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The Roar

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Get ready for after-school eSports

The Gfinity Elite Series' finals are almost here, so every match matters. (Image: Gfinity Australia)
Expert
4th April, 2018
2

Most of us have memories of sitting out the front of a somewhat deserted school waiting for our parents to pick us up after a hard practice session.

For some this would be footy or soccer, probably sitting on the ball despite how many times you’d been told not, mud caked on your shoes without a second thought for how your parents felt about you piling into their car.

For those of you with coordination more like myself, this scene might remind you more of waiting after band practice, perched on your instrument case against your parents’ wishes.

Whatever your after-school activity, this moment – especially on a rainy day when you think your parents might have actually forgotten – is intimately universal, and soon it will be that way for a generation of eSports hopefuls.

Pro gaming continues to grow, and while Australia is lagging – not just for our ping – behind compared to other countries, eSports are slowly becoming more accepted, commonplace and, most importantly, accessible.

Last year both the Adelaide Crows and Essendon Bombers football clubs purchased League of Legends teams to play in the Oceanic competitions this year, and it’s no surprise why: 2017’s League of Legends World Championship prize pool was set at $5.9 million. Forgetting sponsorship opportunities, merchandise and media revenue, it’s no surprise traditional sports would want a piece of the e-pie.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, with eSports beginning to spread and bleed into the mainstream. The AFL believes that 21 per cent of football fans already have an interest in eSports, so these numbers and levels of support are only going to grow. In the coming years expect to see Ausclick alongside Auskick in our schools.

Members of the New York Excelsior esports team celebrate being crowned Stage 2 champions of the Overwatch League.

(Robert Paul/Blizzard Entertainment)

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More signs of eSports bleeding into our real and physical world come from the recent partnership between Hoyts and Gfinity Esports Australia.

The popular cinema chain will soon host eSports facilities in revamped existing cinema spaces to accommodate tournaments.The facilities are set to boast state-of-the-art gaming equipment and production capabilities to stream these events to the world.

The first of these is set to be ready in Sydney by the first quarter of this year, which means it should be just about opening its doors, potentially just in time for the start of the Overwatch World Cup.

The world cup is another case where we are more likely than ever to see young people banding together and training to become eSports champions. It’s one of the few events where invitation can be based on the skills you show in-game rather than needing to have a platform to stand on. This means that kids all over the country are already feverishly trying to raise their rank for a chance at Overwatch glory. It won’t be long until schools are helping to facilitate this.

Like any endeavor, the environment to create greatness is something that can be crafted and perfected. Top schools for academic prowess or sports often get that way by working to cultivate that culture and environment. A school without a basketball court doesn’t have half the chance of producing top players as one with state-of-the-art facilities and coaches.

(Gfinity Australia)

Gaming systems and peripherals aren’t cheap, but they are competitive. Schools will seek sponsorship from companies that want the next generation to grow up learning to play on their hardware to dominate the coming industry. Parents of promising young players will be looking to see which coaches and clubs schools have affiliated with and what opportunities these environments can offer their proteges. You’ll have institutes offering scholarships to bright young keyboard athletes because eSports is big money.

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It’s easy to look at this with scepticism, but it’s coming, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Esports are already popular; helping to grow young people into this will only make for better players.

There can be issues with etiquette and other behaviours in eSports that I’ve written about before, and a lot of that is due to unleashing kids onto the internet to learn and develop their prowess. Having learning institutions help with this will also offer other aspects of coaching from a younger age, which will include how to behave in public and how to handle and navigate the situations that will come before them.

Get ready to factor in the eSports program in your child’s school when considering enrolling. Get ready to hear them whine about wanting to go to practice or needing a new mouse. Get ready to cut orange slices for kids training on their PCs to be the very best. Get ready for after school eSports.

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