The esport industry has exploded in recent years, as more people become interested in the competitive side of the video game industry. Kim and Thomas point out that while esports are an entertainment activity, they are also work, and the motivations of those who compete in the top tiers are usually extrinsic. This article explores some of the motivations behind this phenomenon, and the public companies with ties to the esport industry.
esport players’ motivations
The intrinsic motivations of esport players have been studied in recent years. These motivations are important in helping the players cope with their challenges throughout their professional careers. Intrinsic motivations in competitive gaming include social motivation, altruism, and competition. These motivations may help to explain initial career planning among esport players. Moreover, these motivations can predict long-term career plans of youth involved in competitive gaming.
In esports, a player must have a genuine passion for the game. They must spend countless hours practicing and studying the game mechanics. Moreover, they must also be willing to compete without sponsorships or lucrative streaming deals. Moreover, the player’s motivation must be strong enough to compete against other players and within their community. Without a healthy competitive spirit, players may burn out before turning pro.
The findings of this study showed that higher coping motives were associated with a lower motivation to become a professional esport player. However, the results could have been influenced by intercorrelations in the motives. Further, the motives were not very explanatory; they only explained 29% of the variance in career planning. Further, the Nagelkerke R2 for the three motives was less than 0.29.
esport teams are organized by franchise model
Esports franchise models have become popular among big game publishers, and the rise of professional franchises has been a major catalyst in the growth of eSports tournaments and the monetization of these games. Franchise models are managed by the game publisher, and interested parties must pay a certain amount to be included in a league.
Franchised esports teams share arenas and sales revenue. However, some teams are considering forming self-owned arenas, as this would give them the advantage of a home field advantage. This would especially be beneficial for location-dependent teams in leagues like the Overwatch League. Regardless of the model, though, league affiliation adds stability and predictability for team owners.
In the past, esport teams were self-organized. They would recruit players to compete, and then join tournaments or leagues and be compensated for their efforts through prize pools. As esports became more popular, more teams were organized and paid salaries to their players. As a result, teams became more lucrative and can generate revenue from merchandise and sponsorships.
Publicly traded companies have connections to esports
Publicly traded companies have been developing their connections to esports over the last few years. Many of these companies have been founded by gaming industry giants. Some of these companies operate competitive gaming venues. For example, Fragbite, which launched in 2002, is now a major player in the Nordic esports community. It also organizes events for budding professional players.
However, if you are looking for a more direct connection to esports, you can also invest in privately traded companies. While esports are not a big part of these companies’ revenues, some of them are raising eye-watering sums of money from retail investors.
If you’re interested in investing in esports, you should know the names of the biggest players. Tencent, the Chinese media conglomerate, owns League of Legends and Honor of Kings, along with the popular WeChat social media platform. The company is also active in esports media campaigns, and it has stakes in several of the biggest esports teams.
