ESports has captured the attention of video game fans across the globe. Although the term eSports itself didn’t originate until the early 2000s, the idea of competitive video game playing has actually been around for much longer.

In this article we’ll take a deep dive into the history of this competitive video gaming and try to understand how this hobby of humble beginnings has become a sport likely to be viewed by 640 million audience members worldwide by the end of this year.

What is eSports?

Esports stands for electronic sports and, as could be expected, refers to the act of playing video games competitively. Gamers play various popular video games, either alone or as a team, and compete against others for (often monetary) prizes. eSports is rapidly becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry.

But eSports is not just for video game players; just like regular sports, the competitions have brought in masses of fans who watch, and often bet, on the success or failures of the players. In fact, eSports has even integrated itself seamlessly into other sectors, such as cryptocurrency, sports wagering, and online casino gaming, bringing in a whole new audience that reaches beyond just video game fans. Some of the best Ethereum esports betting sites cover a wide range of popular eSports events and allow wagers and withdrawals to be made with the cryptocurrency, Ethereum, quickly and with impressively low transaction fees.

How Did It All Begin?

If we want to get technical, the road that led to the introduction of eSports began as early as the 1950s. This was when video games first made their appearance, and even back then, there was always a competitive edge to them.

The very first game, Tennis for Two, although light years from the games we have nowadays, still had one unmissable similarity to what is played in eSports tournaments in the modern day–they involved two opponents going head to head, with only one being crowned the winner.

Decades passed, and games evolved, but the idea of playing together, winning and losing, remained. This paved the way to the world of eSports we know today.

The Very First eSports Tournament

Although no one is quite sure when the first officially recognized eSports tournament took place, general consensus points to the 1980 National Space Invaders Championship. This tournament attracted over 10,000 people, and the final was played in New York.

This event not only changed the life of the winner but also changed the future of eSports as a whole. For the first time, the world was recognizing video game playing not just as a hobby but as a competitive sport, with the same complexity as all the rest.

Developing Video Games

As video games evolved, so did the emerging eSports world. One specific event that helped shape the future of competitive video gaming was the 1990 Nintendo World Championships in the States. This attracted players from the whole of the US and countless fans. The winners were rewarded with grey Nintendo cartridges, which still have a six-figure value today, but more than that, the world really started to see what competitive video gaming could look like.

The Effect of Education in the Emergence of eSports

Despite the overwhelming popularity of video games during the 90s, the idea of playing video games for anything other than recreational activity was still mostly unheard of. However, that all started to change in the 2010s, and a major factor in this was the role of the education system. Colleges all across the states began building their own eSports teams, and the first officially recognized varsity esports program was established in 2014, at Robert Morris University in 2014.

The History of eSports

So there you have it, eSports might only have flourished as the worldwide phenomenon it is today in recent years, but the foundations were being laid decades ago. You could even argue that the moment video games landed, the development of eSports was destined to occur. Video games are naturally competitive, as are humans, and when the two came together, the wonderful world of eSports was born.