E-sports

E-sports are becoming popular in the world today as many people become technologically savvy in the 21^st Century. Technology has become part and parcel of people’s lives to the point that people cannot live without it. People in the world today have devised ways of using technology to improve their lives, including leading to the emergence of online gaming and working online. The commercialization of the online has led to the development of competitive computer games that support multiple players also referred to as E-sport. This proposal is to analyze whether E-sport may be regarded as a key development project in Hong Kong. The current study will involve the analysis of the attitude that the people around the country have towards E-sports and the changes that E-sports have brought in the lives of the individuals, society and the country at large by analyzing the contemporary literature on E-sports. The use of E-sports In Hong Kong will be compared to that of the United States of America than compared using regression analysis. It is expected that E-sports is regarded as a key development project. However, the conclusion will come from the research conducted, the data collected, and the result of the analysis. The study is important because it will help the people in society to understand the benefits of e-sports in the lives of the people. The information may then be used in making important conclusions as opposed to relying on hearsay to make a decision. The fact that the people in society believe that gaming is important in society will mean that they can use it in the improvement of the lives of the people in the society.

1.    Introduction and background information

Playing games has been for entertainment in history. Some people monetized gaming through betting, and since then, there has been an improvement in the monetization of gaming activities. Century came up with an improvement in technology that has made it possible for people to play games together despite the fact that they are in different geographical locations.  Many games have since been introduced into the market, and many investors have put their money into gaming. The increase in investment in gaming has led to the development of more video games and coming up with better platforms for gaming that will improve the gaming experience of the players.  Game development has since become a serious career. The trend has since led to the development from ‘playing video games’ to ‘competitive computer games’, as known as ‘E-sports.’ ‘E-sports’ has then become an industry with many financial benefits for both the players and investors. E-sports has also attracted a large audience throughout the world in recent years, increasing the market for gaming activities and stations in the world.  In the early 2000s, there were some amateurs of video games organized large amounts of video game competitions, and these competitions are become professionalized rapidly (Tassi, 2012).

eSports Earning (2015) estimates that a total of 4,721 e-sports events were hosted worldwide in 2015, with a cumulative audience of about 390 million people watching the game. More than 12,000 active E-sports players took part in the games (eSports Earning, 2015). The number of long terms and short term audiences increased from 2112 to 2017. The ratio of the short term and long term audience is similar because they are divided into players and watchers. Most of the views like the games in the long term, which makes them part of the future of the gaming industry (Newzoo, 2017). Faced with unlimited business opportunities in the E-sports industry and the continued increase in global revenue, many investors in different countries have decided to invest in gaming as a way of increasing their earnings. The online gaming industry has also attracted a variety of vendors who have decided to invest in this particular venture.

E-sports are becoming popular in the world today as many people become technologically savvy in the 21^st Century. Taylor (2012) notes the fact that E-sports is becoming a serious venture in the world today. He notes that E-sports has created employment for various people in society. The fighting games have become an important genre in the professional genre, as many professional gamers have taken it to be part of their career. The introduction of games that support multiple players has greatly improved the E-sports career. Research indicates that gaming is one of the most successful ventures in some countries, meaning that it can be a good venture if the investors in Hong Kong take it seriously and make it one of the economic activities in the country. Some of the barriers to the growth of the gaming industry will become the belief among the members of the community that earnings from gaming are not legitimate.

It is important to have knowledge of the cultural policies of Hong Kong before fronting E-sports as a major product in the country. Playing games is a form of culture, and its success as a major development project will depend on its acceptance as part of the culture of the people in Hong Kong (Chitty et al., 2016). It is also important to make sure that the people in the society are aware of the benefits that E-sports bring to their lives. E-sports have been associated with smartness among the kids. All the parents want to have smart children, and they will do everything in their power to make sure that their children are smart. Computer games have also been associated with the enhancement of cognitive abilities among adults, which is another reason why E-sports may become popular in Hong Kong in the future (Dubbels, 2016). According to Nyćkowiak (2018), playing video games has become one of the professional activities among young people in society. The author also noted that the application of various strategies in E-sports requires a person to choose patterns and paths that are adapted to the intensive social and technological changes.

1.1.               Aim of the research

The project proposal is intended to provide a critical review of factors that lead to the success of E-sports and helps in determining whether E-Sports can be regarded as a key development project in Hong Kong or not. The research will investigate the reasons why the people in Hong Kong take part in E-sports and the accomplishments that they have made in the process. The study will also assess the factors that affect the success of esports in Hong Kong. This project also assesses the assertion that the successful E-sports industry has to follow the theoretical factor of success described in the study of E-sports literature. It is important to validate the theory and history with intended testing the theory against the practical implementation that lead to the success of the E-sport industry.

