■ DEMAND FOR PERSONAL COMPUTERS RISING AGAIN, THANKS TO ESPORTS

With eSports enthusiasts spending as much as P200,000 for PC upgrades, personal computer retailers have found a niche market

Electronic sports are driving the demand for personal computers and keeping internet cafes, two areas of business that were supposed to die out because of the availability of smartphones. “It’s a niche market and it is growing,” said Wilson Tan, president of Thinking Tools Inc., who observed that eSports enthusiasts can spend up to P200,000 to upgrade a PC and its accessories, for an optimal gaming experience. The 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia will include eSports as a demonstration sport.

A retailer of technology solutions sees a rise in the demand for personal computers (PCs). Thanks to eSports, sales of PCs are slowly gaining momentum.

eSports are a form of competition facilitated by electronic systems, particularly video games.

Thinking Tools Inc. (TTI) president Wilson Tan said PCs still continue to coexist even with the presence of advanced mobile devices like laptops, netbooks and tablets. He attributed the rising sales of PCs in recent years to the noticeably growing eSports and video game development industry.

“It is a niche market and it’s growing,” said Tan.

He noted that eSports enthusiasts spend as much as P200,000 for a single upgrade of a PC, along with its accessories. Some are even willing to spend at least P5,000 to buy a specialty mouse just for this hobby or profession.

The rapid popularity of eSports is evident in internet shops, a business once predicted to come to an end at the time when Wi-Fi and smartphones were introduced to the market.

In 2015, it was estimated by SuperData Research that the global eSports industry generated revenue of around $748.8 million that year. Global eSports revenue is estimated to reach $1.9 billion by 2018.

Meanwhile, Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the Philippines could become the next eSports and video game development hub in the world.

In a statement, the senator believes that eSports and game development in the country are gaining momentum towards being a source of honor and employment opportunities for Filipinos.

Recently, eSports was included in the Asian Games as a demonstration sport in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. In 2022, esports will be an official medal event at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

Mandaue-based University of The Visayas New School has included esports and game development in its Senior High Arts and Design track.

“I believe that if we strengthen academic-industry linkages and work with our schools to develop the skills and creativity of future Filipino game developers, we will be able to grow this industry more,” said Aquino.

The university said it will teach game strategy for Dota 2, game design and development animation and 2D and 3D animation and game creation. After two years, the students can either choose to be game creators, designers, or eSports players in the professional leagues.