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League of Legends currently sits near the top of the heap of the most played games. It’s fighting with other titans of the industry, games like Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike, which have been pillars of the community for years if not decades. Both Call of Duty and Counter-Strike were introduced in the early 2000s, while League was later to the party, releasing in 2009. Despite giving up a head-start, League has quickly become a worldwide phenomenon, and while it doesn’t quite resonate with the casual player as much as a Call of Duty or Minecraft game might, its competitive scale and diversity of lore and characters created an environment where millions of players are active at any given time. We’re taking a look back at the creation of League, how it’s grown, and how the MOBA genre, in general, has become one of the biggest genres in eSports and gaming.
Traditionally, a MOBA follows a very distinct formula. Two teams, comprised of (typically) 5 players, meeting along three roads, or lanes. League is no exception but has unique factors that make it unique. While the set-up may seem simple, the diverse cast of playable characters, each with their own abilities, keeps each game fresh and exciting. Some champions are ranged, some are brutish bruisers with plenty of health, and some hold special abilities that pair well with other players. The vastness of characters and abilities, and how they play off of all other characters keeps the game from getting too formulaic, and the designs and characterization are nothing to sneeze at.
Additionally, the map, while simple, has some factors at play to keep the game fresh. While each player has a general idea of where everything is, you are only able to see what is going on in real-time in certain areas. There is a radius around each friendly player and yourself, as well as the territories you control, where you are able to see enemies. Otherwise, they lurk in the dark, secretly waiting for you to stretch too thin and jump behind you to attack and funnel you toward reinforcements.
The final everchanging factor that keeps the game exciting is the in-game shop system. Each player accrues money as the game goes on, either from killing enemies or just passively surviving. This gold can be spent on power-ups, building up the variety of stats that a player holds. This additional customization on top of the unique characters ensures that you can play the same champion twice, but build them in completely different ways. Of course, there are widely agreed-upon best practices, but a player can play however they want, either funneling their cash into attack-based stats, building up their health, or ensuring they can use plenty of abilities by boosting their mana.
With all this in place, League keeps things interesting again and again, and even the most seasoned players will keep playing as new champions are released, or old ones revisited. Other MOBAs have cropped up over the years, the most prominent running mate to League is DOTA 2, but games like Smite or Heroes of the Storm innovate in new ways outside of the formula.
LoL’s developer, Riot Games, was created with the sole intent of revolutionizing competitive online gaming. The two primary founders, Brandon Beck and Marc Merill saw the success of fellow MOBA ‘DOTA’ and sought to create their own version. With a few twists and tweaks, they thought that the genre had more to offer, and they spent years carefully crafting what they thought would be the next big thing in gaming. The game premiered on the Warcraft III engine and had a very curious feature. Beck and Merill insisted on a then-revolutionary “Free-To-Play” structure. They were certain that by building an e-commerce structure into the game, they would hook players first, and then profit off of them later. Players can buy a variety of items in the game, from playable characters to new skins for existing characters that are purely aesthetic. The two were banking (no pun intended) on players loving the game, its lore, and its characters enough to keep coming back, and not just taking advantage of the free options.
Publishers balked at this formula, with there being no guaranteed money and also, no single-player mode, which was a more widely required piece of a game in the aughts. Despite this, League moved forward with its launch and released the game in its initial entirety in late 2009.
The game was met with favorable reviews upon initial release, with critics citing the replayability and diversity of the game as its strongest asset. Compared to DOTA, the game provided much more customization and leaned into different play styles like no MOBA before. The free-to-play structure was reviewed positively, and though League reported that only 4% of its players purchased cosmetic upgrades, the large player base allowed for the game to still be widely profitable. The game continues to be patched to this day, altering power levels, adding new champions and clothing options, and correcting bugs regularly. It not only set a genre standard, but an industry standard, with other free-to-play online games following in its wake, the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends come to mind.
eSports are obviously a huge part of the LoL following. League is an industry leader in modernizing and professionalizing their product, with national/continental leagues across the world, and formal World Championships regularly. With the overwhelming player base comes a great source of viewership, and both the competitive and casual cultures have operated alongside each other incredibly well, with eSports surpassing some of the most long-standing professional leagues in terms of viewership. Online viewership and in-person attendance for the game's esports events outperformed those of the National Basketball Association, the World Series, and the Stanley Cup in 2016. Safe to competitive gaming is taking a top spot in the professional sports culture for the foreseeable future.
