Designing an eSport for Spectators

August 2018 — The very idea of video games as a “sport” might still draw eye-rolls and dismissive smiles from people, but whatever the nomenclature, there’s no denying now that there has been tremendous momentum behind the growth of eSports, an industry that commanded over $640 million in 2017 — and with revenues projected to reach $1 billion by 2019.

In addition, fans tend to be young, with the majority of viewers between the ages of 21 and 35, which makes the market ripe for hungry advertisers all vying for the potential attention of the 380 million people worldwide who watch eSports each year. 

The most popular games to watch so far this year encompass a variety of genres, including first-person shooters, MOBAs, and RTS games. As eSports continue to prove themselves as an industry, game companies will continue to try and create eSport-ready titles (as Blizzard did with Overwatch, and now Bluehole with PUBG).

But what makes a game “eSports ready”? Aside from having a competitive “versus” mode of gameplay, I’d argue that there are certain elements that make a video game actually interesting for viewers to watch. These elements each contribute to one of two factors that make for a “great” eSport: watchability and accessibility.

I define watchability as the game’s ability to keep the viewer engaged, either through action or anticipation of action. Accessibility as how easy it is for the uninformed viewer (someone who has little in-game knowledge or who does not spend time staying updated on in-game news/changes) to understand what’s going on in the game. One might argue that accessibility is not a factor when it comes to rating a real sport and should not be included, but I maintain that 1) it’s an important one for eSports while it’s still not entirely mainstream, and 2) eSports in general experience many seasonal changes/tweaks versus traditional sports.

And so we continue onto the list of what to design for in an eSport:

1) Symmetry of competition. Contributes to accessibility.
By this, I mean that both sides of the competition should have characters who possess the same basic abilities. Most pure FPS shooters are designed this way (barring hero shooters like Overwatch and Team Fortress), but MOBAs typically get dinged in this subcategory under accessibility. MOBAs have rosters of so many different champions with wildly varying abilities that the audience has to take the time to learn what each champion can generally do (looking at you, LoL). It takes even the seasoned gamer constantly keeping a finger on the pulse of the game to know what new champions are available, what skills they have, and how their role fits into the current meta. It makes for “pretty” game footage (looks cool, lots of pizzazz and bright action going on) that’s rather confusing to decipher for the average viewer. 

2) Reduction of non-action phase(s). Contributes to watchability.
Certain games, like MOBAs, Battle Royale-types, and RTS games all experience a bit of a ramp-up period due to their farming phase, looting phase, and building phase, respectively. Though action can happen during these phases, it’s in the interest of viewers to shorten the span of time when game players are “setting up.”

3) Manageable player count. Contributes to watchability.
Most competitive games are already designed for a maximum of 10 players (5 vs. 5). Limiting the number of players is in the best interest of both the audience and the casters. During a broadcast, the spectator camera can only dwell on so many people at a time — even in a 5v5, some details can get lost in the fray unless footage is slowed down and highlighted if a majority of players are on the screen at once, as is often the case in a MOBA’s skirmish footage. If there are too many players also spread out over the map, you risk missing a crucial bit of action for another taking place somewhere else. Battle royale-type games face a difficult challenge when it comes to watchability/broadcastability.

4) Live play. Contributes to watchability.
Live action will generally be more watchable than turn-based, which dings games like Hearthstone. Though turn-based card games obviously require skill and strategy, spectating it is more akin to watching a game of chess than a game of basketball.

5) Simplicity of game assets. Contributes to accessibility.
Somewhat related to the previously-mentioned symmetry of competition, simplified game assets mean that weapons/accessories players can equip or use should be intuitive to the audience. MOBAs, RTS games, and competitive RPG arenas can suffer from having a number of in-game items that each have special effects. Though this is knowledge that the audience can pick up through repeated viewings of the game, the initial encounter with any special item effects can cause some confusion. 

6) BONUS: Magic. Contributes to watchability.
Although hard to quantify, I think there’s something to be said for a video game that makes for a great story to tell. There should be underdogs, ways for the underdogs to come back, and a way for even just one player to make tide-turning plays when the rest of the team is falling apart.

This list is just a start, and it will probably change in the future as eSports become more mainstream. My points about accessibility will probably become less relevant if it gets to the stage where more people are invested enough in games to take the time to learn the nuances. 

As a follow-up to this article, I will be exploring how each individual eSport ranks based on my observations of what makes an eSport well-designed for spectators.