The world of video game tournaments is chock full of tales of conquest. Computer experts who got one over on us all by going in nerds and coming away with plump bank accounts. Traditionally these "nerds" are young people, teenagers and young adults. People too young to purchase alcohol or even cigarettes have led the video gaming industry. But the industry has matured, and so has its players. Never fear, video games are still all the rage - someone in more than 65 percent of all households plays, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
Video games are games considered to be Electronic Sports, belonging to Real Time Strategy, Racing games, and First Person Shooter games. These games have migrated from the home gaming console to leagues played online against other players worldwide. Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Games have been hosting online tournaments which can be played for cash prizes. In 2010 the first place prize for World of War craft Global Arena was ,000 U. S. - a hefty sum for playing a game from your sofa.
Many professional gamers honed their skills for years wherever they could find other like-minded people to compete against - in basements, apartments, and dorm rooms. Soon companies began to comprehend the vast potential for marketing products to this swiftly growing society, and the fad began to grow into a sport. Massively Multiple-player Online Role Playing Games utilize Avatars, or personalized characters, to allow the game player to move through the gaming environment interacting with other players and the virtual ecosystem itself. The object is for the gamer to control his or her Avatar as it combats various monsters, assassins, and terrorists, usually with the theme of good vs. Evil. The Avatar usually must also collect hidden objects for experience and points throughout the game. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be an "expert" to play in these tournaments - there is room for all to enjoy the fun of online gaming.
People often ask whether the money earned during this online game playing is real or not. The money, which is deposited into a trust account via Pay Pal, a credit card, or e-check, is absolutely real, and because the video games played are games of skill, not chance, this is legal in the majority of places. Some expert gamers have earned beefy nest eggs by quitting their regular jobs and playing video game tournaments full time. In a growth industry earning over million in sales in 2008, there seems to be an abundance of opportunities for gamers with snake-like reflexes and speedy fingers. Another area in which there is growing demand is Video Game Testers. Because video game popularity is at an all time high, video game companies are under a lot of pressure to thrust new games out to the public in record times. This means they do not have enough time to thoroughly test them. This is where Video Game Testers come in. Gaming Geeks volunteer to play and test the newest games before they are released to the general public and report to the publisher any glitches in the games. They get to play new games before anybody else, and the publishers get their games tested - it's a win-win situation.
Because video game tournaments are vastly popular, they have been evaluated as Electronic Sports by the International Olympic Committee for addition as an Olympic sport.
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