Esports thrives during absence of traditional sports

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Esports has attempted to bridge the gap between the urge for competition and the necessity of physical contact to do so.

Chance Crawford, one of the organizers of MGM Esports and Gaming, says esports in Montgomery can address the gap people feel in social distancing, strengthen society’s ability to connect virtually and scratch the competitive itch that many people have right now during the pandemic.

“Esports, especially on the competitive side, makes you very mentally focused,” Crawford said. “It’s like exercising the brain - your senses are sharpened. Obviously, you can’t supplant physical exercise, but I think it definitely helps provide an outlet, calms the nerves and helps people de-stress.”

Since 2016, esports viewership has erupted from both causal viewers to enthusiasts, according to Newzoo, an esports market intelligence organization.

Gaming streaming services, such as Twitch and Mixer, host video game streamers who draw tens of thousands of viewers at one-time and make millions of dollars off ad-revenue, sponsorships and viewer subscriptions.

Between 2016 and 2017, Newzoo reported a 19.3% increase in viewership making the total audience 335 million. By 2018, total viewership sat at 380 million, and by 2021, Newzoo predicts that total audience will grow to 557 million.

In the absence of traditional sports right now, Crawford suggests using it as a placeholder.

In May of 2018, Crawford, a software developer in the United States Air Force, convened with fellow airmen, and with help of Charisse Stokes, executive director of TechMGM, they were able to conduct their first esports tournament.

That tournament gave birth to MGM Esports and Gaming. Crawford credits Stokes for the group’s success thus far, saying she has been key in organizing events and locating venues and equipment for play.

Early tournaments began with games such as Super Smash Bros and first-person shooters and were initially reserved for Air Force personnel. Since then, participation has stretched to middle and high school students and civilians, and tournaments are held every other month.

The growth of the group has hinged on the idea of gaming’s ability to “cross-pollinate,” according to Stokes.

“Even though we’re virtual, we have an opportunity to talk about what you’re doing outside of esports,” Stokes said. “It’s a great way to informally learn about different career fields and things that are happening across the STEM areas. So, it’s been a good cross-pollination of information.”

This attribute is what makes esports’ role so important now, Stokes added, as it provides an avenue to be immersed in a competitive environment, via spectating or playing, irrespective of one’s day job.

“Competition is healthy and right now, with everything going on, I think people want to win,” Stokes said. “And if you can win at Esports, why not take that win?”

Even so, negative stigmas around gaming still exist, according to Crawford, and some view esports as childish or a waste of time. That perception comes from a lack of knowledge and involvement in the community, he attests, but the numbers surrounding the sport don’t lie.

Air Force Staff Sargent Cameron Tuttle, who provides tech support and manages the MGM Esports and Gaming Twitch stream, backs Crawford’s stance.

“In my mind, (esports) isn’t really different from any other sport,” said Tuttle, who has heard the criticism of esports. “Why would you watch someone play a game, when you could just play it yourself? And I’m like ‘Well, why watch the NFL when you can go in your backyard and play football?’ People like to watch people that are good at something.”

It may explain the uptick in viewership, and with a lack of live sports being aired on national television, esports are stepping in and filling that void. As recently as April 5, ESPN aired 12 hours of esports content, which included NBA 2K, Madden NFL 20 and Rocket League tournaments to fill holes in its programming schedule.

“You can see the effect of esports at-large across the world,” Crawford said. “They’ve had huge, insane tick ups in viewership and participation during this time period.”

Based on a March survey Newzoo conducted, gaming participation has grown since the pandemic began and 45% of those that took the survey said they are playing more because they have “more time,” while 17% and 16% of people, respectively, said they need it to “socialize” or “to escape a current situation.”

Of course the days of 174,000 fans attending a live esports event - an attendance world-record set by ESL and Intel’s March 2019 - are currently on hold, but tournaments and streaming continue to thrive virtually.

MGM Esports and Gaming is doing the same and planned to conduct a fully virtual Rainbow Six Siege tournament on May 16 that had to be rescheduled. Nevertheless, the group plans to return to in-person events this summer.