© Evo / Robert PaulIn single-player-focused communities such as Print the square, esports are overlooked. But make no mistake, this sector of the market is huge: BBC regularly hosts Rocket League and League of Legends tournaments are now hosted on its website, while UKIE fixes the sector’s total world revenue at $ 1.1 billion from 2020 – and the number is only rising. Many world-famous sports franchises, such as Paris Saint Germain, now have professional sports groups.
PlayStation has been realizing this for some time, and while the efforts have remained a footnote on sites like this, it might be worth a look at what it has done behind the scenes. Gran Turismo Sport, for example, has quietly become a full-scale sport since its release; its competitive live stream-competitive motorsport broadcasts. It has also sponsored several major events, such as the Call of Duty League and the Capcom Cup over the years.
Evo is the most prestigious fighting tournament in the world, but its origins as an amateur community gathering have hurt it. Last year’s competition was canceled due to allegations of sexual misconduct, and there were questions about whether the opportunity would ever return – especially as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is causing complications for conventions of this nature.
It is perhaps worth noting that Sony probably did not break the bank that acquired the opportunity, as the competition is already in a precarious position. we are clearly not talking about a $ 7.5 billion investment here. But it promotes his ambition to become the home of competitive games as well as single-player games: the platformer noted in a blog post that players had a look in 2020 1.1 billion hours playing fighting games on his consoles.
But those of you who are paying attention will know that PlayStation has been coveting this market for some time. The PlayStation Competition Center – a regularly overlooked part of the platform’s website – is packed with engaging events, ranging from games like Mortal Kombat 11 and FIFA 21 to NBA 2K21 and SoulCalibur VI. Many of these have small prices, with almost daily opportunities.
In fact, if you have ever watched the official PlayStation YouTube channel, you will find that if you filter out the trailers, there are absolutely many competitive live streams. Many of these attract thousands of viewers; it’s not hard to imagine how Evo, as one of the biggest esport events on the calendar, will significantly increase its efforts in this area. Bigger audiences mean greater engagement, and if Sony links its brand to the action, it means more players on its platforms.
Sony clearly sees that Evo is an opportunity to not only confirm its status the fighting game platform, but also to strengthen its position as a console for competitive gamers. Sport may not be to your personal taste, but the Japanese giant is smart at broadening the appeal of its box; it’s already the best place to play single player story games, but the manufacturer wants to make sure that the device is also the defacto device for tournaments. All this means more players, more subscribers and ultimately more money.
What do you make of Sony’s decision to acquire Evo? What do you think it means for PlayStation to move forward? Reach the knockout phase in the comments below.