Riot still manages the majority of League’s function to this day, which includes the professional circuit. They operate 13 leagues internationally, with 109 teams and 545 players. The company sells streaming rights and has partnered with ESPN in the North American market. Players have boasted salaries north of $1 million, and will likely see the numbers continue to rise as the game continues to grow.
Riot Games started in a converted warehouse underneath an overpass in California and rode their ideas to the top of gaming’s elite. While Minecraft may boast a larger player base, LoL’s competitive nature gives it another avenue for revenue, and it’s built its empire to span the entire globe. While the culture of the game’s player base is widely regarded as demonstrative, the game continues to grow, and there are some companies (hint, hint) that are looking to tackle the toxicity epidemic happening within the game’s environment. Riot has also taken steps to assist in cleaning up the culture with additional features, including the internal Honor system, but there’s work to be done to continue to improve.
Happy gaming,
The Street Cred Team
League of Legends is rising to prominence as the most popular game in the eSport world. 2020 saw 3.8 million viewers watching teams duke it out with their champions, and with the formalization of leagues and tournaments, the sport is becoming more modern with each passing year. While League doesn’t have the largest prize pool of all the eSports in the gaming world, the viewership has been far and away the steadiest while also reaching the highest highs.
Looking to jump in as a fan? Let’s go through some of the best teams in the world, so you can get a grasp of storylines as you dive in to the wonderful world of League.
Gen G is a Korean organization, with teams in a variety of eSports. Their League team is in the elite tier of teams, participating in the LCK league through the year as well as competing in international tournaments periodically. Korea is a hub for LoL, and Gen G has met their match in the LCK plenty, most recently when T1 eSports drubbed them in a 3-0 defeat in the most recent LCK final.
Gen G has reshaped their team in 2021, with the additions of Burdol, Nemesis, and CuVee to the squad, they are looking for a different outcome in this year’s season. They were bolstered by great play against lower-level teams in 2020, but in 2021 they have something to prove, and will likely come out with an additional edge as they try to right the wrongs of 2020’s LCK tournament.
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Another titan of the League scene in Asia, Top eSports is growing quickly and is using a more diverse roster to secure wins in the LPL. It’s a great example of the bond between the two nations, who are the premier figures in international League play.
2020 was a banner year for the team, as they came out victors in both the LPL Mid-Season Cup and the LPL title, which propelled them to a number one seed at 2020 Worlds. Unfortunately, the run was halted at Worlds, where fellow China-based team Suning defeated Top eSports in the semifinals, opening the door for Damwon Gaming out of Korea to take the title home.
However, two victories in one year is a high watermark for dominance in the sport, and Top eSports will look to get back on track with this year’s LPL, and international tournaments as well.
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Fnatic, while representing a wide variety of top-class teams across plenty of games, holds a large stake in League culture. They are dominant in Europe and have been a longstanding face of the continents league scene, winning the Riot season 1 championship back in 2011. Their stats over their entire lifetime have them listed as a top team in the industry, but their success of late has not been as strong as it once was, as the European and international scenes grow in skill and reputation. With the growth of other teams across Europe, like G2 and Rogue, Fnatic has more to contend with in their continental league and will have larger and larger mountains to summit as the sport grows worldwide.
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Arguably the best LoL team in North America, Team Liquid has upheld a level of greatness that the NA League world has not seen before. Team Liquid has been dominant nationally, winning a stellar 4 LCS titles back-to-back-to-back-to-back. While their international prospects have not been as fruitful, they’ve been securing high seeds at Worlds, and have retooled in 2021 after a disappointing run in 2020, failing to reach the bracket. They’ve brought on a new addition at Jungler, and they’ve brought back a former player to serve as a positional coach.
