Wuxi: insert coin for e-sports

Wuxi is in the game to become a big player in electronic sports (e-sports), industry analysts told reporters, on the basis of the city's planning and the recent success of hosting the 2015 Winter MarsTV Dota 2 League (MDL) at Wuxi Studios.

In January, teams from around the globe, including Vici Gaming, OG, Evil Geniuses, LGD Gaming, EHOME and Team Secret, competed at the MDL for the whopping 1.5 million yuan ($228,000) prize pool.

According to the 2016 Global E-sports Market Report issued by Newzoo, a global leader in games market research and intelligence, e-sports, as a professional sport and form of entertainment, has been developing at a rapid pace, and Wuxi is set to get in on the action.

Data shows that e-sports reaped $325 million worldwide last year. This year will see it grow to $463 million, a year-on-year growth of 43 percent, entertaining an audience of 131 million e-sports enthusiasts and another 125 million casual viewers who tune in mainly for the big international events.

The competitive gaming industry has seen a boom in recent years with increasing prize pots making it more and more profitable for players. "In 2007, the monthly salary of EHOME's captain was 1,500 yuan and for the team members it was 1,200 yuan. However, in more recent times outstanding members' monthly salary has grown tenfold at least," the host of the 2015 MDL and former captain of EHOME, DC Laoshi, told reporters.

Actually, an industry chain is taking shape. E-sport is not only a kind of entertainment, but also an industry driving the development of the PC industry and live video streaming.

Another report issued by Newzoo last September revealed that the number of e-sports enthusiasts had grown from 89.7 million in 2014 to 116 million in 2015, including 18.5 million from North America, 16.8 million from Europe and 53.9 million from China.

Newzoo is expecting the industry to make more than $765 million by 2018 as the number of competitive-gaming enthusiasts reaches 165 million.

The increase in popularity of competitive live video gaming has also created more opportunities for video publishing websites and video game commentary, to better serve the emerging market.

More importantly, online games have spilled over into the mainstream and movies, with the likes of Tomb Raider and World of Warcraft, ensuring enduring vigor and popularity for games.

If Wuxi is to capitalize on this vastly expanding market and become an "e-sports city", it will need to make sure it has the right factors and environment.

Firstly, the Internet is key, according to DC Laoshi, with connection speeds being crucial to players. Wuxi's current telecommunications has large network coverage and is one of the best in the country.

Additionally, Wuxi's affordability is an important factor as high costs of living seen in cities such as Beijing or Shanghai can be off putting for players.

The business environment is not to be underestimated as well. Most e-sports competitions are held in Shanghai and Beijing in consideration of those cities carrying a greater reach to consumers. Despite this, Wuxi's proximity to Shanghai is still an advantage and offers something different from the potentially flooded markets in the big cities.

Shi Juan, general manager of the Wuxi National Digital Film Industrial Park, said the park will contribute to the industry. This October, an e-sports hall at the park will make its debut, where an e-sports carnival and a League of Legends competition will be held.

In view of these bright prospects, Wuxi is looking to become a major player in the emerging e-sports industry.

In January, teams from around the globe, including Vici Gaming, OG, Evil Geniuses, LGD Gaming, EHOME and Team Secret, compete at the MDL for the whopping 1.5 million yuan ($228,000) prize pool. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]