Esports is a growing field these days, not only in terms of revenue but also in terms of popularity, however, it's not as new as some may think. Computer Planet has provided us with an infographic, which you can see below, which outlines the history of esports, and its roots date back to the 1970s.
"The viewership of esports increases each year, with some competitions now rivalling global sporting events such as baseball and basketball," Computer Planet's Marcus Clarke said. "Though having a strong hold in South Korea, the industry has spread globally and is currently going through a boom in Europe and America."
"For the first time in history, esports were featured at an annual sporting event in the 2015 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. This was by no means a promotional stunt - a gold medal was awarded to Team LDCD for their win against NiP. This appearance was a significant milestone for the industry and shows how far it has come in such a relatively short space of time."
"As the industry is still technically in its infancy, the most popular and lucrative games are concentrated to a select few, Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Dota 2 being prime examples."
"Valve Corporation has a monopoly with these titles, but perhaps newcomers in the next decade will level the playing field. As for the competitions themselves, The International, the League of Legends World Championship, the Evolution Championship Series, and the Intel Extreme Masters are the biggest competitions."
"In the past week alone, Halo 5 will be receiving its own reality TV show and the Rockets have unveiled plans to dedicate a front office slot to esports. Whether or not esport qualify as traditional sport, the trend looks clear - we will be seeing more of it in more sporting events to come."
Below you can see the infographic, which outlines the rough history and some key figures, tournaments, and players. Did you know about this history?
