How esports changed the game: From media laughingstock to media craze

Before the PC age, video games were only really making waves in the media in the context of novelty.

But now, with attendance, viewership and prize pool continually on the rise, the mainstream media has come to embrace the industry.
Here's a look back at how that came to be.

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[theScoreesports]

Hey guys, just a small correction to clear things up. At 7:32 it is the co-owners of the Sacramento Kings that have invested in esports (specifically NRG eSports). Thanks for all your love and support!

[Zaurav_]

"First they ignore you,
Then they ridicule you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win."
- Mahatma Ghandi

[elmantishrimp]

"Why would you watch a game when you can just play it?"

*sits down and watches football*

[alascala]

This makes me wonder what I’ll be closed minded and wrong about when I’m older.

[ThatGuyForLife]

2015: Esports is not sports.
2020: Esports is the only sports.

[ExoticChaotic]

"watching people play games is like going to a restaurant and having someone eat you food" - I could say that watching sports is like going to a gym and letting someone lift your weights then right? what kind of stupid statement was that.

[hameeham]

They make fun of it until they see how much money it racks in

[TimmyHoang]

I can say the same thing with regular sports then.

"Who would pay money to see a bunch of guys throw a ball around?"

[strongindependentblackwoma]

Old people being ignorant about "modern stuff".
That's normal.

[Fngel]

"Video games are so easy you jut sit there and click"... Well the prize pool is $1, 000, 000. Go take your easy million tough guy.

[mkj]

This narator is killing it. Riot should hire him for the "worlds intro films of players"

[vinsmoke]

"Why watch people play games" Same thing could be said about everything on TV, why watch people talk about a random topic

[T---xtfc]

"why watch someone play video games when you can play them urself?" Then wtf watch a talkshow when u can talk with someone

[TreetopCanopy]

I cry happy tears every time I see a video like this. What a wonderful world.

[JoBoy]

Its normal that old people look down at gaming being a job... Its because they lived their whole life doing all kinds of job and never once saw gaming an option...

[theentertainment]

"Why watch someone else play a game instead of playing it yourself?"
to that I say why do we all watch sports instead of playing them ourselves?

[duchi]

*Basically*
Everything changed
when the Twitch Nation attacked

[eddieouille]

but we watch people play football and don't question it, why not play it yourself then?

[morbid.]

Watching games being played... we all did that even before YT or internet, we gather on couch and played together, we gather at arcades watch people play and let them watch us... Internet is just another form of that.

[bobsam]

Classic old people being wrong again, happens quite alot these days honestly.