© Evo / Robert PaulIn single player player focused communities like Push Square, sports are overlooked. But make no mistake, this market sector is huge: the BBC regularly hosts Rocket League and League of Legends live tournaments on its website now, while UKIE sets the industry’s overall global revenue at $ 1.1 billion as of 2020, and that number only increases. Many world-famous sports franchises, such as Paris Saint Germain, for example, now have professional sports teams.
PlayStation has long recognized this, and while its efforts have continued to be a footnote in places like this, it may be worth looking at what it’s been doing behind the scenes. Gran Turismo Sport, for example, has quietly become a large-scale sport since its launch; its competitive live broadcast rivals real-life sports broadcasts. He has also sponsored several major events, such as the Call of Duty League and the Capcom Cup over the years.
Evo is the most prestigious fighting game tournament in the world, but its origins as an amateur community event have made it a bit of a mess. Last year’s competition was canceled due to allegations of sexual misconduct and there were questions about whether the event would ever return, especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causing complications for conventions. of this type.
Perhaps it is worth noting that, with the competition already in a precarious position, it is unlikely that Sony has broken the bank that acquired the event; here we are clearly not talking about a $ 7.5 billion investment. But that fuels its ambition to become the home of competitive gaming as well as single-player gaming: the platform’s owner noted in a blog post that in 2020 gamers had a keen eye 1.1 billion hours playing fighting games on their consoles.
But those of you who have been paying attention will know that PlayStation has been coveting this market for quite some time. The PlayStation Competition Center, part of the platform owner’s website, which is often overlooked, is full of events you can participate in, ranging from games like Mortal Kombat 11 and FIFA 21 to NBA 2K21 and SoulCalibur VI. Many of these have small prizes, with almost daily events.
In fact, if you’ve ever watched PlayStation’s official YouTube channel, you’ll find that if you filter out the trailers, there’s a lot of competitive live streaming. Many of these attract thousands of viewers; it’s not hard to imagine how Evo, as one of the biggest sporting events on the calendar, will significantly elevate its efforts in this area. A larger audience means more engagement, and with Sony connecting their brand to the action, that means more players on their platforms.
Sony clearly sees Evo as an opportunity to consolidate its status the fighting gaming platform, but also to strengthen its position as a console for competitive players. Sports may not be to your liking, but the Japanese giant is smart enough to expand the appeal of his box; it’s already the best place to play single-player history games, but the manufacturer wants to make sure your device is the default device for tournaments. All of this means more players, more subscribers, and ultimately more money.
What do you think of Sony’s decision to acquire Evo? What do you think this means for PlayStation to advance? Get to the knockout stages of the comments section below.