Besides just focusing on the big picture, some sponsors represent the players themselves. Most of these sponsors help by providing events and paying for flights among other things necessary for a tournament. Among these sponsors are Coca-Cola, Intel and Red Bull. Many sponsors are now appearing as the popularity of Esports rises. However, if they lose, they may not have enough to sustain themselves. An Esports athlete, though they do not get a salary, is able to make that amount or more in one day as soon as they win a tournament. For instance, a NFL athlete makes an average yearly salary of 1.9 million dollars and a NBA athlete makes an average yearly salary of 5.15 million dollars (Doyle 1). Traditional athletes make a salary regardless of whether they win or lose. Since these athletes have to withdraw from traditional aspects of life due to the time commitment of this career, the commitment does not insure financial stability. An integral thought Esports athletes keep in mind when entering this career is that though they go through extensive training, they cannot expect to win all the time. The primary source of income earned by these players is through tournaments that require athletes to spend hours and hours training, usually causing them to withdraw from traditional aspects of life. Most Esports players are paid from winning tournaments, though extra money is possible through sponsorships. This changes from country to country as the MLG is the circuit for the United States. He describes, just like in traditional sports, a lot of practice, recruitments, and scrimmages take place in which a player not only has to play by the rules of the game, but also by any rules that MLG sets (Magee 1). Found on the Major League Gaming’s (MLG) news network website, an article by Kyle Magee on how to become a professional gamer states steps needed to reach that goal. This definition puts Esports in an academic perspective. Because the chances of losing a tournament are high for professional gamers, Esports athletes should receive a salary to help with living expenses, an action other countries, such as South Korea, have begun to address for the Esports community.įor those who do not know what Esports is, it is professional competitive gaming defined as, “a competitive way of playing computer games within a professional setting” (Wagner 2). The challenge that these athletes face is choosing to live an average life with a normal job, or to pursue their gaming career in which even with a set contract will not guarantee them of making a living at all, much less hitting a jackpot. If an Esports athlete wins tournament money, it is usually enough to cover living expenses for a long time. This causes many athletes to face uncomfortable living arrangements if they are not always at the top at all tournaments. Unlike traditional athletes, however, they do not get a stable salary. Like many traditional athletes, professional gamers go through much training and practice before competing. One may never believe that one can make a career out of playing video games, but when gamers are good at what they do, they can make more than enough to sustain themselves. The biggest prize among video game tournaments is from the Dota 2 International, a tournament that raised an astonishing $18,429,613 for its prize in the 2015 tournament. A solution is suggested through change in employment law and through increase in publicity of Esports. This paper looks into how the sport itself has grown – even becoming an Olympic sport – and any laws that have come in place that may help or harm players in either country, mainly employment law and visas. The pay of traditional sports athletes in the United States is also compared to how Esports players are paid focusing on salaries and involvement of associations and leagues. The paper primarily focuses on Esports players in the United States and South Korea, comparing their living situations, benefits and how they are paid. This paper is meant to explore the financial and living situations of professional video game athletes and intended to make an impact in how they are paid in the United States.
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