What Makes Esports Games So Appealing?

Esports is a global phenomenon, and as such, it holds sway over millions of people. In fact, according to Newzoo, a gaming data analytics company, there are some 750 million so-called “esports enthusiasts out there.

These enthusiasts are not necessarily involved in playing themselves, but they do appreciate esports in some capacity, and they are a part of the bigger family. Today, esports is everywhere. You have competitive events dishing out prize pools worth $40 million.

Some of the world’s best bookmakers already offer bets on various esports competitions. If you read the Bet365 review, you will be surprised to find out that bookies consider esports to be one of the most promising verticals of the future because of the constantly expanding ecosystem behind it.

In any event, esports holds an appeal, and that is a well-documented fact. Today, we take a look at what makes competitive video gaming so appealing to so many people around the world.

Community

Esports didn’t start as “competitive events.” They started as communities. In places like South Korea and even the United States, people would gather together and play games, form communities and see if others were willing to join. The idea of competing against your friends was always there, of course.

Securing bragging rights is a powerful social currency that can be leveraged with great benefits to the individual who holds it. Regardless, esports is above all else communities – whether you play in a team or root for one, you want to belong and be a part of the happenings.

Many fans today describe esports not so much as competitive gaming but rather the fact that they can be a part of a community that they enjoy and constantly look up for updates on various themes that may even do with things outside of gaming. With this in mind, it’s safe to say that esports is actually influencing and forming public opinion. We will talk about this in a bit.

Engagement

Esports are quite engaging. They are run in attractive shapes and forms, whether it’s a stream or a tournament. The end result is pretty much always the same – a great experience worth your time. Engagement is a key driver of interest in esports. That is why many production companies are flocking to the industry and creating new narratives that allow fans to derive pleasure from spectating events.

There are many successful examples where tournament hosts create compelling tournaments that are marked by high engagement from fans that are always there to enjoy the quality production of streaming, commentating, and general broadcasting. Esports fans are definitely getting proper treatment insofar as the quality of the production goes.

Accessibility

A big part of why esports is so popular is simple – accessibility. All you need to “participate in esports” is a PC or mobile device that will allow you to play these games. Most of today’s esports titles are also free-to-play, so you don’t have to pay anything to actually be a part of the ecosystem.

It gets even better when you factor in the fact that most of these games are created with hardware parameters that allow many players to play from even budget options. Accessibility lies elsewhere, too. Video games are easy to get into and play. There are calibrated difficulties, so you won’t be thrown in against much tougher opponents from the start.

Esports are also not necessarily competitive. You can play a video game just to have fun and not to win a tournament. It’s that universal formula that has allowed many fans from all over the world to get involved and appreciate their time watching esports games.

Entertainment Value 

Entertainment value is, of course, huge in competitive video gaming. People from all over the world are “esports enthusiasts” precisely because they find it worthwhile to participate. Gamers are always happy to tune in and watch a broadcast and cheer for their favorites.

The entertainment value is delivered in many ways, too – some companies rely on extensive esports coverage. Others focus on huge prize pools, which definitely make fans eager to see who will walk away with the biggest chunk of the pot. When Dota 2 was first launched, it was still a beta, but the inaugural tournament known as The International featured a $1 million prize pool. That brings us to the next reason why esports games are so popular.

Opportunity to Win Big

Yes, esports does offer most people an opportunity to win big, and that is excellent. Gamers are often tempted by the idea of participating in competitive video gaming events themselves and becoming one of the well-salaried players out there that really makes a difference.

You can definitely try your hand at going professional, albeit there are some distinct challenges that you would need to address as well. For starters, competitive video gaming is definitely not easy, and there is a lot of competition already. You will be running up against hundreds of thousands of talented players to speak of.

Well, even if this is true, the fact that there is at least the possibility that you may win big playing esports is an ever-tantalizing prospect that you will enjoy throughout your casual or perhaps professional career as an esports fan or player.

Teams and Players

Why do people find esports appealing? Well, they have their favorite teams they love to root for. It’s not so strange when you think about it. This is virtually the way it works in any other competition. Sports are quite popular, and people rally for one team or player or another.

Well, it works the exact same way in esports. One player or team develops a bit of a reputation for being fan-favorite, and people just follow them. Teams and players do hold sway over fan bases, and that is a good thing as it allows everyone to feel involved.

That is certainly one of the reasons why esports have such a significant appeal over fans that may be new to competitive video gaming, but once they find a team to root for, the experience will feel much familiar.

The Stories

After having spent a while with a game, you probably know a story or two. This is one of the other reasons why people get drawn to esports. There are many personal stories and narratives that go hand-in-hand with the games that fans rally to watch. Some Starcraft professional players have stories where they would spend their teen years only playing the game to hone their skills at a time when even a replay function didn’t exist.

Others will tell how their parents changed attitudes towards their gaming careers when they found out that their children were about to become rich off playing video games. There are many stories out there, that is for certain.

Performance and Skill 

After a while, players can distinguish between highly skilled plays, and that is another thing that brings people back to esports. You may play Dota 2 or CS: GO casually, but pulling some of the wicked plays you see in competitions is definitely something that will motivate you to keep playing and try some of those timeless moves.

It’s not just that. There are many scenarios where you can see how much effort a game actually takes to master. Take, for example, Starcraft II. By definition, real-time strategies (RTS) are games where you can’t expect to have things easy, as the level of skill that goes in playing well is much higher than any FPS, card game, MOBA, or battle royale out there.

Yet, when you see the best players in the world play the DeepMind AI, which beats them easily, you can definitely appreciate what “superhuman” skill goes in that. So, after a while, people who come back for more esports are really coming back because they can appreciate how hard it is to play the games at the very highest level.

Outreach and Social Causes 

Esports is not just entertainment – it’s a way to communicate meaningful messages. Whether that is gender equality, anti-racism slogans, or social justice, the platform has become much more powerful than some “people playing games.” Esports fans are a powerful mass that can be talked to, and that can bring around change.

Companies have learned that they are no longer in control of what they can put out there or do so without having the community’s say. Many fans communicate with developers via Reddit AMA, and organizations such as Valve and Blizzard/Activision are reaching out to the best players there are to make sure that they get the next patch and change right.

More importantly, esports can send strong social appeals and incentivize people to act with understanding and care towards a given subject. Some toxicity still lingers, but the days when video games would be used by mean-spirited individuals to make others feel inferior are now long gone, and that is a fact.