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Jackson Brandhorst
The ‘e’ in esports is for entertaining. Not really, it stands for ‘electronic’, but to me, the connotations for that beginning vowel are synonymous.
Recently, I was able to attend my first ever esport event, something I have always wanted to do.
While enjoying a magical weekend in St. Louis, the St. Louis Science Center was hosting Missouri’s high school state championships for Rocket League, one of the most popular competitive video games ever.
As we moseyed around the center, my girlfriend and I noticed quite a few signs advertising a Rocket League event.
Having wrapped up our walk through the many educational displays that the center offers, and after reflecting on the nostalgic feeling the center brought us, I was excited to see what exactly this Rocket League event was all about.
After buying the $10 tickets to the event, we found ourselves in the Science Center’s massive Imax theater, with a crowd of about two to three-hundred others. Spectators surrounded two teams of three high school students each, all manning a monitor, keyboard and maybe a controller.
Now, if you don’t know what Rocket League is, Wikipedia, the always trusty and all too accessible website, describes Rocket League as «Soccer, but with rocket-powered cars.» And, If you don’t know what esports are, they are electronic sports, which are the same as traditional sports, but instead of playing the game in the physical present, you are playing via user interface and generating visual feedback on a screen.
Simply put, it’s professional video gaming.
Esports generate just as much excitement as traditional sports. People love to watch a hobby of theirs being performed at a high level. Esports are becoming more and more popular every year, and are surpassing your favorite dated means of entertainment every second. Esports are the future.
I have watched a lot of competitive video games. Just as I watched the Super Bowl this weekend or the World Series in the fall, I turn on the television and head to YouTube or Twitch to watch the worlds best video-gamers battle it out in a virtual arena.
The cool thing about this event was that instead of sitting at home watching it on a screen, I got to sit in a theater…watching it on a screen.
Yes, the only ‘one-up’ traditional sports have on esports is that the game is taking place in the physical realm, which means the magic of real world complications and physicality is very much prevalent. Contrary to esports, which at the moment, are always going to be presented on a screen.
But, while some argue that watching the Super Bowl in person is just the same as watching it at home, all sports fans know that’s not the case, and that it’s not the case for one reason.
The atmosphere.
Across all sports, for all time, the atmosphere that derives from the competitiveness and uncertainty of a game holds true.
We know that advancing civilizations from the beginning of time relied on entertainment to stimulate their brain and distract from their sorrows. Outside of books and fairy-tales, the earliest forms of entertainment were sports. Things like the Olympics, jousting, and massive arena battles drew fruitful crowds and became focal points in many societies.
These ancient games, while much more intense, are what inspired all the games and sports we have today, including esports.
While I’m sure the thrill of seeing someone beheaded in Shakespearean England was great and all, I feel as if my stomach would much rather have me watch somebody try to control a virtual car through the air and into a ball.
Alas, the thrill of uncertainty is present in all games, no matter the circumstance, so the atmosphere when walking into an RGB lit Imax in St. Louis was, pun intended, electric.
The schools brought student sections, signs, bull horns, noise makers, you name it.
The Imax was turned into a true esports arena. It was super dark, so you could really see the massive screen over our heads, which displayed a spectators view of the live game between the two schools.
There were commentators doing a live broadcast of the game on Twitch so people could watch at home, other members of the media were there taking photos, videos, and streaming. There was security, ushers, concessions, coaches, managers, fans, and everything in between, just like you would see at a high school basketball game.
When teams scored, the theater erupted with cheers from their fans as their opposition slouched in their seats. When there were big plays, unruly moments, or wacky decisions, the crowd responded just as any other would.
Nearly every aspect of traditional sports was present, making it an incredibly cool and unique experience.
As entertainment continues to adapt, and the world’s children continue to trail blaze, things like esports will continue to grow. At the moment, I can’t compare Game 5 of the RLCS to hole 16 at the Phoenix Open, but I can foresee it quickly coming.
While this generation of gamers become adults, the unique opportunity of watching an esport event will likely become as common as that of a basketball or baseball game.
As this nearly billion dollar industry grows, and as your human nature propels you to scour for new and extraordinary forms of entertainment, be on the lookout for an esport event near you.
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Jackson Brandhorst
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