esports

Esports

Esport History

When I see a piece of news from the traditional media about eSports, I can only smile. I listen to all kinds of misinformation. The most common is to say that electronic sports have “come out of nowhere. As if they had arisen by some kind of spontaneous generation.

That’s why I’m going to tell you a story. Sit around the fire and listen carefully. Hear how everything started.

A History of Men and Machines

  It was the 60s, and video games were science fiction. They were not even conceived in the collective imaginary, whether as entertainment or as a sport. In 1962 a guy named Steve Russell developed something called Spacewar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology! It was a program he did with his colleagues, all of them university students, to work on a PDP-1 computer. Spacewar! It was a “game”, for lack of a better word. In it, two spaceships tried to destroy themselves without falling into the gravitational force of a star.

Exactly ten years later, in October 1972, Standford University held a Spacewar competition! They called the event “intergalactic olympics”, and attendees drank free beer. The prize for the winner was a one-year subscription to the famous Rolling Stone magazine.

Eight years later in 1980, Atari organized the first large-scale tournament in the history of eSports. It consisted of getting the best score from the popular Space Invaders (the Matamacians par excellence). More than 10,000 people from all over the United States competed (given the technical limitations of the time) in-person in New York. The winner of the Space Invaders National Championship was Rebecca Heineman. She became the first person to win a national video game tournament. Subsequently, she developed a successful career as a programmer in the sector.

Promises of the Future

  Between March 8 and 11, 1990, the company of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda held the first Nintendo World Championship. It was held in 29 cities in the United States with the games Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and Rad Racer. It consisted of different competitions, individual, and in pairs. Although there was no official list of winners, this honor was later taken by Thor Aackerlund.

Parallel to the tournament, Nintendo Power magazine held a contest in which they gave away something very special. It was a golden NES cartridge with the three games of the competition. It is currently valued at more than $ 15,000. There was another similar Nintendo World Championship four years later, but it did not have the effect of the first.

The Lost Opportunity of Nintendo

Pokémon fever, starting in 1996, again prompted Nintendo to do competitive events. The trigger was the releasing of Pokémon Stadium in 2000, which gave a spectacular never before seen in the saga. It was a 3D video game for Nintendo 64. What made it unique is that you could use the equipment saved in Game Boy cartridges.

That same year national competitions were held all over the globe, looking for the best players. The champion of Spain was a very young Sergio García Maroto, who then competed against the best in Europe. His performance was so good that he managed to qualify for the Sydney World Championship in Australia, where he won third place.

For things in life, Sergio would be known twelve years later as the Youtuber Knekro. He became famous again thanks to his content of League of Legends, the eSport par excellence.

Returning to Pokémon, Nintendo had a golden opportunity. Following that championship, eSports could have been born a decade earlier. But the Japanese company could not see the potential behind all that. And, unfortunately, the competitive Pokémon was relegated to the background.

Parallel Stories

Pokémon was not the only example of what we could call the pre-eSports era, although it was the most popular. In the late 90s, and early new century, there were a few others.

To name one, there was the Red Annihilation tournament of the Quake shooter in 1997. It is considered one of the first examples of “modern” eSport. Among the 2,000 participants, the winner won the Ferrari from the game’s chief developer, John Carmack.

On the other side of the globe, in South Korea, Starcraft, Blizzard’s science fiction RTS, triumphed. This country was the first to professionalize eSports competitions. The players were treated as “athletes”, and the games began to be broadcast on television. The first clubs, sponsors and player unions also emerged.

Today Scene

Thanks to Blizzard, although indirectly, came the definitive boom with the editor of video game Warcraft. The same users created the Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) map, which is now standalone Esport game from Valve and which Riot would later rely on for the LOL.

League of Legends has become the most popular eSport , but there are many others. From shooters (Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, Overwatch …), card game (Hearthstone), mobile (Clash Royale) or more original (Rocket League).

Today, eSports move millions around the planet, and its a booming business. But all this comes from certain “intergalactic Olympics” 45 years ago. Therefore, when you hear that the phenomenon is recent, remember this: Rome was not made in one day.

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World Basket Cup

Playing World Basket Cup

Finally the World Basket Cup has come! This is the world cup for individuals and its extremely fun and exciting. At the beginning choose your name, design your character and you are ready to compete in this world cup. Use the arrow keys on keyboard to navigate the character and spacebar to shoot. By holding the spacebar a little bit your shoot is gaining power. After you win some matches you will have some money to buy accessories that will help your character to play better and to be more fashionable there on the field. The people aren’t informed about the world cup so there are very few of them in the audience but who cares, right? The joy and excitement while playing this game is more important than anything.

