The gaming industry has grown to unprecedented heights worldwide. Experts opine that it is now bigger than the music and film industries combined. Online gaming has been at the forefront of spurring this growth. Moreover, technological innovations have made it possible for game developers to come up with more innovative games. If you visit a top online casino like the Spin Casino New Zealand, you will be amazed at the gaming options you can access. Note that gaming is no longer just something you do for fun to pass the time; it has evolved into a career.
Esports – Not Just a Game
Sean Kaiwai is a top gamer from New Zealand. However, he is not well-regarded alongside other top athletes from New Zealand like Valerie Adams or Beauden Barrett. In fact, most of his fans don't even know his real name.
Kaiwai is popularly known by his gaming moniker Gratisfaction. At the moment, he is the top-earning eSports star. While many treat gaming as a leisure activity, for him, it is his career and livelihood.
In his playing career, he has earned over 120000 USD from tournaments alone. However, the eSports industry in New Zealand is lagging behind compared to overseas markets. There Is Still Enormous Room For Growth.
Industry experts believe the country has considerable gaming potential. The country's accumulative eSports earnings are far behind the top 10 countries. According to studies, the countries with the highest total revenues are the USA – 110.3 million USD, China – 108.9 million USD, and South Korea – 81.8 million USD. In New Zealand, five top eSports stars have earned a total of 435.1 thousand USD.
The release of the League of Legends in 2009 inspired the industry to grow further. Besides, the increasing popularity of Twitch, a streaming platform in 2011, also helped the industry reach exceptional growth levels. Reports from studies suggest that the industry's value stands at 1.084 billion USD.As the popularity of eSports increases, the tournament prize pools also increase. According to Kaiwai, top gamers take home a significant amount of money. However, getting to the top is not a walk in the park; it requires one to work hard insanely.
New Zealand's Opportunity
According to a digital study conducted in New Zealand, 67% of its citizens play video games. The gamers spend an average of 85 minutes every day playing games. However, the country's gaming industry still has a lot of catching up to do to compete on a global scale. Stakeholders of the gaming industry in New Zealand argue that the industry has not taken off yet. They also suggest that the sector is behind by up to 10 years. However, it is not all doom and gloom. The lack of progress is a blessing in disguise as it offers a unique opportunity for growth.
A Good Starting Point Sport New Zealand officially recognized New Zealand Esports Federation as the National Sporting Organization for eSports. This was a first step in the right direction as the organization is responsible for filling the gap at the professional level. There are also eSports providers emerging in the country like Let's Play Live, which run pro-division tournaments. Winners then get opportunities to compete at the international level. Final Thought The eSports industry in New Zealand is predicted to keep growing in the next five years. Some commentators argue that eSports tournaments will rival other games like rugby and basketball on the biggest television networks. Therefore, as things stand, the industry "hasn't even started!"