All of these will hopefully lead to a fifth consecutive title and a strong showing internationally, as all teams strive to stay even with the powerhouses in Korea and China. While they held the top spot in Group A at 2020 Worlds, the event didn’t end strong for them, placing outside the podium at 9th.
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If you’re looking to pull for the absolute best, you can’t go wrong with DAMWON, as 2020 was a banner year for the program. DAMWON is a premier team from South Korea, and the reigning victor of League Worlds is undoubtedly a powerhouse on the world stage, Their wins in semis and finals at League worlds were both contested, but they came out victorious and will head into 2021 looking to defend a title. DAMWON took down their LCK midseason title as well, and ran rampant through individual games as well, recording the fastest game in League Worlds history with an absolute demolishing of their opponents. Korea puts out an incredible amount of talent, so whoever you go with in the LCK, you’re sure to have a great time.
We hope our list gives plenty of options to root for, whether you’re looking for a hometown team that competes in your region or looking across the globe in search of the highest level there is, League is still growing despite already maxing out eSport viewership numbers. There’s plenty of opportunities to watch, head to websites for each national league to explore viewing options, recaps, and even get team gear for yourself. It’s pretty likely the next big jersey boom is going to come from eSports, so hop on the bandwagon earlier rather than later, and enjoy the ride. Whether you're watching for enjoyment, or to pick up some top-level tips straight from the best, you’ll be happy you tuned in.
Happy gaming,
The Street Cred Team
With March being Women’s History Month, we’d like to take a look at some of the most influential women in eSports history. Everyone we looked at is a trailblazer, both in the gaming industry at large, but also within the subculture of their specific game. These women have succeeded in spite of the industry around them not welcoming them since the beginning of gaming, truly an awesome feat that their stars have shined so brightly despite the toxicity. Let’s get down to business and recognize these awesome players and their accomplishments.
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Ricki is a titan in the fighting game industry. She shows dominance across plenty of games, referencing Marvel vs. Capcom as her preferred choice, but she’s certainly seen the most success in Street Fighter. Ortiz has victories on victories under her belt, and plenty of prize money to go with it. Her highest high? The Capcom Cup in 2016, where she placed second in the highly touted tourney. Despite the difficulty of competition, Ortiz battled through and gained plenty of respect from the fighting community for her placement.
Ortiz cites plenty of abuse from online commenters, but she is widely respected after working her way up the mountain and has cleared a way for future female and trans players to succeed.
Ortiz’s career earnings come in near $81k, and she continues to compete in a wide variety of fighting game tournaments.
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Wang is a Twitch streamer that has a heavy background in eSports. With a wider variety of games, including Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and Teamfight Tactics, Hafu has been solid across all competitions, but really shines when she is competing in deck-builders. Teamfight Tactics, the most recent of the games in her rotation, has still netted her a sizable amount of winnings.
Wang is streaming consistently and competes under the G2 Esports team, making her a prominent face in the world of eSports, and a role model for aspiring female gamers everywhere.
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Katherine “Mystik” Gunn is a former “highest earning female gamer”, and a professional Halo: Reach player. Gunn is a trailblazer, not just in gaming, but in FPS games, which have since been opened to a litany of female gamers everywhere.
Gunn is a champion, taking home the WCG title and a significant prize that has shot her to the heights of earners in eSports. “Mystik” has taken forays into fighting games as well, but her history in shooters has been the crowning achievement of her career. She now creates content on Twitch as a consistent hustle and still competes in tournaments regularly.
Gunn’s career earnings are near $122,000, with the bulk coming from her victory at WCG in Reach. She has only recently been usurped as the highest-earning female gamer in the world and blazed a path for gaming to be a career for female gamers, not just a hobby or a pursuit.
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A newcomer on the elite eSport circuit, Xiaomeng “Liooon” Li is a Hearthstone world champion, winning the Grandmaster Global Finals in 2019 with a decisive 3-0 win. She is the first woman to ever win a Global Championship and did so at 23 years old. Liooon took home $200,000 for the win, and her trajectory can only go up with more competitive opportunities and victories sure to be in her future.
