Playing video games could well pay off

AT THE JUST-CONCLUDED League of Legends World Championship finals, held in Paris on Sunday, Chinese e-sports club FunPlus Pheonix beat its European opponent G2 Sports. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

This is not the first time a Chinese team has won an e-sports world championship, and Chinese gamers can now proudly say they are among the best in this world.

Just 10 years ago, those participating in e-sports were considered to be wasting their time, and video games such as League of Legends were regarded as spawn of the devil.

Prejudice against e-sports was so deep that Li Xiaofeng, the most famous first-generation e-athlete of China, had to sleep in the hall of the airport during his competition trips due to a lack of funds.

Now Chinese e-sports competitors have gained as much honor and influence as their counterparts in traditional sports, and e-sports have entered the mainstream.

It was the emergence of League of Legends that proved the turning point for e-sports because it is very easy to learn and almost everyone with an interest can play. By lowering the threshold for competing in e-sports, it encouraged more participants. Now the large audiences and huge number of amateur players have attracted a lot of investment, and being an e-sports competitor has become a respectable occupation. With e-sports majors launched in vocational colleges nationwide, parents have finally given up their prejudice against e-sports, which makes it possible to attract more talents.

Now China is doubtlessly one of the most influential countries in terms of e-sports, whose advantage can not only bring it honor, but also hundreds of millions of yuan annually because of the huge global audiences e-sports attracts.

JIN DING / CHINA DAILY