Sports are a massive phenomena, to say the least, and esports definitely seems to want to try to become similar, but so far…I think it may be fair to say it’s struggling at that, outside of maybe some specific games and countries (…Is StarCraft still a thing in South Korea?).
Do you think that might eventually change, and if so what might contribute to it being alongside regular sports in terms of conversations & attention?
During the pandemic, when everything was shut down, sports were canceled. When asked what they missed most about watching sports a majority of men responded that they missed sharing the experience with their fathers and children.
I think that one reason for the popularity of sports, especially among men, is that it serves as a surrogate emotional bond for people that may have difficulty sharing their feelings … or maybe they just enjoyed the bonding experience.
If esports can provide a similar experience, then maybe it can be as popular, but there is more there than just the sport.