What Is Esports? The Past, Present, and Future of Competitive Gaming

Abstract

In 1958, hundreds of students lined up for an analog computer at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Over the next three days, thousands would play the world’s first-ever game designed for entertainment purposes only, Tennis for Two.

Since then, video games have exponentially evolved from their basement laboratory ancestral roots. Competitions, originally begun as a friendly split-screen match between friends or a quest for an arcade high score, have followed a similar growth trajectory. Competitive video gaming, known as esports, has exploded in popularity in recent years. With over 450 million viewers worldwide and almost $1 billion in revenue in 2020, esports is not a fad, but rather a technological and cultural phenomenon. To remain competitive in this popular and sometimes lucrative field, gamers often practice upwards of 12 hours a day, performing anywhere from 400–600 actions per minute. As such, they are susceptible to a unique set of injuries from these complex movements, extended screen time, and sedentary tendencies. This population needs motivated and educated healthcare providers familiar with their lifestyle to effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat relevant medical conditions.

This chapter will impart the fundamental basics of esports necessary to understand the terminology and culture of competitive video gaming.