A History of Competitive Gaming

Length: 322 pages
Edition: 1
Language: English
Publisher: Routledge
Publication Date: 2022-05-13
ISBN-10: 0367559617
ISBN-13: 9780367559618
Sales Rank: #8679806 (See Top 100 Books)

Competitive gaming, or esports – referring to competitive tournaments of video games among both casual gamers and professional players – began in the early 1970s with small competitions like the one held at Stanford University in October 1972, where some 20 researchers and students attended. By 2022, the estimated revenue of the global esports industry is in excess of $947 million, with over 200 million viewers worldwide. Regardless of views held about competitive gaming, esports have become a modern economic and cultural phenomenon.

This book studies the full history of competitive gaming from the 1970s to the 2010s against the background of the arrival of the electronic and computer age. It investigates how competitive gaming has grown into a new form of entertainment, a sport-like competition, a lucrative business and a unique cultural sensation. It also explores the role of competitive gaming in the development of the video game industry, making a distinctive contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the history of video games.

A History of Competitive Gaming will appeal to all those interested in the business and culture of gaming, as well as those studying modern technological culture.

Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Figures
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1. Introduction
	Notes
	Bibliography
2. The Early Years
	The birth of video games
	The emergence of competitive gaming
	Competing for high scores
	Conclusion
	Notes
	Bibliography
3. The Golden Age
	Building a link between video games and the Olympics
	Gaming competition as marketing
		Operator- and distributor-sponsored events
		PC gaming contests
		Competing on TV
	Twin Galaxies
	The video game crash of
	The U.S. National Video Game Team
	Conclusion
	Notes
	Bibliography
4. From PvC to PvP
	The further developments of high score competitions
	Fighting game fever and the rise of PvP tournaments
	The dawn of online competitive gaming
		Sports game tournaments
		From Doom to Quake
		From Warcraft to StarCraft
		Online gaming service provider-organised tournaments
		Game publisher-organised events
		Professional gaming tournament organisers
		Asia, the new powerhouse
		Online console game tournaments
	Mech pilots, virtual golfers, cyberathletes
	Classic gaming contests
	Conclusion
	Notes
	Bibliography
5. The Esports Age
	Integrating with real-world sport
	Virtual fighters
	QuakeCon, CPL and MLG
	New frontiers
	Ever-evolving esports games
		The rise of team-based FPS games
		From RTS to MOBA
		WoW and the return of PvE competitions
		From arcade racers to sim racing
		Yesterday once more
		Speedrunning
	The rise of esports governing bodies
	Participating in international sporting events
	Conclusion
	Notes
	Bibliography
6. Obstacles and Challenges
	Sustainability
	IP issues and antitrust concerns
	Cheating and doping
	Match-fixing and gambling
	Addiction problems
	Notes
	Bibliography
Appendix: Chronology of Major Events in the History of Competitive Gaming
Index