Similar to the other figures on this list, Liooon has had to deal with discrimination in the gaming scene. In her very first tournament experience, Liooon was playing as a backup, and while she was waiting for the game to begin, a male player threw a barb at her, saying \"If you are a girl, you should not wait in line here. It's not for you.\"
After her victory, Liooon gave a speech empowered women in gaming everywhere, stating that, “for all the girls out there who have a dream for Esports competition, for glory, if you want to do it and you believe in yourself, you should just forget your gender and go for it.\"
Liooon is sure to be a fixture of the competitive gaming circuit for years and will continue to push gender equality and equity message to make the community more welcoming, for the better.
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Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn, is the highest-earning female gamer in the history of eSports, and a mainstay of the Starcraft II competitive scene. After making her announcement in the elite gaming circuit in 2012, where she beat highly ranked pros at a Los Vegas tournament, Scarlett ascended global rankings and eventually went on a run, going for 2nd at Northcon, and taking 1st in seven tournaments by 2014. Through this period, Scarlett became a legend in the industry, being called, “the queen of Starcraft II”, “the most accomplished woman in eSports”, and has consistently been a beacon for women succeeding in the pro scene.
After submitting the Starcraft II mountain, Scarlett took a hiatus and began working toward a career in Dota 2. It ended up being a short stint, and she returned to Starcraft II, joining teams in Korea and the U.S. as the sport became mainstreamed and gained viability and visibility. Scarlett is not as ingrained in the scene as she once was, but with historic earnings and experience, she is a pillar of women in gaming and is held up as a titan of competitive StarCraft.
Scarlett holds the Guiness World Record for female gamer earnings, at $322,066
A common thread of all these amazing players is the discrimination and questioning they’ve faced since reaching the highest highs of the industry. Whether verbal slights or fan hate, these players have endured extra resistance that male counterparts have not had to face. Despite the extra burden, all of these women ascended to the heights of the sport, and have created financial viability for female gamers for years to come. They’ve touched all aspects of competitive gaming as well, from MOBA to FPS, and RTS to deck-builders. Women are the future of gaming, and the day is coming where they hold an equal share of the competitive gaming culture and crown.
Happy gaming!
The Street Cred Team
2020 is behind us, and the eSports world is raring to jump back into the major tournament circuit. 2021 has major world championships on the docket for just about every major game. With gaming leagues becoming more commonplace, the professional circuit dominates the calendar, with many of them running almost the entire year. Most leagues still only have a few years under their belt, so returning/continuing play through these distanced times is crucial for keeping the brand steady, and capitalizing on the huge eSports interest. Let’s take a look at the headlining events on the calendar, and some storylines that are fueling the hype surrounding these championships.
The Overwatch League weaved it’s way to the Grand Finals last year despite holding it’s season between two conferences. The North American and Asian playoffs whittled down the field to the best of the best, and the double elimination final bracket held in Korea pitted the best against the best until the final. The North American San Francisco Shock won the trophy from the hometown Seoul Dynasty, and will enjoy the crown until the fall.
With this year’s OWL being compressed to starting late in April every game is going to matter more, giving this season plenty of intrigue. The top 3 finishers from last year experienced some roster changes, so they’ll be re-tooling in the new year. Plus, many of last year’s challengers had almost complete roster turnover, and perhaps that big shakeup could lead to a big swing in fortunes, teams like Dallas Fuel and Paris Eternal come to mind. When April comes around, grab some popcorn and watch the best in the world duke it out.
The CDL is also in its infancy, and it’s seeing a ton of changes in 2021. There’s a transition from Modern Warfare to Black Ops: Cold War, and switching from 5v5 to 4v4. In its second year, the League didn’t have any expansion teams sign up, but saw some internal shake-ups that will give a fresh feel to the new season. The drop to 4v4 led to some tough roster decisions, with defending champs Dallas dropping a featured player in Clayster, who then signed in New York, or Chicago getting a boost from Dashy switching teams.
