The first video game, Pong, was introduced in 1958, and since then video games have grown to cater to a wide audience and includes many genres. Video games are played mainly for entertainment. However, with the growth of skilled players, competitive and professional gaming began to emerge.
Professional gaming, also known as E-sports, is when multiple players gather to compete in video games, either individually or in teams. These games can be very intense and the prizes can be substantial, including money, trophies, and sponsored goods.
E-sports have become so popular that many video game tournaments have appeared, with many new ones currently appearing. Small, local tournaments are available for players who are new to professional gaming or who prefer not to travel. These tournaments have small prize pools and may not be as popular, but it is a great way to start a career in gaming. Larger major tournaments, however, usually occur annually and have very large prize pools and other rewards. These tournaments attract many popular and professional players to compete for the grand prize. These tournaments include Evo, Genesis, Low Tier City, Combo Breaker, CEOtaku, Summit, Glitch, Frostbite, and many more. A variety of games are played, but the majority are fighting games that involve one-on-one combat. Some of these games include Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter, Tekken, Dragon Ball Fighter Z, BlazBlue, Soul Calibur, Under Night In-Birth, and Mortal Kombat.
Tournament usually only have two players compete at a time in double elimination bracket tournaments, and in large tournaments, players first play in pools before being placed in a bracket. Video game tournaments do not have only 1 versus 1 games. There are other modes such as doubles, 2 versus 2, or crew battles, where 2 teams engage in one-on-one battle with the losing opponent being eliminated in each round until one team.
Playing fighting games in tournaments is not the only kind of competitive gaming. Another form of competitive gaming is speedrunning. Speedrunning is when a player tries to complete an entire game as fast as they can. Although speedrunning is not a profession or gets rewarded for obtaining a world record, it is still very competitive and very entertaining. In every game, just trying to beat the game without any restrictions is called “any%.” People can also speedrun other categories, such as 100% and with or without glitches. However, most of the categories are created regarding the content of the game, such as collecting a certain item or reaching a certain level.
Competitive gaming has been a way for players who are skilled at a video game to earn money and even start a career. With the chance to earn a large amount of money, receive sponsors, and join teams, players can earn wealth and fame with video games. The evolution of video games has brought entertainment to many people young and old, and has enabled the development of professional gamers all around the world.