Use left and right arrow keys to move, down arrow key to pick up the ball, up arrow key to jump and space to throw the ball

news

News

Esports News

Gamergy – Major Esport Event in Spain

Gamergy, which will be held from June 21 to 23, will bring together the leading experts in online competitions. It is one of the businesses that is rising at the moment. The eSports (leagues and online videogames competitions) moved around 800 million euros in the world and are expected to reach 1,445 million in 2021, according to a report by the Newzoo consultancy. Gamergy, organized together with the Professional Videogames League (LVP), of the Mediapro e Ifema Group, opens its tenth edition from June 21 to 23 on 33,000 square meters of surface with 700 gaming stalls. The amount they expect to distribute in prizes exceeds 100,000 euros.

“The eSports are a parallel universe that has hooked, above all, the digital natives. There is a great generational leap especially in those who enjoy and consume it and those who manage it and those in the business, but there are more and more sectors and industries investing here, although there is still a place to grow commercially” says Álvaro Argüelles, commercial director of the LVP. In fact, it is expected that “when the market matures, the money will come in through the sale of retransmission rights, as with other sectors.”

According to him, “first there were more brands of peripherals and machines, but when the telecommunications platforms, Movistar, Orange and Vodafone entered, without which the eSports cannot function, aware that the audiences kept growing and could prescribe the products, aroused even more interest.” 10% of the business model is based on brand sponsorship and 90% on advertising.

In the event there will be two scenarios that will run parallel to the more than 50,000 participants, including public, professional and amateur players, who are 80% young people from 20 to 24 years. There will be great global competitions – “like the Champions League”, explains Argüelles – “and local leagues. Mediapro bought the league and has invested a lot, and it is based on taking risks and investment that this is professionalized”, explains Jorge Schnura, co-founder and president of the Mad Lions club, that is participating in the national semifinals of one of the tournaments and in the league.

“There are many fairs where video games are taught, but this is the one focused not only on testing them, but on competing with fans, who can meet players, who sign autographs and where brands can interact with their customers”, says Schnura.

The eSports Arrive at the Asian Games Wrapped in Controversy

For the first time in its history, the Asian Games, which are held every four years and are the continental equivalent of the Olympic Games, will host a parallel electronic sports competition to be played between August 26 and September 1.

Participants will fight for the pride of their respective countries in the six titles chosen, including the popular computer game League of Legends, the Chinese giant Tencent, or StarCraft II, of the American company Activision Blizzard. These games are the biggest demonstration to date of esports in the Olympic field and could be a successful first test to be included as a discipline in Paris 2024.

The confluence between the values of the sport, with national bases and a non-profit spirit, with videogame competitions, controlled by a company worldwide, raise the eyebrows of the skeptics and the voices of the most critical, who sees this a maneuver solely focused on raising audience ratings and adding more sponsors to the event organization.

“The International Olympic Committee is interested in eSports because it is an opportunity to attract a demographic profile that seems to be less interested in the Olympic Games than in the past decades,” says Sergio Mesonero, head of the strategy for the Professional Video Games League. “But there are hardly salvageable difficulties, which even they have made explicit as the lack of an independent regulatory body.”

Unlike Basketball or Athletics, video games are controlled by companies and the competition will always depend on the terms it imposes within its aspirations and business plans. “The IOC needs to establish the rules of the game for each discipline, but why would a video game studio want to lose control over its product?” Mesonero questions.

In addition, the cultural and work differences between sport and video game competitions are huge, opposite poles united by the competitive spirit, starting with a clear cultural and gender bias.

“None of the teams participating in the Asian Games has included a woman, when the objective of the IOC is to be a joint competition, and hence the female disciplines were created in the first instance,” says Mesonero. “Does it make sense to create the gender division in activities that are not dominated by physical capacity?

Nor is the selection of video games in which they will compete be exempt from controversy. The organizers of the Asian Games have diffusely explained the reason for their decision based on “their vision promoting integrity, ethics and fair play “that they promote.” The titles chosen clearly opted for Asian companies, favoring League of Legends from Tencent instead of Dota 2 from the American studio Valve, or Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami instead of the FIFA of Electronic Arts.

The gap between two similar titles can be made much larger if parallel video game competitions held at Olympic events continue to favor one of them. Although there could be a direct benefit for the companies that own each title, neither Tencent nor Activision have made a great promotion of their presence in the Asian Games either because of the anecdotal inclusion or because of the hypothetical loss of control over it who point out experts in the sector as Innkeeper.

The eSports is a business that generates thousands of dollars from the direct benefits from the sale of digital goods, live broadcasts and sponsorship teams. Goldman Sachs determined that they were a business of 500 million dollars in 2016 and expects the market to grow 22% annually until it becomes an opportunity of more than one billion dollars. Instead, the Olympic Games audiences continue to fall for each edition, and the young audience is presumably one of the keys to attract or recover.

“The interest of the IOC is higher for eSports than that of the video game industry for the Olympic Games,” concludes Mesonero. The esports have nothing to gain, they have carved the way in a certain way and without external help; they have aroused interest among young people for themselves. There are clear bridges between both worlds, but the total integration between worlds still so different may not make sense.”

sports games

Best Sports Games

Best Sports Games Today

The excitement of sports is not experienced only on the playing fields or on the competition courts. With the controls of your console or PC in your hands, you will also feel the adrenaline, risk and speed. We give you some of the most successful and best video sport games today.