With a kick-off event completed in late January, and the season underway since early February, games have begun and teams are already starting to establish a hierarchy. There are teams from coast to coast, so kickstart your fandom and start watching!
North America got shut out of last year’s bracket, none of the 3 LCS teams made it out of the group stage. LCS is clearly holding a chip on their shoulder, with lots of branding about putting the past behind them. Lots of roster turnover, new coaching, new logos, and a new focus on competing at a higher level than the previous year should lead to some success. However, the European and Asian divisions are going to try their best to keep them out, specifically the reigning champs out of Germany, G2. Worlds will take place in China in the fall, giving every team some time to strategize and work together to get the best out of this year’s squads.
eSports is soldiering through the early years leagues, figuring out kinks and optimizing their leagues to increase competitiveness and viewership. While the stakes increase, the leagues don’t want to lose the core of the gameplay, the sportsmanship, and the watchability, so we have a lot to stay tuned to as another year plays out. Follow along on the League’s websites, and jump on board early, eSports are gonna be big!
Happy gaming!
The Street Cred Team
Scoot over, boys! It’s time to let the girls play!
The percentage of female gamers around the world has done nothing but grow in the last decade! In 2019 alone, the female gaming community grew by 19%! That’s right, the video game industry is no longer (and really has never been) JUST for the dudes. Women are a crucial part of the industry!
This week’s spotlight is on one of the top female gamers in the world, Bonnie Ross. Ross is not only a hardcore gamer, she is also a developer! She started out first with Microsoft in 1994 as a system operator, and worked her way up to corporate Vice President of Microsoft and head of 343 Industries! Also known as the Halo Studio! Since then, she has become the 2nd woman to ever be honored at the AIAS Hall of Fame!
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With 343 Industries being the home of the Halo Franchise, you can imagine how much really goes on there! Everything in the world of Halo: books, games, toys, etc. exists here! It has even become one of the most popularly played Esports of all time!
Halo is not the only game that Ross has ever worked on. She has worked on NBA, Zoo Tycoon, Counter Strike, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and so many more!
Bonnie Ross is an absolute icon in the world of gaming, achieving so many great feats throughout her career and being recognized as one of the Top 10 most powerful women in the gaming industry. She has inspired so many around the world and continues to demonstrate just how influential women are in the gaming industry!
Happy gaming!
The Street Cred Team
Over 300 gaming companies had at least one female founder, including Lesley Eccles, who co-founded the fantasy sports betting juggernaut Fanduel in 2009, and Holly Liu, who co-founded the massively multiplayer social game studio Kabam in 2006. Even earlier, before these women were even born, a fourth-grade teacher in 1964 named Mabel Addis designed what may be the first computer-based text adventure, the Sumerian Game.
Nowadays, with inclusivity and community being more present than ever, The GIRLGAMER Esports Festival leads the way forward with promoting women in gaming and celebrating their achievements! Rightfully so, as women have been a part of gaming culture since it’s inception, and now reflect 41% of the community as of 2020. We’re taking a look at the convention’s awesome events, brief history, and the mission behind it all.
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The core purpose of the festival is to promote not only women in gaming, but women in professional gaming! There is a distinct lack of gender diversity in the competitive arena, and this is largely attributed to the heavy social barrier put up around women. Experiences with misogyny in gaming are commonplace, with many women citing the toxicity as a limiting factor in their enjoyment and interest. A big factor at play here is the anonymity that gaming provides, which allows the abusive to stay in the shadows. Another is the sheer majority that men hold over women in the gaming world, both competitive and otherwise. While 41% is a banner number for the female demographic, this does mean that male players hold a 59% majority, creating an environment where women in gaming can feel singled-out or underrepresented.
This underrepresentation is the problem that GIRLGAMER is trying to solve. Studies have shown that representation creates an environment that not only benefits the representor, but encourages the viewer to follow in their footsteps, which will in turn create a more welcoming and diverse environment. By elevating women in gaming as stars and giving women a stage to showcase their immense talent and skill, GIRLGAMER is pushing the industry forward and helping women in Esports inspire the next generation.
