By Catherine Skrzypinski

2015年二月举行的美国橄榄球冠军总决赛超级碗几乎是美国历史上收视率最高的的电视节目，共有超过1.14亿观众观看，但竞技视频游戏玩家和他们的拥护者们确不以为然，随时准备超越超级碗的记录。

在全球拥有1.34亿的电竞爱好者，年收益高达6.12亿美元的 现在专业竞技游戏绝对是笔大产业。风险投资家，以及富有的中国亿万富豪的孩子们，正在投资数百万美元进入这项产业，而精英玩家更是享有七位数的薪资和报酬合约。财富500强公司，如美国运通和可口可乐赞助了全球性的电子竞技赛事。彼得·沃曼，在阿姆斯特丹的国际游戏市场研发公司Newzoo的首席执行官，曾预测，到2017年电子竞技将是价值十亿美元的产业。

游戏玩家纷纷参与在世界各地的主要场所，如纽约的麦迪逊广场花园，洛杉矶斯台普斯中心， 和首尔桑是世界杯球场举行的竞技电脑视频游戏 - 包括大规模流行的League of Legends，DOTA2，Defense of the Ancients续集和Counter-Strike。同时，专业的电竞舞台已经陆续在中国，韩国，瑞典，乌克兰，英国和美国设立。

杰森冯，总部位于温哥华的eSportsPools首席营销官，在9月16日，星期三告诉财富杂志电子竞技每年都在打破收视记录。目前，世界各地有2.05亿民众观看电子竞技，自2012年以来，电竞观众年均复合增长率为20%。

“相对于传统的运动项目，最近举行的电竞决赛“反恐精英”拥有约2700万特别观众， 已经超越了NBA 总决赛的2000万观众，美国职棒大联盟世界系列赛的1380万观众，    全国曲棍球联盟斯坦利杯总决赛的490万观众，”冯补充说。 “当然我们还没有达到超级杯的数字，但我们很快会达到。”

业内专家预测，到2018年，  游戏玩家的总人数将超过各项体育爱好者的数量总和。

“竞技游戏似乎在许多方面 ， 至少乍一看 ，  类似于传统体育，” 纽约的数码游戏研究机构SuperData Research首席执行官Joost van Dreunen指出： “但是，如果认为电子竞技的新现象可以用旧的术语来描述就是完全误解了， 高科技，电玩爱好者和互动娱乐完美结合的电竞在全球范围内给人们带来全新的分享体验。”

据2015年五月SuperData Research发表的电子竞技市场调查显示， 电子竞技的核 心观众是35岁以下的富裕男性，不过，随着视频游戏数十年的开发，电竞的观众群也渐渐包括中老年人士 。

SuperData Research 报告中显示， 在前200名卖座的电竞玩家中， 只有两名是女性。 因而越来越多的企业，像Blizzard和国际电竞联盟已经开始举办女性专用联赛， 为玩家和观众创造一个更加宜人的环境。专业机构也开始打造女性团队，丰解释说，例如在英雄联盟游戏历史上最古老的团队之一，Counter Logic Gaming 在2015年七月 成立了CLG Red 女子团队。

中国蓄势称霸电竞

今年秋天，世界各地的电竞玩家都将目光锁定在欧洲，因为英雄联盟2015年世界锦标赛将在欧洲主要城市包括巴黎，伦敦和布鲁塞尔举行。各电竞团队将在柏林梅赛德斯 - 奔驰文化中心争夺冠军。2015年世界锦标赛的冠军将获得200万美元的奖金。

冯表示，2014年世锦赛打破了所有电竞比赛的记录，其中包括总数多达800万的电竞观众。

“今年也将会有记录刷新。”冯补充说： “韩国队已经夺得了过去两届世锦赛的冠军，电竞爱好者都渴望看到韩国队被新的冠军取代。”

冯认为，在2015年的世锦赛， 中国队很可能是后起之秀。 “中国队通常在持久赛中表现优异 ，  他们绝对有夺冠的可能。”他解释说： “众所周知中国队擅长快速行动，积极取胜。  他们专注于快节奏的运行。而韩国队与此相反，他们像下国际象棋一样，思考每一步棋， 他们往往利用对手的错误来取得成功。”

根据SuperData Research 2015年5月的调查报告显示， 中国和韩国仍然领先全球的电子竞技市场，预计达到总值$ 3.74亿美元的年收入。 来自中国和韩国的游戏玩家为了观看比赛，将巨大的体育场馆门票抢购一空。

冯指出， 目前的中国电竞市场竞争非常激烈，各种游戏直播平台如 斗鱼 ，虎牙，战旗和中国互联网公司腾讯控股旗下的TGA各显神通。

“中国市场的众多竞争对手为了赢得观众， 已经对明星和个性玩家创造了大量的需求。而这种需求已经延伸到整个亚洲，”冯继续说： “例如百万美元的薪酬合同，将会吸引到顶级韩国选手加盟中国队。”

