Competitive gaming, or eSports, has exploded in Europe and Asia, but the Australian gaming scene is lagging behind. Vivien Luu finds out why.
Video gaming is a pastime for many, but for a talented few it's a full-time job. Like professional athletes, pro-gamers train year round to compete on national and international circuits.
Since the 2010 release of Blizzard's Starcraft 2, eSports has had an unprecedented surge in popularity worldwide. The real-time strategy game, which can best be described as a battle between two armies, has reinvigorated the eSports scene.
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“Games like Halo and Call of Duty have been doing a pretty good job (as professional games) but we haven't seen an explosion with any of these titles like with Starcraft 2,” says Derek Reball, who has been organising eSports in Australia for over a decade.
The game has become so popular across the US, South Korea and Europe it has established itself as a niche sport with televised tournaments, commentators, crowds and of course, prize money.
And while Starcraft has also surged in Australia, the pro-gaming scene here has a long way to go to catch up.
THE MONEY
Tournament winnings vary widely even among major competitions. Sweden's DreamHack has an annual prize pool of 400,000 kronor ($A56,400); while South Korea's Global StarCraft II League (GSL) boasted a 202 million won ($A170,800) prize pool.
Despite this, Australia's top Starcraft2 player says there's still not a lot of money to be made from pro-gaming.
“I like to think it's the same sort of thought process an Olympic athlete would take,” Andrew 'mOOnGLaDe' Pender says. “You're not in it for the money, you're in it for the passion.”
The 25-year-old says it's particularly difficult to earn money in Australia where an underdeveloped scene means less prize money.
“In Australia it's a lot harder to make that kind of money,” he says. “I could probably live in Korea and live off the money I make there, or America or Europe. They're just a lot further ahead than Australia.”
E-SPORTS DOWNUNDER
“Gaming hasn't really become legitimate here in Australia yet,” Reball says. “We are nowhere near America or Korea . . . but the awareness is slowly spreading that this is actually a big thing.”
Australian eSports is held back by a number of factors.
“Our two biggest limitations are funding and bandwidth,” Reball says.
Potential sponsors are reluctant to invest in what is perceived as a "fringe" sport, while poor bandwidth means lag issues for players.
“It's no secret our internet infrastructure sucks and it's a massive detriment to us.”
Despite this, the Australian eSports community is gaining traction.
The Australian Cyber League (ACL) has expanded its divisions to include Starcraft 2 and a new gaming circuit known as the Australian Pro League (APL) has been established.
“We've had a really big community response since starting,” APL founder, Eugene Mak, says.
The APL organised Australia's first 'Barcraft' event in 2011, which saw 300 Starcraft fans gather at a Sydney pub to watch the finals of a major tournament.
“Starcraft is such a spectator sport,” Mak says. “And Barcraft proves that, it's brought it right into the public eye . . . so outsiders can see how many people turn up to watch these events.”
So if there are pro-gamers, tournaments, prize money and spectators – why aren't video games a legitimate sport in Australia?
A 'REAL' SPORT?
“Conventionally, Australians have been regarding sports as something you do outside with a ball,” Mak says.
But gamers point out that a great deal of skill and speed is required to participate competitively.
“It's not something that you really understand until you actually see a crowd of people cheering for these guys and these speeds they're playing at,” says pro-gamer Jared 'Pig' Krensel.
A gamer's skill level and speed is measured by their Actions Per Minute (APM). While casual gamers hover around the 20 to 100 mark, pros average 300 APM.
“Team houses” are often set up to allow pro-gamers to hone their skills, where they train anywhere between eight to 14 hours a day. Team Liquid is based in South Korea, while TT eSports has a house in Taiwan. Such team houses are yet to be established in Australia.
A GAMING NATION
Professor Jeffrey Brand, who has tracked the profile of Aussie gamers since 2005, believes Australia will eventually come to accept eSports.
“I don't think video games are quite to the stage of permeating our culture in the same way as say rugby or cricket does,” Brand says.
“But we as a nation enjoy engaging one another in meaningful play and computer games will, like games before them, become a key part of the way we express ourselves culturally.
“It's a different kind of sport, but a sport nonetheless.”
VIDEO: Australian pro-gamer Jared 'Pig' Krensel talks about his path to professional gaming
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