The events of the festival span multiple factions and aspects of gaming. From a cosplay contest to high-stakes finals matches in League of Legends and CS:GO, viewers will have a chance to see some of the best gamers in the world, gender aside! There are talks slated that cover employment in the gaming industry, and panels covering all aspects of gaming, from play to production. Perhaps even more important to the actual gaming taking place, these speakers, panels, and talks are going to create opportunities for women to find footholds in the industry, and create more inclusive and diverse workplaces for developers across the world, at all stages of production.
GIRLGAMER events have been taking place since 2017, and have seen major success every year. They have globe-trotted from Brazil to Seoul, and have brought visibility wherever they go. This latest edition in Dubai will see fans descend from across the world, and put the spotlight on a group that deserves to be seen. Cheer on these incredible athletes, and help make gaming a better place!
Happy gaming!
The Street Cred Team
Even eSports were not immune to the changes that 2020 required. With many events shut down due to COVID-19, many teams turn their eyes toward 2021 for their next competitions. However, there were some victors that came out of 2020 tournaments, either before the shutdowns began, or toward the tail end of the year. Let’s take a look at the reigning champs, and how 2020 shook out in the competitive gaming landscape!
CS:GO saw two tournaments before the March shutdowns. The twin DreamHack Open tournaments in Germany and California saw heavy competition throughout the weekend, and battle-tested winners emerged. In Leipzig, the hometown German team BIG was victorious, beating teams from all across Europe, with Cloud 9 from the U.S and the Renegades from Australia rounding out the field. BIG took down the Renegades in the Grand Finals, 2-0, on the back of stellar teamwork and skills. Special shout out to k1to as the MVP of the finals, winning the fan vote in a landslide.
In California, the field had teams from all across the world, with invitees ENCE, FURIA, MBIR, and North as headliners. FURIA and Gen.G led from start to finish, winning their pools in the group stage and meeting in the Grand Final. In the end, Gen. G took down the crown with a 2-0 win and will look to defend their crown at the 2021 event.
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The multi-continental CDL was able to run through the entire year, with the Championships happening in August. After a grueling run through the various brackets, the Dallas Empire won decidedly, with two victories over Atlanta Faze, one coming in the Winner’s Finals and again in the Championship. The CDL is an awesome representation of what an eSports league can look like, and it’s definitely worth following if you’re an avid CoD player!
Last, and our personal favorite, were the League of Legends World Championships in Shanghai. The Championship ran for a whole week, with twenty-two teams from eleven regions, all the best of the best of the best. Unique to 2020, the tournament was held in a sort of “bubble” environment, with teams quarantining and limiting contact as much as possible. The tournament was able to be completed, with Dawmon Gaming winning the title for South Korea. The event is the height of gaming, with professional teams all across the board, the finals were even held in the Pudong Football Stadium, which in another year could host 33,765 spectators. Damwon took on China’s own Suning in the final and came away winning 3-1.
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2020 being altered is just building the hype for 2021! We can’t wait to see how eSports grow in the new year, and how the leagues and tournaments emphasize anti-toxicity at the highest levels. eSports builds communication and teamwork as well as any sport, and we look to the pros to help make the gaming community better, by setting good examples for all of the fans and players.
Happy Gaming!
The Street Cred Team
Who would have thought a decade ago that esports would be continually increasing in revenue? Let alone become a billion-dollar industry! The esports industry has become a great opportunity for investments and overall financial success! Because of the growing success and popularity of esports in the last 10 years, there are several ways that esports are able to achieve financial profit.
Merchandise: When you become a die-hard fan of a sport, what typically happens? You start to buy their merchandise, right? Players jerseys, sweatshirts, beanies, posters, etc. The same goes for esports. Putting esport game logos and symbols on apparel and merchandise drive popularity and video game sales up! However, compared to traditional sports, esports’ merchandise sales are lower because of the lack of physical attendance to esports. Even though esports merchandise tends to bring in a smaller fragment of revenue, it’s still an important component!