The current project will compare Hong Kong to other countries as a way of answering the research questions. The countries that will be compared to Hong Kong include  South Korea, China, and America to investigate. The paper will also assess whether Hong Kong has the ability to develop E-sports and whether it has the potential of becoming a major E-sports city in the world. These three countries have successful E-sports industries, and they will be used as a standard and a reference point where the E-sports industry in Hong Kong can be compared. They have both overcome the initial E-sports market resistance due to insufficient of trust and unfamiliarity. Therefore, these cases of example allow us to investigate what the factor and potential of E-sports country have to require in the generic international aspect, and also to identify how Hong Kong can be learned and adapted to local demand.

1.2.                 Problem statement

People are looking for different ways to increase their income and various productive ways to spend their time. It is important to spend time in an engaging way and in a way that will improve the lives of the people. Many people are also looking for economic stability by making sure that they monetize different activities that they carry out in their lives. Zelinski & Reyes (2009) address the importance of computer games in older adults. One of the benefits of computer games presented in the paper is the fact that it helps older people to have cognitive abilities. It is important to note that cognitive abilities among the people tend to fade as they advance in age; hence it is important to find a solution to the problem. The benefits of computer games are likely to promote their usefulness in society. The computer gamers also take more time playing computer games to the point that it may eat up the time that they could have used in carrying out other important activities in the society.

Wood, Griffiths & Parke (2007) notes that many computer gamers waste more time playing games instead of doing something constructive. It is often hard to separate the gamers from gaming since a good number of them have taken it to be a part of their daily lives. It is, therefore, important to make their hobbies to be more engaging and competitive. It is also important to make it more rewarding for the benefit of the people in the society. Other counties have made E-sports as an important activity and a development project that will be used to help the people in the society.

Dongsheng, Xiaohang & Daofeng (2011) found that the E-sports games have the ability to propel the sports industry forward that will help in the development of traditional entertainment. The advancement in technology makes people devise various ways of entertainment. Dongsheng, Xiaohang & Daofeng (2011) notes the fact that the E-sports industry in China is still in its development stage and the market is still in a spontaneous and disorderly state meaning that there is a lot to be done to ensure that it is important in the lives of the people in the country. However, since the research was done, there has been a remarkable development in the E-sports arena as the people in the country have resorted to commercializing the gaming sector and made it to be a profitable sector in the society. Rubleske, Fletcher, & Westerfeld (2020) reveal the fact that E-sports has a global consumer base of 450 million. The researchers also projected the revenue in 2019 from gaming to be the US $1.1 billion. The revenue is expected to grow in the future as the gaming sector continues to gain the popularity of the people in society. It, therefore, means that when all the necessary efforts have been put in place, the gaming industry may become one of the important projects in Hong Kong. This research will assess the measures that can be put in place to make the E-sports arena to be one of the best in Hong Kong.

1.3.                 Justification of the research

The E-sports industry is growing at a higher rate, and it is important for Hong Kong to take advantage of such growth. With projected revenue of US$1.1 billion and a global consumer base of roughly 450 million people. It is important to finds out how the consumer base may be increased and, in so doing, increasing the revenue made. Educating the younger generation is becoming a challenge; hence there is a need to look for creative ways of promoting education in the learning settings. Gaming has been fronted as one of the ways of promoting education among young people. The higher rate of unemployment in the society is also a source of concern, and there is a need to find ways to deal with it. An assessment of E-sports as a potentially key development project in Hong Kong will help in finding solutions to some of the cases of joblessness in the country.

A good portion of the population in Hong Kong has not yet accepted E-sports as a source of entertainment and as a source of livelihood among the people in the society despite the potential that the sector holds in the world today. It is, therefore, important to find ways of improving the sector and make it important for the population as a whole. It is important to note the fact that an investment in E-sports may play an important role in the reduction of the rate of joblessness in the society. E-sports may be used in dealing with the cases of joblessness and improving the economy of a given country. The E-sports can be very important in the society, and they can be a very important part of people’s lives if they are included as a part of the people’s culture. Rea (2019) argues that gaming has become a depiction of people’s cultures and their lives as a whole.

1.4.               Research questions

The current research will seek to answer the following questions as a way of making sure that it is successful:

1. Can E-sports be categorized as an economic activity?
2. What is the potential of E-sports in becoming one of the leading sources of employment in the future?
3. What are the total earnings from E-sports per annum in South Korea, China, and the United States of America, and what are the inferences from such data?
4. Can E-sports be regarded as a key development project in Hong Kong?

1.5.                 Objectives

The main objective of the current research is to find out whether E-sport can be regarded as a key development project in Hong Kong. The specific objectives of this study include:

1. To review the modern literature, examining and identifying the theory and history of E-sports comprehensively.

Examining the successful factor and condition of a well-structured E-sports industry by comparison of certain countries, such as South Korea, China, and America. The criteria for success of E-sports will be presented by the comparison of the above countries, including the attitude of government against it and its impact against economic, cultural, and individual aspects. After the comparison, the third objective that identified was analyzed whether Hong Kong’s market structure and environment are suitable to develop the E-sports industry or not. Thus, it is concluded whether E-sports can or cannot be regarded as a key development project in Hong Kong and provide suggestions and improvement plan for the conclusion.