eSports are growing exponentially. The burgeoning global industry delivers among the few live sporting events available during this pandemic.
Homebound life can find us working harder than ever, which means it should also find us trying new things. In that spirit, I just watched a few minutes of a Chicago Wildcats versus Atlanta Swarm Simulation Football League (SFL) game on Pluto Network’s Eleven Sports. It was, to be kind, more impressive in its future potential than in its current reality.
Change comes slow. Most people over 50 have little use for eSports, despite the fact that it’s a billion dollar business that joins gambling and fantasy leagues on the lucrative new frontier of sports experiences.
Still, why not give it a try, especially these days when we’re required to spend so much time at home? Formula 1 drivers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are competing in virtual iRacing.com events, for example, broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch since they are unable to compete in real life. Norris gathered 70,000 fans on his Twitch stream for virtual Porsche racing last weekend, which seems impressive to this novice. Some of these events come complete with professional announcers, multiple "camera" positions and slow-motion, instant replay.
eSports is a brave new world. I don’t take to it naturally, having not grown up with video games. I'm not even sure I like it, committed as I am to curiosity and appreciative inquiry. Still, it’s important to try to stay current and appreciate the epochal cultural, business and technological changes that are shifting the earth right out from under our feet.
Image courtesy of YouTube iRacing.com