Advertising: Did you know that esport advertisements generate almost 60% of the esport industry revenue? Advertising during esport events, television and Youtube commercials, and pop-up ads are the most effective way for esports to spread the news about deals, events, and even merchandise! Even advertising to players’ individual streams has become a source of higher revenue.
New Content: Another way that esports make money is through new content creation! Gamers who post new videos on Youtube about the esports they’re playing and how the teams are doing compared to each other generate a lot of advertisement revenue. Esport teams that post videos and photos on social media platforms and/or Youtube reaches not just esports fan audiences, but other gamers (and non-gamers) who might be interested in esports or enjoy watching others play them on Youtube.
Investments: Like any starting company or franchise, they must first receive investments in order to pay salaries, capital, and franchising costs. The same goes for esports. In 2018, esports investments rose to a record of $4.5 billion in investments! There are hundreds of different ways to get invested with esports: team organizing, merchandise products, stadiums, projects, and even events!
Sponsors: Finally, the glue that holds together the financial aspect of esports is the sponsors. You might be asking, “How do esport Leagues and National/International tournaments get funds?” Well, about 90% of esports’ revenue comes from sponsorships When a certain company sponsors esports, this allows them to gain more recognition across different platforms and create even more sponsorship opportunities. Esport sponsorships can reach different demographics that standard marketers cannot and usually advertise the partnership between the esport and sponsor (jerseys with sponsor logo on them, etc.)
The list of financial possibilities with esports doesn’t stop there! In the last decade, the esport industry has done nothing but climb upwards which allows for hundreds, if not thousands of opportunities to create new content, partner with sponsors, and continue to invest. As we roll into 2021, we are looking forward to seeing how the esport industry will continue to grow and what new things are waiting around the corner!
Happy gaming!
The Street Cred Team
Esports (also known as E-sports or electronic sports) is a type of video game that allows the player to compete in a sport! Some of the more common and popular esports include MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), FPS (first-person shooter), and RTS (real-time strategy) games. The player can usually play these games individually or as an organized multiplayer team and participate in sports competitions! Well-known esports today include League of Legends World Championship, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Street Fighter, StarCraft, Dota, Counter-Strike, and more! But how did esports get started?
The history of esports can be traced all the way back to the early 1970s. In October of 1972 at Stanford University, one of the first esports competition video games was created, called SpaceWar. The students were all invited to play the space combat game in the effort to win a one-year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine!
In the 1980s, arcade games began to emerge. Games like Atari, Pac-man, and Donkey Kong began to attract young players and caused the video game industry to boom. Suddenly, video game tournaments and competitions started to take place in North America and the UK and showcased World Record video gamers, one of whom being Billy Mitchell who holds the record of being the first person to achieve a perfect score in Pac-man- 3,333,360 points! Video games became the new craze all throughout the 1980s, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that esports really began to become popularized.
In 1991, the popular esport fighting game, Street Fighter II made its first appearance in the gaming world. What was different about Street Fighter was that players could now play one-on-one in a tournament-like competition. Later, in the mid-90s, esports started to grow through Nintendo World Championships which toured the United States. The introduction of the internet and PC games made it possible for more gamers to connect with each other across the globe!
But esports didn’t stop there! The 2000s to the present day proved to be the most influential for the growth of esports. The 2000s saw the extreme rise of internet inventions and televised sports. With the internet, new PCs, and streaming services new esports and other games were constantly being introduced. The world of esports drastically improved when Nintendo introduced Wii Games and Wii Sports Resort in 2010. This tournament-style game became extremely popular and saw hundreds of thousands of participants in just one month!
Since 2014, esports has been doing nothing but growing! Popular games like Rocket League, NBA 2K League, Overwatch, and Call of Duty have drastically advanced the esports part of the gaming industry and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon!
