But with the ever-rising popularity of video games and increasing media coverage, eSports are certainly on the rise, regardless of the lingering issues. And at Harvard, the eSports Association is looking to gain more traction on campus after a successful first year.
“Once you open up this club, you find there’s a lot more gamers than you thought,” Kim said. “The LAN parties are habitual at this point, but we’re working on solidifying an intramural system and making our competitive team tryout system more formal. We want to host large tournaments at Harvard that show people that we’re fun and welcoming.”
Kim believes that the growth of eSports on a national scale will be primarily driven through professional showcases.
“There’s professional basketball on TV, and people watch it,” he said. “That makes it normal, and cool. Once professional League of Legends is televised, it will become more mainstream.”
Junior Daniel Abarca, an avid League of Legends player, echoed Kim’s sentiments.
“eSports are pretty neat to follow,” he said. “Just like any other sport, it’s a competition you can watch and bond over with your friends. Is there really that much of a difference between consuming beer and chicken wings whether you’re watching football or a League competition? I wouldn’t say so.”
—Staff writer Justin C. Wong can be reached at justin.wong@thecrimson.com.