(WWJ) The future is here, and it involves sitting while playing sports through a joy stick and headset.
Lawrence Tech University announced they've turned a former meeting room into a high-tech eSports arena, as competitive video games continue to grow into a multi-million dollar industry.
What are eSports? Basically, eSports is a form of competitive video gaming where multiple players battle each other, usually in teams. Tournaments are streamed live to fans or held in sports arenas.
The Lawrence Tech facility has 12 custom-built gaming computers with 4-K monitors, special gaming chairs, and high-end headsets -- along with a 4-K big-screen TV for spectators to watch. More than 100 students participate in eSports through several club teams at the university.
In the most notable event, LTU hosts an annual eSports tournament for high schoolers. This year, 48 teams battled in the "League of Legends" for 16 finalists spots. The first place and runner-up teams won big, with scholarship offers and an appearance on FOX Sports Detroit.
Some winners received scholarship offers worth up to $64,000.
"According to a February report from the gaming industry analytics firm Newzoo, eSports revenue surpassed $1 billion in 2018, up 27 percent from a year earlier, with a worldwide audience of participants and fans topping 400 million," WXYT reports. "In Michigan, many high schools and colleges are organizing teams. At LTU, more than 100 students participate in eSports through several club teams, and they'll make regular use of the new arena."
