Why eSports might not succeed
Recently, MLG (major league gaming) released an info graphic about the growth of their stream viewers. Over the past two years, the number of people who watch their tournaments online has grown to 11 million viewers. This is great news in the world of eSports, as it shows that there is a place where eSports can be successful. However, the demographics of this growth is also of concern. The great majority of viewers are male, and within a certain age group. This small group is what most people would consider gamers. The only downside is that “gamers” have developed a pretty bad name for themselves.
A lot of times when someone hears you’re a gamer, people think you are a rude and sexist 13 year old kid who swears a lot on xbox live. This view isn’t a bad assumption either, especially when you look at the fourth link. In fact, 6 months ago there was a large controversy over the community of fight games, which depicts street fights between players in a videogame. One of the participants in a tournament forfeit the match after being sexually harassed over 5 days. The community was split on whether they went too far. This article also presents another point where the community actively belittle new players and dismiss their opinions because they are inexperienced. People who don’t put in the time or effort are not allowed to participate or appreciate the game because the community doesn’t like them. The players who were turned away go on to discourage other people from playing the game, creating a negative cascade. The people who continue to play develop toxic behaviors almost like a disease. The new player will start to throw out insults and further damage the community, before he eventually quits.
In order for eSports to grown on a national level, the community needs to change to become more professional. The target audience must broaden in order for companies like MLG to continue growing. The pro gamers must realize that the game is their job and treat it with more maturity than a lot of communities do. ESports has a chance to be huge, as already shown in South Korea. Game designers even condemn the toxic behaviors. Online games often ban players who offend too many people. Capcom even threatened to shutdown CrossAssult. Toxic behavior needs to be discouraged before it’s allowed to spread in order for the public to look at video game communities seriously.
- http://www.penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/sexual-harassment-as-ethical-imperative-the-ugly-side-of-fighting-games
- http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-2012-season-generates-334-growth-in-live-online-viewers/
- http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/24/booth-babes-need-not-apply/
- http://fatuglyorslutty.com/