© Evo / Robert PaulIn communities focused on a single player, such as Push Square, electronic sports are overlooked. But make no mistake, this sector of the market is huge: the BBC regularly hosts Rocket League and League of Legends live tournaments on its website now, while the UKIE estimates global sector revenue at $ 1.1 billion in 2020 – and that number is only increasing. Many world-famous sports franchises – such as Paris Saint Germain, for example – now have professional electronic sports teams.
PlayStation has recognized this for some time, and while its efforts have remained a footnote on sites like this, it might be worth taking a look at what it is doing behind the scenes. Gran Turismo Sport, for example, has quietly become a large-scale sport since its launch; its competitive live streams rival real-life motorsport broadcasts. It has also sponsored several major events, such as the Call of Duty League and Capcom Cup over the years.
Evo is the most prestigious fighting game tournament in the world, but its origins as an amateur community event have made it a mess lately. Last year’s competition was canceled due to allegations of sexual misconduct, and there were doubts about whether the event would return one day – especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causing complications for such conventions.
It may be worth noting that, with competition already in a precarious position, it was difficult for Sony to break the bank when it acquired the event; we are clearly not talking about a $ 7.5 billion investment here. But this increases their ambition to become home to competitive games as well as single player games: the platform owner noted in a blog post that in 2020, players spent a wonderful time 1.1 billion hours playing fighting games on your consoles.
But those of you who have been paying attention know that PlayStation has coveted this market for a long time. The PlayStation Competition Center – an often overlooked part of the platform owner’s website – is packed with events you can participate in, from games like Mortal Kombat 11 and FIFA 21 to NBA 2K21 and SoulCalibur VI. Many of them have small prizes attached, with events happening almost daily.
In fact, if you’ve already consulted the official PlayStation channel on YouTube, you’ll find that when filtering the trailers, there are tons of competitive live streams. Many of them attract thousands of viewers; it is not difficult to imagine how Evo, as one of the biggest electronic sports events on the calendar, will significantly increase its efforts in this area. Larger audiences mean more involvement, and with Sony tying its brand to action, it means more players on its platforms.
Sony clearly sees Evo as an opportunity not only to consolidate its status as The fighting games platform, but also to strengthen its position as a console for competitive players. Sports may not suit your personal taste, but the Japanese giant is smart to broaden the appeal of its market; it is already the best place to play single player story games, but the manufacturer wants to ensure that your device is the de facto device for tournaments as well. All of this means more players, more subscribers and, ultimately, more money.
What do you think of Sony’s decision to acquire Evo? What do you think it means for the PlayStation to advance? Reach the elimination stages in the comments section below.