The League of Legends Worlds tournament, the biggest tournament of the year for the franchise, came to a close on November 6th, 2021, with the Chinese team Edward Gaming taking home the tournament cup as well as almost $490,000 of prize money. To unfamiliar spectators, such a result could be quite bewildering. How could the... Continue Reading →
Peripherals. That single word represents about 80% of the money esports organizations bring in, but what exactly are "peripherals," and how are they such a moneymaker in esports? For a refresher on what esports organizations are, as well as the other structures present in esports, be sure to check out this article I wrote last... Continue Reading →
Esports are rapidly pushing closer and closer to the centerfield of the modern sports entertainment industry, but what even is an "esport"? And just how different are they structurally from sports like football and basketball? The answer to the first question can be found in this article by one of my peers, and I highly... Continue Reading →
Photo Source: HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas Esports stands for "electronic sports." It describes the world of competitive, organized video gaming. It allows people from all over the world to connect and play games together in real time. In 2020, there were 496 million esports followers. It is predicted that, by 2023, there will be... Continue Reading →
Opening a loot box in FIFA 13. (Photo Source: arstechnica.com) What do Google, Apple, and EA Sports all have in common? They are each being sued over their use of "loot boxes." Before we get into the lawsuit against each company, it may be helpful to define what a loot box is. Loot boxes are... Continue Reading →
Photo Source: Pamela Hazelton Epic sued Apple in federal court nearly two months ago. Since then, the lawsuit has ramped up. Epic announced that Apple will be terminating its Apple Developer Program in late August due to Epic's blatant violation of Apple's Developer Program License Agreement. This could result in Epic losing access to all... Continue Reading →
Photo Source: Gamespot.com Twitch, the popular live streaming platform owned by Amazon, averaged 15 million daily viewers in 2018. Of those 15 million, 41% were in the age range of 16-24. Individuals, corporations, and even the military realize Twitch is an expanding market with the younger generation. To capitalize on this, the United States Army... Continue Reading →
Photo Source: VRScout.com Epic Games, Inc. ("Epic"), the multi-billion dollar video game developer and creator of the hit game Fortnite, sued Apple Inc. ("Apple") on August 13, 2020 in Federal Court. Epic's complaint alleges that "Apple Monopolizes the iOS App Distribution Market[,]" and "Apple Monopolizes the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market[.]" Epic alleges six different... Continue Reading →
Maryland is taking steps to legalize prize-based esports tournaments. As professional video game tournaments (esports) continue to rise in popularity, the law needs to catch up to accommodate this new form of entertainment. Endorsements, intellectual property, contracts, and esports betting are among the top concerns facing esports players today. Yet, there are still states where... Continue Reading →