Dirt Rally 2.0

The second installment of this great driving simulator arrives. After the good taste that left the first edition, this sequel arrives, with the official license of the FIA World Rallycross Championship and with more than 50 cars available.

Ride 3

Third edition of the saga created by Milestone. In this version we have more than 230 motorcycles to drive that you can choose from and that you can enjoy dirt and asphalt tracks that look spectacular thanks to the great Unreal Engine 4 graphic engine.

Gran Turismo Sport

Gran Tourismo is for the PlayStation 4 console and has integrated multiplayer mode. It is available in different versions, including the most expensive collector edition. It is an award-winning series of real driving simulators that lead to a thrilling high octane experience. It is an accessible and tuned game for everyone to enjoy, from less experienced drivers to motor aces.

FIFA 19

For the PlayStation 4 platform, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC. It offers a wide variety of playing modes, with official match presentations and extensive and varied tournament experiences, such as the Champions League, the Europa League, the European Super Cup and a new team of commentators with Derek Roe and Lee Dixon. The new Active Touch System changes the way in which the ball is received and touched, providing closer control, greater fluidity, creativity and a greater personality of the player.

Forza Horizon 4

For the Xbox One platform. Dynamic stations change everything in one of the best car games in the world. It has unique option of going on your own or with other teams in order to explore the beautiful and historic Britain in a shared open world. The game allows to collect, modify and drive more than 450 cars. The possibilities: Compete, perform stunts, create and explore all routes.

Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition

For the PlayStation 4 platform. The pack contains 8 DLCs and 178 perfectly reproduced models with 33 configurations of 16 legendary circuits, such as Silverstone, Nordschleife, Imola, Monza, Barcelona, Spa Francorchamps, Spielberg Redbull Ring and Brands Hatch. All of them have been scanned with laser technology to be as real as possible. All vehicles have been recreated with a high level of detail, for realistic driving and performance based on telemetry and actual manufacturer data.

Trials Rising

This game has a very clear objective: to be fun in a big way. Motocross riding with dream scenarios all over the world, explosions and other exciting stuff. The gold edition includes the expansion pass and a sticker book.

Sports Island

For the Nintendo Wii platform. This is a sports title that includes ten different sports. Users can enjoy football, volleyball, badminton, basketball, curling, figure skating, archery, motocross, snowboarding and go-kart games.

V-Rally

For Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC platforms. Enjoy this rally simulator that includes the most difficult routes in often extreme conditions, and has modern and historic vehicles. WIth different game modes: Cross with eight intense races on ground circuits, Buggy with fierce races on mountainous terrain, Hill Climb to reach the highest peaks, Asphalt, etc.

NBA 2K19

For Play Station 4, Xbox One and PC. This is a basketball simulator developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is based on the National Basketball Association and is already the twentieth installment of the NBA 2K franchise and the successor of NBA 2K18.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

Game for the PlayStation 4 platform. It is one of the best soccer simulators of the moment. Ideal for those seeking realism and football in its purest form. The graphic section is of high quality, with a high level of detail. It offers different game modes to meet all expectations.

EA Sports UFC 3

Available for the Xbox One platform and is not recommended for children under 16. The game proposes movements, strokes and combinations with the agility of the best UFC world athletes thanks to Real Player motion, a new technology that offers more agile and better response movements. Players can escape and hit in full motion while executing dangerous counterattacks.

F1 2018 Headline Edition

For Play Station 4, Xbox One and Windows platforms. It is a recreation of the driving genre for classic F1 cars. Includes 21 circuits that were part of the 2018 season. There are 20 iconic cars that have made history in this sport. The McLaren M23D with which James Hunt won the victory in the 1976 Championship or the Ferrari 312 T2 of Niki Lauda, are part of those cars with which you can now run in F1 2018.

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Android Soccer

Playing Android Soccer

Are you ready for this unique and exciting flash game. This game will test your shooting skills and you will get a perfect image of your soccer skills and knowledge. Your task is to try to score as many goals as you can with 8 balls. Try to make the best possible score to get some applause from the big numbered crowd which have gathered here just to watch you. The controls are very simple to be used. You will need to use only mouse to play this awesome game. Good luck and have fun while playing this unique flash game on our site.

Use mouse to play.

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Skate For Fun

Playing Skate For Fun

Another exciting flash game that will bring some fun for sure. The task is very simple and you will understand it very easily. All you need to do is skating on the rooftops of some buildings and take care to not fall or hit any of the obstacles in front of you. Reach as far as you can to make your score in the top five. Give it a try. The controls are very easy and you will not find any problem in that section of the game. You will need to use only up arrow key to jump when it is needed. Good luck and have fun while playing this awesome and unique flash game on our site.

Use up arrow key to jump.