China's esports grows from newbie to big player

BEIJING, Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on China's esports market:

Chinese esports team Invictus Gaming (IG) recently won an international championship - creating a stir online. The hot debate it provoked on social media platforms was like the excitement seen on Twitter for the FIFA World Cup and the Super Bowl. Chinese mainstream media, such as China Central Television, all congratulated the team for the victory, indicating growing recognition of esports in China.

In 2017, "competitive esports" were acknowledged as a sporting activity by the International Olympic Committee. While in 2018, esports events were featured as demonstration sports at the Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Chinese teams securing several gold medals. In the upcoming 2022 Asian Games to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, esports will officially become a medal event.

This development indicates the changing mindset of the public from the attitude that "playing video games has no benefit apart from distracting one's attention from their duties." A distinction is becoming apparent between esports and games, and competition and leisure activities. The endeavor, professionalism and sportsmanship of esports players are also increasingly recognized. A survey showed that of esports consumers who are parents, nearly one fourth said that they would support their children if they choose to become a professional.

In the world arena, China is a late comer but is trying hard to become a big player. Just as traditional sports, all achievements and commercial successes in esports require the cooperation of all sides.

The change in public attitude we just talked about is one of the crucial factors. Equally important is the fact that China has a huge amount of esports consumers, or people who have watched esports events and have a basic understanding of the games. The number of Chinese esports consumers is likely to surpass 300 million this year.

Regarding the market, in the past two years, about 15 percent of all revenues in the esports industry were generated in the Chinese market, ranking second worldwide behind North America.

Esports is a new sporting activity. It will take a long time to grow into a mature industry like the UEFA Champions League and the National Basketball Association of the United States. In this process, esports needs the support of various fields, such as funding, training and facilities. Currently in China, about 10 cities have started or have developed plans to build professional venues for esports. To create a sense of belonging among consumers in different regions, the country is also trying to arrange games on a home-and-away basis.

In another important esports competition this year, Dota 2's The International tournament, a Chinese team won the second prize. Next year, the event will move to Shanghai. We hope Chinese teams can make an even better performance at home. And we welcome all esports fans to come to Shanghai to join the carnival.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
China's esports grows from newbie to big player
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2018-11/15/content_72667803.htm

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SOURCE China.org.cn