Marketers to Gain from eSports, Online Cultural Trend Drawing Gamers Worldwide
Computer Games Not Just Leisure Activity, Serious Money Making Industry
In Auckland, New Zealand, eGaming is getting to be a big pass-time and a win could earn you the status of a celebrity. It's a big deal in Auckland and it offers a unique model for success for marketing online sports! With the concept getting a lot of coverage in its neighboring country, eGaming opportunities are expected to grow in Australia as well.
And many Internet cafes in the city have teams that they own and these teams are making names for themselves playing in tournaments.
Gamers in New Zealand have shown their impressive gaming skills by qualifying for eSports tournaments like the World Cyber Games. This is comparable to the Olympic Games that host traditional sporting events. Every year, more than 50 nations compete in thirteen kinds of eSports. The World Cyber Games has about 10 million fans around the world.
Computer games also known as eSports, has evolved into a cultural phenomenon with distinct characteristics and is expanding globally. It is a little different from traditional sports in that you're communicating with other players online and you're also improving your skills by practicing with other online players.
Unlike watching sports on TV, online gamers can connect with other players at Internet cafe's or attend eSports tournaments, or watch eSports on Internet TV.
Marketing professor at the School of Marketing and International Business at Victoria Business School, Victoria University, Dr Yuri Seo said in a media release, “It’s essential to engage with opinion leaders and understand the value consumers are getting out of the experience. If marketers look at their games purely as escapist activity they are missing the additional opportunities.”
Blizzard Entertainment, based in the US, develops and publishes entertainment software is a fantastic example of marketing success in the industry, according to Dr. Seo. “Playing computer games is not just about leisure any more—it’s a way to find friends, community, and maybe even a profession.” Online gaming should not be taken lightly by marketers who stand to gain by taking advantage of this latest trend in the computer games..