Esports. Games, money, two clicks (The Book of Esports) (Category Game)

Read on vacation a book by William Collis, a gamer and entrepreneur who co-founded several startups in eSports and successfully sold them, received the nickname “The Professor” for teaching eSports in college, and now he is a co-owner and co-founder of the professional eSports team Team Genji, which is considered No.1 In the world of Hearthstone.

William decided to write the book to make a comprehensible guide for everyone, from a gamer to an investor, from an esports parent to a CTO who wants to understand what’s going on in this new field. As a result, the book was published in English. 2020 It became the first comprehensive review of the industry, as well as a kind of textbook for courses on eSports.

Collis from the first pages indicates ambition: to tell about all facets of eSports. The summary directly lists what the reader will learn: **- How it all started.**From the first video game competitions to the explosive growth of streaming, the history of esports is step by step. The author traces the path from slot machines and LAN parties to arenas and online platforms. - Link to traditional sportParallels between sports and their digital counterpart. Collis shows that the principles of competition are universal: be it football or Dota 2 Skills, team dynamics, entertainment and competitive spirit are important. **Why are these games successful?**League of Legends, Fortnite, StarCraft, Dota 2 And others became esports hits. Here, the author introduces the concept of SCAR factors – four conditions without which the game will not become an eSports Skill, Community, Accessibility, Reward. (Skill, community, accessibility, reward). Collis shows that, for example, StarCraft laid the foundation: a high bar of craftsmanship, a close-knit community, ease to start playing and serious prizes – all of which have made it a global phenomenon. - Business and investmentA separate focus – what you need to know companies that decide to invest in eSports. The author shares strategic thoughts about what tournaments, teams, streaming platforms earn. Models of monetization are considered - Collis even offers his acronym BAMS: Blade & razors, Advertising & assets, Microtransactions, Subscriptions. For managers, it is valuable to see how the economy of the industry is built: sponsorship, media rights, sales of in-game goods are all the building blocks of big business. - The future of eSportsCollis looks ahead to what the industry will look like tomorrow. Questions are raised: what new genres will appear (He recalls how the battle royale genre suddenly broke into PUBG)Will any video game genre become a competition? The OMENS model is interesting, in which the author talks about the factors that affect the ability of the game to stay in the top of eSports games. OMENS stands for Opportunities for Competition, Monetization, Ecosystem Support, Network Effects, Switching Costs. It is not necessary that all factors come together, but the more of them, the higher the chances of the game approaching the ideal. By the way, there slips an interesting analogy about ketchup and mustard - ketchup has a steady taste and expectations, and mustard is all different. In the end, in order for the game to become an esports discipline, it should be similar to ketchup and follow the OMENS model. - Alternative versions of eSports. The final chapter discusses a new class of competitions that can make esports even Super Mario Bros. - a hint of speedranes and other non-standard formats from the category of "perfect victories". The author also talks about future shifts: the fusion of human and machine skills, the development of AI in games and other futuristic ideas.

Separately, I note that the book is written in simple language and understandable to a wide audience, that is, even a person far from games will understand the basics of eSports in the presentation of Koliins. At the same time, the author is not boring for old-timers: he weaves stories about cult matches, curiosities of the industry, interviews with famous eSportsmen, making the narrative “live”.

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