Nerds or Jocks: The Esports Paradox

Middle Aged Gaming

It’s time for another eyebrow-raising episode from MiddleAgedGaming for your audio pleasure. This week’s topic is the Esports phenomenon that has turned the gaming world into a spectator frenzy. All three major genres of FPS, RTS and fighting style games are considered, alongside wider implications of e-sports on game development or evolution.

Phil - Starcraft 2

Starcraft was one of Blizzard’s greatest pre-World of Warcraft success stories that introduced the world of Terran, Protos and Zerg. Kerrigan returned in Starcraft 2, in a game that received favourable nods from plaudits. 11 years after it’s release and Starcraft 2 still has a strong following, but how much does region and location play a factor in this?

Antoine - Valorant

Relatively new to the Esports world, Valorant is a FPS from the same developers of League of Legends and is structured in a way to capture the hearts and souls of Counterstrike, Overwatch and Fortnite players. Is this a rising star that will rise to the top of the commercial world, or is it poised to struggle in an over Saturdays market?

Adam - Super Smash Ultimate

Nintento’s iconic fighter game has seen multiple editions with characters draw from across the extensive Nintendo back catalogue. To what degree has Super Smash evolved into the ideal game to bring in viewer crowds? How much of an Esports game is provided by nature vs nurture?