headlines. It is the rise of live tournaments, now accessible worldwide, making keen gamers compete with their counterparts from around the globe in real-time. The worldwide playground has brought a new level of dynamism and excitement to gaming, transforming it into a global sport. The concept that was once confined to local areas and communities now embraces a global perspective, bringing the world together on one gaming platform.
This phenomenon is providing gamers with the chance to play beyond borders, breaking barriers of time zones, cultures, and language. Whether a player is in a remote corner of Chile or sits comfortably in an opulent flat in London, they can all partake in this global phenomenon and showcases their skills in a real-time epic showdown. It has fuels the spirit of competitive gaming, making esports a serious contender among traditional sports.
In the past, gaming tournaments generally occurred in physical locations. Participants would gear up, practice rigorously, and travel to the designated place to compete. The introduction of online gaming did try to bridge this gap but lacked in providing real-time worldwide interaction opportunities.
Recently, Microsoft’s flagship product Xbox Live and Sony’s PlayStation Network have been offering global gaming experiences to their users. However, now we see other players in the industry follow a similar route. Renowned gaming companies like Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Riot Games have introduced global live tournaments in their most popular games such as Call of Duty, FIFA, and League of Legends, respectively.
A high-speed Wi-Fi connection and groundbreaking advancements in cloud gaming play crucial roles in supporting this initiative. Azure Playfab’s LiveOps, Google Stadia, and NVIDIA’s GeForce Now are a few such services using next-generation technology to make gaming a hassle-free, global experience.
It’s not just the gaming developers that are pushing this initiative forward, live-streaming platforms like YouTube Gaming, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming are also enhancing gaming experience by streaming these tournaments worldwide.
The global pandemic has added new momentum to this trend. The closed-door phenomenon of international lockdowns has accelerated the transformation of the gaming industry into the digital arena.
As the global live tournaments continue to gain traction, an ecosystem of influencers, and shout casters – the gaming industry’s equivalent of sports commentators – is emerging. These individuals are gaining substantial followings on social platforms and contributing towards building the gaming community.
The world of live tournaments has taken a monumental turn with the increase in mobile gaming. Companies such as Epic Games and Supercell are offering their massive hits Fortnite and Clash Royale not only for PC and console but also for mobile users. This unique aspect has made live tournaments more accessible, leaving a profound impact on the participation rate worldwide.
But like every coin has a flip side, so does the live gaming tournaments. A significant concern revolving around this is that it may promote a culture of indifference, violence, or addiction among the fans. However, with efficient parental control tools and responsible gaming initiatives from gaming companies, this issue is being addressed.
Summing up, the global live tournaments are undoubtedly reshaping the gaming industry. It’s fostering an environment of global competitiveness and pushing players to become more skilled and strategic. It is all set to become a major part of our culture as we move further into this digital age.
Sources:
1. Smith, L. (2020). Revenues set to exceed $1 billion in the rapidly growing esports market. Forbes. – https://www.forbes.com/sites/louissmith/2020/08/07/revenues-set-to-exceed-1-billion-in-the-rapidly-growing-esports-market/
2. Kuchera, B. (2019). How Azure PlayFab’s LiveOps is changing gaming. Polygon. – https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/30/20938215/azure-playfab-liveops-game-development-cloud-gaming
3. Ames, B. (2021). Cloud gaming pressing start on huge potential. Observer Research Foundation. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/cloud-gaming-pressing-start-huge-potential/
4. Brightman, J. (2020). Influencers and Shout casters: The power behind the modern day gaming industry. Gaming Business Review. – https://www.gamingbusinessreview.com/influencer-marketing/influencers-and-shout-casters-the-power-behind-the-modern-day-gaming-industry/
5. Hruska J (2019). Fortnite, Clash Royale, and the rise of mobile gaming. Gamingscan. – https://www.gamingscan.com/fortnite-clash-royale-and-the-rise-of-mobile-gaming/
