Will there be a partnership of esports and the metaverse?
Esports have grown in popularity in recent years. More and more fans and players have joined the rapidly expanding space each year. The trend is expected to continue as more people venture into esports as a professional career.
Another development that is expected to influence the esports space is the growth and ongoing interest in the concept of a metaverse. How are these two related?
Partnership of Esports and the Metaverse: The Evolution of Esports
Esports have grown massively, with tournaments drawing millions of people together. Video games have grown from being an activity people enjoyed in their free time to a reliable career for those who excel at them.
Today, esports support interactions between gamers and their fans through platforms such as Twitch and Discord.
Partnership of Esports and the Metaverse
Tech companies are now looking at the metaverse as the “next big thing.” The metaverse is a term that became popular in the 1990s science fiction world. It refers to an interconnected virtual world where people can interact as they would in the physical world.
The idea of the metaverse has shifted from a concept in a science fiction book to an inspiration for great video games of our times such as Fortnite.
These games shed a light on what the metaverse would look like. They have also stimulated a vision of how brands could use the virtual space to create simulated experiences for consumers. So what does this mean for esports?
Facebook recently changed its name to Meta, to reflect its interest in the metaverse. As this concept becomes more popular, we are seeing brands creating mini-gaming experiences in the metaverse.
Virtual worlds such as Decentraland and Axie Affinity become popular among users; we can expect to see more of that over the decade.
An Immersive Experience
The idea of the metaverse is an immersive experience that matches a person’s experience in the physical world. It offers the ability to attend a virtual concert and get the same experience as one would by attending a physical live concert.
The metaverse opens up a platform for a whole new level of fan engagement. Right now, each esport game environment is limited to the game itself. This means that any coins or rewards earned within a game cannot be transferred to another gaming universe.
The metaverse could allow a more immersive experience, for fans and players alike, within any gaming environment. Additionally, these games can have other integrations such as NFT capabilities to support collectibles in the metaverse.
We are also seeing an increase in blockchain games as developers build games that will be compatible with the metaverse. Blockchain games come with built-in features that allow ease in incorporating NFTs, smart contracts, and cryptocurrencies. These are all likely to be important in the metaverse and esports.
Advertisers and other brands working with esports players and companies will also be in a position to offer unintrusive advertisements and engage with esport fans.
Summary
Esports have come a long way from something people enjoyed for fun to a career forum for professional gamers. Therefore, the metaverse presents new opportunities for esports to move to the next level. The two have a mutually beneficial relationship which can change the way fans interact with their favorite players, as well as how brands interact with players and fans.