目前，eSportsPools的用户群主要集中在北美，欧洲和俄罗斯，但冯说，现在该公司的策略是瞄准中国。 “我相信，中国市场将是非常愿意接受梦幻电竞的赌博游戏，我们正在寻找在中国的合作伙伴，”他补充说。 “中国将成为亚洲地区电竞的枢纽。”

加拿大电竞游戏的飞跃发展

加拿大最大的连锁电影院， Cineplex Entertainment, Inc.，9月17日， 星期四 宣布将进军竞技电子游戏世界。 计划投资1500万美元，将电竞比赛带去全国各地的电影院。

“我们看到电子竞技正在迅速形成一个全球性现象，”埃利斯雅各布，Cineplex Entertainment总裁兼首席执行官在声明中指出： “这项投资为我们提供了一个独特的机会，借以吸引新的客户群，以及扩大在加拿大以外的市场理念。”

帕特·马歇尔，Cineplex的通讯和投资副总裁表示，该公司将在加拿大推出一个游戏联盟， 影院电竞预选赛和锦标赛。该比赛将在剧院舞台上进行，而观众可以分流到任何Cineplex旗下的电影院观看比赛。

随着加拿大电竞游戏的正式启动，温哥华成为天然的游戏产业的枢纽。 斯科特·伯顿，eSportsPools的首席执行官，9月16日， 星期三告诉财富杂志：“对任何高科技和媒体行业来说， 温哥华是个很好的便于启动的城市，因为无论是社会各界或政府都积极支持创业和创新。”

温哥华市长罗品信说该城市的优势在于在其蓬勃发展的数码媒体和高科技行业。

“[温哥华]有大量的视频游戏行业的人才，”伯顿补充说。除了eSportsPools，Electronic Arts，Capcom，任天堂和微软都在该市设有专卖店。 “温哥华是世界上最美丽的城市，以及是世界上最宜居住的城市之一。”

电竞行业在2020年完美远景

电竞行业在未来五年内将继续快速增长，冯指出。

The International，DOTA2的年度多人在线竞技场战斗视频游戏竞赛，是电竞行业人气飙升的一个例子。The International拥有电竞史上最高数额的奖金，冯注意到。自公司四年前成立以来，每年的奖金数额从 2011年的160万美元，增加到2012年的280万美元。 然后跃升至2013年的1090万美元，在2014年达到了新高， 1840万美元。高额奖金的来源大部分是众人赞助的，冯解释说。

“电竞奖项越高，越能吸引更高的收视率，并从赞助费，广告收入，周边商品和门票销售中赚取更多的收益。”冯补充道。

冯已经预测， 到2020年， 电竞产业将彻底超越传统体育“尽管电竞产业正在以迅猛的速度发展，但我们看到的仍然只是冰山一角，”他继续说。 “孩子们是观看YouTube长大的， 而不是看电视， 他们从小玩视频游戏，  而不是传统的体育项目”

根据SuperData Research的2015年5月的报道，在美国，大约有91％的电竞爱好者，每月花费大约$ 200在三场游戏中，和添加额外的硬件，如耳机和遥控器。

“由于我们的年轻人逐渐成熟，拥有更多的可支配收入，视频游戏和电子竞技将成为下一代年轻人娱乐的主要来源。”冯总结说。

在Twitter @eSportsPools  上关注 eSportsPools。

With around 134 million eSports enthusiasts worldwide and annual revenues of U.S. $612 million, professional competitive gaming is now big business. Venture capitalists, along with the children of the wealthiest billionaires in China, are investing millions of dollars into the industry, while elite players are commanding seven-figure salaries and endorsement contracts. Fortune 500 companies like American Express and Coca-Cola are sponsoring global eSports events. Peter Warman, CEO of Newzoo, an international games market research company in Amsterdam, has projected that eSports will be worth $1 billion by 2017.

Gamers have played competitive computer video games – including the massively popular League of Legends, DOTA2, the sequel to Defense of the Ancients and Counter-Strike – in major venues around the world such as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and the Sang-am World Cup Stadium in Seoul. In the meantime, dedicated eSports arenas are opening in China, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Jason Fung, chief marketing officer of Vancouver-based eSportsPools, told Caifu magazine on Wednesday, Sept. 16 that eSports is breaking viewership records every year. Currently, 205 million people around the world watch eSports, with a compound annual growth rate of 20 percent since 2012.

“To put this into perspective with traditional sports, around 27 million unique viewers watched the most recent eSports finals event Counter-Strike, compared with 20 million for the NBA Finals, 13.8 million for the World Series [Major League Baseball], and 4.9 million for the Stanley Cup Finals [National Hockey League],” Fung added. “We haven’t reached Super Bowl numbers yet, but we are getting there.”

Industry experts predict the total number of gamers will surpass the number of total sports fans by 2018.

