John Parker, board director of the international advertising agency network M&C Saatchi, will deliver a program on the eSports industry at the first-ever ICE VOX eSports conference, Tuesday, February 6, 2018. More than 385 million people follow international eSports, projected to increase to 600 million by 2020. Parker said eSports has grown organically, resulting in a surge of interest from sponsors.
“As a mainstream sport, I can’t see many reasons why it wouldn’t be sustainable, the volume of gamers across the globe only continues to grow and increased exposure will increase that pool of talent. Also, games publishers are able to innovate and improve the gaming experience both for the player and the viewer much quicker than traditional sports can, so the ability to shape the product is something that can keep the games fresh and the experience exciting, not to mention the opportunities that presents for sponsors,” Parker said.
He added eSports should be considered for the Olympics. “There will always be the argument that eSports isn’t a ‘real sport’ and it has no place in something as prestigious and sporting as the Olympic. I think that’s incredibly naïve. If it involves skill, dedication, physical exertion and entertains a watching public then, for me, it’s a sport. Of course, the levels of physical exertion for eSports professionals is going to be less than for those running the marathon or playing 70 minutes of hockey, but that’s the beautiful thing about the Olympics. There is a wide range of sports that appeals to a broad range of ages and demographics. If there is a place at the Olympics for Dressage, Skeet Shooting and Golf, then there is definitely a place for eSports.”
ICE VOX will feature 110 speakers delivering 70 hours of learning in nine tracks, February 5-7: World Regulatory Briefing; the International Casino Conference; World Regulatory Briefing; Data Science & Personalization; eSports; Game Design & Development, including the Game to Watch competition; Blockchain; Cybercrime & Security; Modernizing Lotteries; and Sports Betting USA.
