9781422277348

greater sales of video games, that falls under the umbrella of related business (like a sporting goods store selling baseball equipment to Little Leaguers). Origin of Esports N o matter what you call it, esports is huge. It’s been estimated that more than 70 million people around the world attend es- ports tournaments, with hundreds of millions more watching on TV or some other device. Despite the unbelievable popularity of esports, there’s one quite controversial issue regarding its name. It is something that gamers will likely never stop hearing: It’s not a sport! Unlike actual esports competition—in which one keeps score and it is therefore easy to determine a winner—neither side will admit defeat in the debate over whether or not esports is really a sport. For the sake of argument, here are some key factors in favor of calling it a sport: • esports games require lightning-fast reflexes, thus a certain de- gree of physical ability • esports games require excellent hand-eye coordination • esports games require strategic thought and preparation • esports is a competition, with a clear set of rules and a scoring system to determine winners and losers. According to Ryan Garfat, a senior editor at ESPN.com who launched that site’s esports section, the question of whether or not esports is a sport is irrelevant.

Introduction: The World Is Watching

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