“In many ways competitive gaming seems – at least at first glance – to resemble traditional sports,” noted Joost van Dreunen, CEO of digital games analyst firm SuperData Research in New York. “But to think that a new phenomenon like eSports can be described in terms of the old is to misunderstand it entirely. The intersection of technology, fandom and interactive entertainment is presenting us with new ways of sharing experiences on a global scale.”

eSports’s core audience consists of affluent men under the age of 35, according to an eSports Market Brief issued by SuperData Research from May 2015. However, as generations grow up with video games, eSports will appeal to an older demographic.

Only two of the top 200 grossing eSports players are female, the SuperData Research report showed. A growing number of organizations like Blizzard and the International eSports Federation have begun hosting women-only leagues to create a more welcoming environment for players and spectators. Professional organizations have also started to create female teams, Fung explained, as Counter Logic Gaming – one of the oldest teams in League of Legends history –  established its CLG Red division for women in July 2015.

China Poised to Dominate eSports

Gamers around the world will be setting their sights on Europe this fall, as the League of Legends 2015 World Championship will take place in major European cities including Paris, London and Brussels. Teams will compete for the championship at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. The winner of the 2015 Worlds tournament will receive U.S. $2 million.

Fung stated that the 2014 World Championship shattered all records for eSports, including a total unique viewership of 8 million.

“New records will be set this year,” Fung added. “South Korean teams have dominated for the past two World Championships, and fans are eager to see the Korean teams dethroned.”

Fung said he feels teams from China could rise to the occasion in the 2015 Worlds. “Chinese teams usually make it far into the tournament – they always have a chance,” he explained. “The Chinese teams are known for playing aggressively and swiftly. They focus on fast-paced action. Meanwhile, the Korean teams plan every move like a chess game; they tend to capitalize on mistakes.”

China and South Korea still leads the global eSports market with U.S. $374 million in annual revenue, reported SuperData Research’s May 2015 survey. Gamers from both China and South Korea fill and sell out huge stadiums to watch tournaments.

The current eSports market in China is enjoying fierce competition with platforms like Douyu, HUYA, Zhangi and Chinese Internet company Tencent Holdings’s own TGA, Fung pointed out.

“The number of competitors in the Chinese market has created a lot of demand for star players and personalities to attract viewers – and this demand has spread throughout Asia,” Fung continued. “For example, multimillion-dollar contracts have been extended to top performing Korean players to join Chinese teams.”

Currently, eSportsPools’ user base is mostly in North America, Europe and Russia, but Fung said the company is now targeting China. “I believe the Chinese market will be very receptive to the money-wagering side of fantasy eSports, and we are seeking out partners in China,” he added. “China will become the hub for eSports in Asia.”

Game On in Canada

Canada's largest chain of movie theatres is moving further into the world of competitive electronic gaming. Cineplex Entertainment, Inc. said Thursday, Sept. 17 that it would invest U.S. $15 million to bring eSports competitions to cinemas across the country.

“We see that eSports are quickly becoming a global phenomenon,” Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex Entertainment said in a statement. “This investment provides us with the unique opportunity to engage a new customer base, as well as expand the concept in markets outside of Canada.”

Pat Marshall, vice president of communications and investor relations at Cineplex, said the company would introduce a gaming league with in-theatre eSports qualifiers and tournaments throughout Canada. The games will take place on theatre stages, while audience watch the competitions being streamed to other Cineplex venues.

As eSports makes its mark in the Great White North, Vancouver is a natural fit as a hub for the gaming industry, Scott Burton, eSportsPools’ CEO told Caifu magazine on Wednesday, Sept. 16. “It’s a great city for any tech and media-based startup because both the community and government support entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has said the city’s strengths lies within its flourishing digital media sector and in technology.

“[Vancouver] has a plethora of talent in the video gaming industry,” Burton added. In addition to eSportsPools, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Nintendo and Microsoft have set up shop in the city. “Vancouver is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and one of the best places to live in the world.”

eSports Perfect Vision in 2020

eSports will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next five years, Fung predicted.

The International, an annual competition for multiplayer online battle arena video game DOTA2,

is an example of eSports’ booming popularity. The International boasts the largest prize pools in eSports history, Fung noted. Since its inception four years ago, the annual prize pools have increased from U.S. $1.6 million in 2011, to U.S. $2.8 million in 2012. It then jumped to U.S. $10.9 million in 2013, and reached a new high in 2014 at U.S. $18.4 million. A majority of the money raised for the prize pool is crowdfunded, Fung explained.

“The larger the prize pool, the more viewership eSports will attract, and the more money from sponsorships, advertising revenue, merchandise, and ticket sales will grow,” Fung added.

Fung has forecasted eSports will completely surpass traditional sports by 2020. “Although the eSports industry is already growing at a rapid pace, we are only at the tip of the iceberg,” he continued. “Kids are growing up watching YouTube – not television – and playing video games – not traditional sports.”

According to SuperData Research’s May 2015 report, around 91 percent of eSports fans in the United States are spending around $200 a month on three games and additional hardware, like headphones and controllers.

“As our youth gets older, armed with more disposable income, video games and eSports will be a primary source of entertainment for the next generations to come,” Fung concluded.

Follow eSportsPools on Twitter @eSportsPools.