eSports are on Sky platforms on channel 470
Monday 10 October 2016 14:21, UK
Sky Sports have quizzed GINX eSports TV about the ins-and-outs of competitive computer gaming.
What are eSports?
GINX: Competitive video gaming, in the most basic terms. Competitive edge and a passion for gaming has built eSports.
What games usually comprise eSports competitions?
GINX: The three biggest titles are League of Legends, Counterstrike Global Offensive and DOTA 2.
Are they all the same?
GINX: There's different subcategories of games. There's FPS (first-person shooters) which would be your Call of Duty and Counterstrike. Then you have MOBAs (multi-player online battle arena) such as League of Legends.
Are games popular based on how they entertain the audience?
GINX: I would say Counterstrike translate very well to the audience, it's easy to pick up for beginners and the rule-set is easy. MOBA games are more strategic and have a lot of depth to them which takes a while to pick up, but in return are very rewarding.
Is it a full-time job for top-level players?
GINX: I used to work at Fnatic who are considered the Real Madrid of eSports. We had 30 players under our brand, all making a very good living. Some players in China, specifically, can earn up to £30,000 per month. The best players can earn millions a year.
The tournament we're promoting next has a prize pool of $20m. The winning team gets a cut of around $8m to split between five players.
How do you become a full-time player?
GINX: It begins with a level of passion before players start to see themselves getting good. Playing every day for between four and six hours would get you to a level that is considered good.
You would then, depending on the game, find a team. You would sign up to local tournaments, online or physically. That's how players get their break - they either get spotted by a bigger team or the small team will win tournaments and pick up sponsors, giving them the chance to play more and more.
To be at the top level, players play every day. League of Legends has a season that lasts three to six months with almost no breaks - playing every weekend and practicing every day. I think they're allowed one day off per week.
They practice for 12 hours per day. It's a huge commitment.
Where do they play?
GINX: There's a training house in Germany. Counterstrike teams have villas in France. Some of them are extremely luxurious, some of them not so much.
Gaming houses have become a very big thing in the past two years - almost a necessity.
What sort of attendance do eSports tournaments attract?
GINX: There was a League of Legends world championship in Korea in one of their biggest football venues. As far as I'm aware, it was full to the brim. We've had tournaments in Wembley Arena that have almost sold out.
You can expect attendances for a major event to be between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Internationally it gets bigger and bigger - world championships can expect to fill football stadiums.
