Esports is a big industry, valued at 1.72B USD in 2023. Still growing with an unknown ceiling as a limit, professional gaming earns some players even more than traditional sports. While we know this makes for a strong future in the industry, it does raise questions about the types of games people will play. Gaming is fundamentally different than other forms of competition, so what will this mean for the titles and players of tomorrow?
A Basis of Evolution
The key issue creating a problem of permanence in video gaming is their changing nature. For decades, games have been built on improving hardware. Improving hardware then results in new games, and older games being updated for faster systems. People tend to flock to new games, which makes it difficult for older games to succeed. On the other hand, games that evolve too much risk driving older players away. Sometimes the skills of existing players are transferable to new games, other times they might be too different.
Outside of video games, an interesting parallel is drawn in the landscape of online casino gaming. Games like video slots online introduce new titles like Big Bass Splash and Heroic Spins, but these new titles never alienate players. The gameplay here is similar enough that no new players are lost, which helps player retention. Video games can have players have to adjust to entirely new gameplay systems, which can drive them away.
Do Solutions Exist?
To search for a solution first means seeing the evolving nature of Esports as a problem. While it is a problem for fans of older games that fall out of favor, and for older players left without popular titles to play, evolution is less of a problem for the overall industry. There will always be new tournaments. There will also always be new players, so the greater market will still succeed.
As for the players, aging out of games has always been a part of professional sports. Whether football or golf, it’s only natural for players to eventually reach and leave their prime. However, the issue of succeeding in older and failing games is insurmountable. Games are made for many players, both old and new, not just the best existing players from previous generations.
Maintaining interest in classic games can be possible, and the developers and publishers can help it. Consider again the online casino example, and the bonuses like exclusive free spins for new players. This provides ways to get more from the whole experience, in this case, be rewarded with free spins in titles like Bonanza. For older video games to stay relevant in eSports, they need to find a similar approach to attract new players.
Accomplishing this feat isn’t easy. It might require coordinating huge parts of gaming culture to enshrine certain video games as permanent. This already happens with titles like Street Fighter 2 and Smash Melee, but these games are still far from mainstream acceptance.
“Esports” (CC BY 2.0) by a.canvas.of.light
With Esports being so young, they’re naturally still experiencing growing pains. The industry must mature before we can solve the problems of disappearing older competitors. It seems inevitable that some games will become the chess or golf of gaming, but the question remains of which titles will claim that honor.
