Around the world, people are catching on to the eSport movement. The first eSports competition was held back in 1972, when the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics took place at Stanford University. However, computer games had much less recognition at his time, and were seen more as entertainment for children. Fast forward to the present day, and video games and eSports in particular, are viewed as something a lot more than just that. Since the late 20th century, eSports developed into something competitive to rival mainstream sports like football, ice hockey and basketball. It quickly exploded into a craze and now, it is pretty much a permanent fixture in the world of sports.
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It is safe to say that eSports can be classified as popular. But is it popular enough to be offered by universities as a degree course? This is a debate that is likely to surface in the very near future once eSports gains even more success than it has already enjoyed. Plenty of sports resources like Cloudbet have recognised eSports as a sport and competition in its own rights. And the fact that this sport resonates better with the younger generation means that universities would unwise not to consider adding eSports to their degree courses offered.
As with most universities though, subjects offered are usually determined by the potential demand. At the end of the day, universities still need to have enough students taking a course to justify running it. If eSports were to be introduced into the studying domain, it would certainly be entering into a new realm. However, judging by the number of iGaming fans around the world, eSports courses could well be in demand.
There is of course a lot to consider for all parties. The universities, the students, and the parents. Although interactive activity with screens has become the norm in our society, there might still be a handful of parents that would be reluctant to have their child give their lives to a screen. Another aspect for parents to consider is the shelf life that an eSports athlete has. The oldest active eSports player is actually Abbe Borg, who just turned 81-years-old, but he is considered to be an anomaly. eSports athletes generally enjoy their best period in their younger ages when their minds and reflexes are sharper.
Regardless of any arguments, an introduction of eSports into the university curriculum would provide excitement. It could even be classified as ground-breaking. It remains to be seen if this comes to fruition, but students will certainly be salivating at the prospect of an alternative career path.