The rise and rise of e-sports

Just like traditional sports such as volleyball, basketball and football, e-sports is a booming global industry where skilled video gamers compete.

Usually, e-sports are organised multiplayer video game competitions, especially between professional players. Video gamers compete in a virtual environment, similar to watching a professional sporting event.

It is estimated that the world currently has more than 2.4 billion gamers — about one-third of its population. Professional teams worldwide compete in tournaments for prize pools up to billions of shillings, as well as tens of thousands of other competitions with prize money or contested in school and recreational leagues, accounting for billions in global e-sports revenues.

While organised video game competitions have long been a part of the culture, they were primarily between amateurs until the late 2000s, when professional gamers joined in, and spectatorship of these events soared.

In recent years, e-sports competitions have grown and been promoted primarily through online streaming media platforms, such as YouTube and Twitch. If e-sport is your thing, you can start by buying proper hardware and software and start honing your skills. Here are some critical considerations for your home gaming hardware.

If you are buying or building a gaming computer, the processor will be the first specification you need. The processor determines how a system will perform in most software. The processor core count is a significant consideration. There are options ranging from two to 16 cores in the mainstream market. In most cases, a four-core chip is the best you can get unless you're on an extreme budget but aim for eight cores.

Solid-state drives

Then, think of the hard drive space. Today, most computers come with a 500GB mechanical hard drive and, in most cases, a 750GB or 1TB model. More space is good. Solid-state drives (SSD) are your best option. Solid-state drives are not only far faster than hard drives, but they're also much cheaper than they used to be.

The gaming computer can get hot but thankfully, it has inbuilt fans. The humming of the cooling fans in the system can affect your enjoyment of your PC. To shut out the annoying noise, you will need headphones to cover your ears.

The motherboard is the glue that holds everything together. Manufacturers may include features like better networking capabilities or a better sound chip in their motherboards. Furthermore, motherboards come with different levels of expandability. Your motherboard doesn't have to be expensive, but it would be helpful if you considered expandability, and other features such as networking and audio.

Lastly, learn the rules of the game. E-sports follow the same rules as traditional sports. Athletes are generally expected to behave ethically, adhere to tournament, association, and team rules, and follow general sportsmanship expectations. For example, it is considered good etiquette to chat "gg" (good game) after defeating someone.

Mr Wambugu is an Informatician. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Samwambugu2