","comment_id":"5ffcaa7ad8e0880039e2bc8a","feature_image":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/content/images/2021/01/esports.jpg","featured":false,"visibility":"public","created_at":"2021-01-11T14:43:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-01-15T17:11:41.000-05:00","published_at":"2021-01-11T14:47:52.000-05:00","custom_excerpt":"The history of esports can be traced all the way back to the early 1970s. In October of 1972 at Stanford University, one of the first esports competition video games was created, called SpaceWar.","codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"custom_template":null,"canonical_url":"https://www.streetcred.gg/blog/a-brief-history-of-esports","email_recipient_filter":"none","authors":[{"id":"5951f5fca366002ebd5dbef7","name":"Street Cred","slug":"street-cred","profile_image":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/content/images/2020/10/sc-logo-icon-2.png","cover_image":null,"bio":"You can delete this user to remove all the welcome posts","website":"https://ghost.org","location":"The Internet","facebook":"ghost","twitter":"@ghost","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"url":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/author/street-cred/"}],"tags":[{"id":"5ffcaaced8e0880039e2bc90","name":"esports","slug":"esports","description":null,"feature_image":null,"visibility":"public","og_image":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"canonical_url":null,"accent_color":null,"url":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/tag/esports/"}],"primary_author":{"id":"5951f5fca366002ebd5dbef7","name":"Street Cred","slug":"street-cred","profile_image":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/content/images/2020/10/sc-logo-icon-2.png","cover_image":null,"bio":"You can delete this user to remove all the welcome posts","website":"https://ghost.org","location":"The Internet","facebook":"ghost","twitter":"@ghost","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"url":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/author/street-cred/"},"primary_tag":{"id":"5ffcaaced8e0880039e2bc90","name":"esports","slug":"esports","description":null,"feature_image":null,"visibility":"public","og_image":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"canonical_url":null,"accent_color":null,"url":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/tag/esports/"},"url":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/a-brief-history-of-esports/","excerpt":"The history of esports can be traced all the way back to the early 1970s. In October of 1972 at Stanford University, one of the first esports competition video games was created, called SpaceWar.","reading_time":2,"access":true,"send_email_when_published":false,"og_image":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/content/images/2021/01/esports-2.jpg","og_title":null,"og_description":null,"twitter_image":"https://api.blog.streetcred.gg/content/images/2021/01/esports-1.jpg","twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"meta_title":null,"meta_description":"The 2000s to the present day proved to be the most influential for the growth of esports.","email_subject":null},{"id":"5ff72bb4ed0f5b00393e6c40","uuid":"6bc5846d-a1ee-40be-8771-1cfe3f472533","title":"Mental Health and Gaming","slug":"mental-health-and-gaming","html":"In the world of video games, there are always going to be positive and negative effects. There are so many factors that contribute to both sides. And that’s just the reality of the video game community today. Video games can positively reinforce mental health, but they can also produce negative emotions and behaviors.
When you think about it, most video games are used as a means to escape from the real world for a little bit. Being able to immerse yourself in a creative world and go through challenges can be extremely stimulating for the developing mind. One positive aspect of gaming is the community of friends that you can build. Creating and contributing to a more positive and encouraging environment can greatly impact one’s overall mood and behavior.
On the other hand, playing video games excessively and becoming addicted can create more anxiety and depression, especially among women. Usually, a toxic gaming environment can cause feelings of low self-esteem and confidence in women, making room for anxiety and depression to seep in. If someone is being judged online by another player, they are usually judging them for internal things like their performance, personality traits, etc. This causes significant harm to their mental health and starts to affect how they interact with people in real life and hinders their desire to explore the real world. Over time, anxiety and depression build.
For both men and women (but more so women) playing video games addictively can sometimes be a response to avoiding negative emotions. The video games themselves aren’t always necessarily the root cause of depression but can be a gateway to it. By not addressing emotions, those feelings of unhappiness, anger, restlessness, and depression are pushed further under the surface, leaving one feeling stuck in this pattern in life.
So video games don’t always negatively impact the gamer. There are so many positive outcomes of playing video games. The difference between negative and positive mental health effects is the amount of time that is spent playing, the gamer’s environment, and who they are sharing the environment with online. We believe that video games should be played in moderation and with positive attitudes to ensure a more healthy, progressive lifestyle.
Happy Gaming!
The Street Cred Team