How competitive gaming has to quickly evolve into a mature industry

The esports industry, for many, seems to have appeared overnight – at least in the mainstream. It tallied $892.8 million in revenues in 2016 with over 213.8 million spectators watching the competitive gaming tournaments and matches. That’s coming from market researcher SuperData, which estimate that the industry will surpass the $1 billion dollar mark by 2018 and reach a global audience of 303 million by 2019. Asia leads, but North America and Europe follow closely.

A few years ago, you may have noticed some frowns and criticisms, at least in western countries, about the societal consequences of promoting this level and intensity of gaming, particularly on youth. But the landscape has evolved beyond that narrow-minded concern and the market appears to have accepted the reality that competitive gaming is here not only to stay, but thrive. The narrative has changed.