Graduation season has just ended, and with an estimated 6 million students leaving their academic institutions – both high school and college – this year, the opportunity for study or employment in the field of eSports and mobile gaming is one that many students and graduates are taking very seriously.
eSports as an industry has grown exponentially in the past few years, and the millions of developers, players, and sponsors across the globe attest to its popularity. This means rapid growth for game developers like SPYR, Inc. (OTCQB: SPYR), a Denver based company engaged in publishing and developing mobile games. Mobile game revenue was up 53% worldwide in Q1 2017, and is an industry that continues to demonstrate opportunities in many facets of its business.
The eSports economy, which beyond game/app development and distribution, includes media rights, sponsorships, advertising, merchandising, and of course ticket sales to event venues, is projected to grow by over 40% in 2017, and is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion by 2020. "If you are a CMO and you are not in eSports in 2017, you are going to risk getting fired," said Tobias Sherman, global head of eSports at talent agency powerhouse WME-IMG. IMG represents some of the most common names in athletics, like Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer. The agency’s position relative to eSports is yet another endorsement of the growth of the industry.
For students heading off to college in a few months, academic and curriculum opportunities are expanding on campuses across the country. Currently there are at least 17 colleges and universities in the US with eSports teams that compete in intercollegiate gaming leagues. The number of schools offering these programs – as well as scholarships to support enrollment and participation – is increasing almost monthly. Says Columbia College President Dr. Scott Dalrymple, “eSports aren’t the future, they are the present. True skill in video gaming is just as impressive and just as legitimate as excellence in traditional sports.”
While some college athletes may dream of betting drafted by an NHL, NBA or NFL team, college gamers are open to the same possibilities in their respective niche. And the financial rewards can be just as compelling; one former honors student at the University of Washington earned $200,000 in a 12-month period playing in video game tournaments.
In the classroom, courses are offered in everything from game theory to programming, graphics design to technology interface. At University of Washington, gaming majors can choose between “Bioshock: Cyborg Morality and Posthuman Choice” and “Satan’s Game: The Cultural Roots and Impact of Dungeons and Dragons”. This of course is in conjunction with programming and design, because that’s what employers are looking for in new hires. Game and app developers need employees who have played the games, who understand the gaming experience and its history, and who can help create the next big thing in eSports and mobile gaming.
In Q1 2016, mobile game revenue was $7.8 billion, which expanded to $11.9 billion in Q1 2017, suggesting a strong and healthy industry. With sustained growth in mobile game revenue, increasing mobile game installs, and an eSports industry that is increasing in both popularity and revenue, companies like SPYR, Inc. are well focused on growing their game development business, while also enhancing platform technology development.
While the eSports market continues to post impressive numbers, so too do casual gamers. Recent numbers indicate mobile game installs are also up in Q1 2017, with one report stating that there were 8.8 billion installs in Q1 2017 -- up 15% from 7.6 billion in Q1 2016. SPYR’s flagship game, PocketStarships, recently became available for download on VK, the fifth most visited website in the world, and the largest online social media and social networking service in Europe. PocketStarships is also available through 50 different game portals, online at www.pocketstarships.com, at the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, etc. making the game available to mobile and online gamers globally, and adding to the company’s global footprint.
So if you child tells you they want to major in gaming or eSports, or your recent graduate is sending out resumes to game developers and mobile app companies, consider your job as a parent well done, because the future of the eSports and mobile gaming industry certainly looks like a bright one
BY SARA CORNELL
Source: https://goo.gl/fZx9P7
No comments:
Post a Comment