Esports - next frontier in video gaming

Industry is bracing for exponential growth home and abroad

Esports, an umbrella name for organized competitive video gaming, is not what comes to mind when people think of sports.

That may change soon because esports is going mainstream, thanks to its recognition by international sporting organizations.

Last month, the Olympic Council of Asia announced esports will be included as an official medal event in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games in Zhejiang province in partnership with Alisports, the sports arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

In announcing the move, the OCA said the decision reflects "the rapid development and popularity of this new form of sports participation among the youth".

In addition, demonstration events will be held at September's Ashgabat Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan and at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in Indonesia.

Wang Guan, general manager at the esports division of Alisports, said the company would act as a technology provider and supporter to work with the OCA, helping plan and organize the competition as well as develop markets in Asia.

But he acknowledged there is a lot of work ahead.

"Take esports broadcasting for example. We will need people who really have a thorough understanding of the industry, not just experience in traditional sports broadcasting."

The Asian Games, recognized by the International Olympic Committee, is the world's second-biggest multisport event after the Olympics. In 2014, 45 countries and nearly 10,000 athletes participated in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Wang praised the OCA move as "a bold step", but warned it is not easy to achieve the ultimate goal of entering the Olympic Games.

Back in 2003, esports was officially listed as the country's 99th sporting event by China's General Administration of Sport, which distinguished between esports and regular online games.

With the appetite for online entertainment surging, esports is bracing for exponential growth both in China and abroad.

Seeing its potential, Alibaba invested more than 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) to organize the World Electronic Sports Games last year with a prize pool of more than $5.5 million, marking its ambitious goal to be an industry leader in the sector.

"The partnership with the OCA will help us better tap into the Asian market, making esports a widely recognized sport among those countries. Then we can better develop our esports brand in the global market," Wang added.

The global esports market will be worth $696 million by the end of this year, with a year-on-year growth of 41 percent, according Newzoo, a gaming intelligence provider headquartered in Amsterdam.

This year, the global esports audience will reach 385 million, consisting of 191 million enthusiasts and 194 million occasional viewers, Newzoo said in a report. And the number of esports lovers is expected to rise by another 50 percent to 286 million by 2020, it added.

Tang Hua, director of the esports division at the General Administration of Sport information center, said esports will play an important role in enriching traditional sports events.

"Esports is an emerging internet sports, which has gained popularity among youngsters. It will improve players' thinking ability, reaction capability as well as learning the team spirit. Simulating various environments in the real world, players are able to obtain abundant experiences," Tang said.

"I believe esports will be recognized by more people and be boosted further in the future."