Am I the only one who can not understand the hype about esports? I like playing myself and find watching others boring. It's cool if you like it, but I don't watch soccer either.
But I feel like I've witnessed so many more exciting esports moments.
No sporting event I've watched has had the excitement of TI3 grand finals in DotA2 or Starcraft matches like MMA vs DongRaeGu Blizzard Cup.
The strategy and metagaming makes it so interesting. The amount of skill is amazing. Esport pros make it look simple, but there is a lot going on. It makes for a very intense viewing experience IF you have an intermediate understanding of the game mechanics.
As for me I used to be into League of Legends tournaments, but every match I watch just feel the same. For me esport of choice is CS:GO, while the maps are the same the spots differ quite a lot and there is a lot more action since the rounds are so much shorter. I still do play both of the games, but I prefer to watch CS over LoL
1) I like how accessible to the games are. I can watch them live or on VODs
2) I find the personalities of the players interesting with their reveries and team drama.
3) How accessible the players are. You can watch them play on Twitch.tv. I am a fan of TSM and they have a weekly show called legends and you really get to see how things actually work in terms of strategy and picks.
4) Great strategy - I find that the meta strategy to be right up there if not higher than football, hockey or basketball. As a fan I can see two different strategies battle it out and see who is better especially when there are international competition.
5) It is truly international and the winning team can honestly say World Champions each and every year. Not many sports get that here in the United States. Other sports only gets that once every 4 years or for US NBA = Worlds Best basketball which is the exception.
Been given a ticket to watch New Zeland All-Blacks play this year, maybe the same thing will happen and I'll enjoy rugby more, who knows.
Then again, some people just like to watch other people slam into each other.
I'm not into either, but with my background esports certainly is easier to see as interesting since it's something I enjoy doing myself and can relate to more than most physical sports.
However, I've always been passionate about video games, which is probably why professional gaming is so appealing to me. Following the pro scene, you become really attached to individual players and teams - their unique personalities, skills, and the complex team-based strategy that the game calls for.
Unlike traditional sports, pro esports players are streaming frequently on twitch - you have much more direct contact to them. You can watch them playing in solo queue (i.e. in a non-professional environment, away from the rest of their team), and they'll often joke around, talk to their viewers (who talk in a chat attached to the channel), and explain what they're doing and their decision-making as they play the game.
So, you watch League of Legends because of the crazy plays that Faker makes, or the mind-blowing support mechanics of Madlife. You rooted for Dignitas because of how hilarious QTPie is on his stream, or maybe you've been following TSM since the Baylife days, standing by them when they falter and cheering madly when they make a showing in an international tournament. The Koreans have been dominant for years, but every year it feels like the NA teams are slowly inching closer in terms of skill. You go to a bar in San Francisco where they play matches live, and you're surrounded by people who are just as passionate as you. On top of all of that, you have Riot Games, which has invested themselves entirely in building a sport, not just a game, and making fans feel like they're valued and loved. Maybe you even have professional aspirations yourself - there's a challenger circuit for the best amateur teams, that's also run by Riot Games, where the best teams make it into the professional circuit. Playing professionally pretty much guarantees you six figures of income, from streaming and sponsorships.
So, people are into esports the same reason they're into any sport. You fall in love with the teams, the players, and the rivalries, and you get to watch people who have dedicated their lives to being incredibly skilled at a game that's both more technically demanding than anything else you can think of, and requires perfect coordination between team members.
That said, I personally love games and game mechanics, and I find that watching people playing competitively a game that you like makes for decent entertainment, especially if commented by decent casters explaining the plays and strategies being used.