Talking about E-Sports

What is E-Sports? E-Sports is electronic sports, which can be interpreted as video games. Playing video games competitively, compete with other players, to win not only for the sake of fun, also for pride and money and many other more.

Recently, Orange Neolution E-Sports from Malaysia, got third place in The International 3, and prize of 287,000 USD.

Mushi, the captain of Orange, getting respect from the opponent, Dendi, after their defeat at The International 3.

By playing video game, this team which consists of 5 players, won 287,000 USD, nearly 1 million Ringgit Malaysia. If they get to divide equally this prize to each of them, one will get around RM200,000.

The five who almost entered the Grand Final of The International 3.

It is true that only very damn rare that you can earn money from playing video games. Like the case of Orange in Malaysia, who else play Dota 2 and win huge money? Out of thousands of Dota 2 players in Malaysia, only 5 make it. Some others may have won local tournaments but those are so little when compared to this RM200,000 per person, and hardly enough for living.

I always compare e-sports with football today. Playing football for many people is a hobby. But the selected ones can play football as their occupation, and earn money more than a lot of professionals. In a normal family, the parents will tell the children that playing football will not have bright future, important thing is to study properly. But some will still be football legends in the future.

Just the same for e-sports actually. For normal people, video games are just hobby. They will not promise you a bright future. But look at these Orange guys, they not only have this 287,000 USD prize, they have also earned respects from Dota 2 fans from the whole world. In certain countries, like China, USA, and a few more (sorry I don't know which country else), they really take e-sports seriously and have professional players who play video games and earn monthly stable salary. A Malaysian also move to China to play for a team from China, which was the Champion of The International 2. Just like these professional football players, who earn weekly stable salary. But of course the amount of salary still cannot be compared.

So Orange got 3rd place in the tournament, what about the winners?

Alliance from Sweden won the tournament, with 1.4 million USD. NaVi, a Ukranian based team, won 600,000 USD. 

The prize pool of The International 3.

How can a normal person earn nearly 300,000 USD, like those Alliance guys do? Even working for 5 years also damn hard to earn so much of money. But they have done it.

The Alliance not only lifted the Aegis, they also won 1.4 million USD.

This is an interview with mother of Dendi from team Navi, the first runner up from the tournament. Like normal parents, she did not agree with his video games. But what happened? Dendi has one first place, and 2 first runner up from this The International series, and a lot more prizes from other tournaments.

E-Sports is growing, and I really think E-Sports can grow to the size of football today.