In the past few years, the gaming industry has seen exponential growth in terms of opportunities and the number of people playing video games. The pandemic, especially, saw a spurt in the growth of online gaming in India, and currently, India is among the top five gaming markets in the world.
It’s not like there hasn’t been any research in this field, the problem is, however, that the research that has been done in video games and the gaming industry predominantly focuses on the problematic use and the addictive part of it. This has been an issue for many parents for a long time, but it is also worth noting that over the years, e-sports has started to become a career opportunity rather than just a recreational activity. In fact, there are universities around the world and even workshops and programs in India that offer courses revolving around e-sports. E-sports management is a field that has great potential and is growing every day.
But how has the gaming industry grown so much in so little time? The most evident reason is the younger population and how their number is increasing day by day. There are also factors like inexpensive internet, an increasing number of smartphone or tablet users, and also the introduction of new gaming genres. Most people would assume ‘gaming’ can only be done on an advanced PC that is specially built for gaming purposes but today, mobile gaming is also very popular and desired. This opens the field to a lot more people, because almost everyone has a smartphone in today’s world, and everyone is looking for something to do in their free time.
Another misconception about e-sports is that one can only make money if they play professionally and at a high level, but streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch have allowed many amateur gamers to build a community of their own on the internet. These streaming platforms have become a source of income for many, considering being a professional gamer may not be an opportunity everyone can pursue.
Through these ways, there are also a lot of women who are entering the gaming industry more confidently. For the longest time, and probably even today, to a certain extent, women were never really welcomed into the gaming industry, but this notion is slowly changing, which is a great thing because there are a lot of women out there who have a genuine interest in gaming and perhaps would want to pursue a career in the same.
