Video gaming & esports: the differences and distinctions in detail

The proliferation of devices that we can use to video game on is now expansive, with 63% of 5 to 15-year-olds using a tablet, 71% a smartphone, and more than two-thirds (68%) of 7 to 18-year-olds owning their own games console. In 2022, the overall UK video game consumer market valuation was £7.05 billion, with the proportion of children who game online, rising from 57% of all 3 to 17s in 2022 to 60% in 2023. Video gaming with friends or online has surpassed being a pastime for many young people and has become a place where they build relationships, enhance skills, and sometimes find a career.

What is video gaming?

Video gaming is the act of playing video games for fun. Anyone can play video games, and there are games available to all ages, interests, and abilities. Video games can be accessed at home, on consoles, PCs, or mobile phones. Video gaming more broadly is one of the most popular hobbies in the UK, and is a great way for people to relax, socialise, learn new skills, and be entertained.

What is Esports?

Esports is an evolution of video gaming, taking the hobby and turning it professional. Esports is competitive, often with organised events which can involve hundreds of contenders, called e-athletes or professional gamers. The term ‘esports’ involves professional players playing a range of games, across multiple competitions and across various platforms.  

In recent years, UK esports has seen the formation of professional teams such as Fnatic and Excel Esports and national teams competing on the international stage. These teams compete in numerous tournaments from across the globe, attracting millions of spectators and fans who either attend arenas or stream these events.

The Detail

Professional gamers are provided with coaches, training facilities and management teams

On average, professional gamers spend more than eight hours every day practicing, which includes both solo and team play. Professional gamers are required to prepare for tournaments by staying up to date with game mechanics, learning and initiating new strategies, and studying future opponents. They must practice for long periods each day, building team cohesion and coordination, performing well in competitions multiple times a month, and ensuring that they are constantly improving, reviewing previous performances continuing to achieve mastery.

The biggest esports competitions in the world attract millions of spectators

Some of the biggest live events have comfortably sold-out arenas like Madison Square Garden, the Staples Centre in LA, and the Sangam Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. However, most of its audiences now tune in via online streaming services such as Twitch. The League of Legends 2023 World Championships set a record with a peak online viewership of 6.4 million people watching the event. The tournament will be coming to London in November 2024 and is expected to have the largest viewership yet.   

Video gaming has also found a profitable home on streaming platforms

Unlike esports, where the competition is what drives the entertainment, in video game streaming the enjoyment comes through the video games themselves, or the personalities of the people playing them. Twitch streamers can receive millions of viewers, with top streamers having over 15 million annually. This can be an incredibly lucrative option for those who want to play video games for a living.

Some of the most followed channels on Twitch can earn up to £2 million a year through subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, and merchandise sales. However, these numbers can fluctuate dramatically and are anomalies. Most full-time Twitch streamers are self-employed and earn between £2,000 and £5,000 a month, while smaller streamers earn approximately £75 to £100 a month and have not yet reached Twitch’s minimum payout threshold.

The financial incentives for esports players in the UK can differ dramatically

Professional gamers can earn money by signing sponsorship deals, being offered team contracts, and growing their social media following. However, there is notable financial instability and a lack of job security as a professional gamer.

Most professional gamers earn a modest income, which can include:

• salaries from their teams on short-term contracts
• winnings from smaller local tournaments
• income from streaming and sponsorships

The average earnings for professional esports players are estimated to be between £1,000 to £5,000 per month, with a median annual salary of around £30,000.

With the video game industry and esports experiencing such a rapid boom, there are concerns about the safeguarding and welfare of players

Although this area of research is still underdeveloped, there are a growing number of studies analysing the impact of esports on players' mental health which highlight the various stressors for competitive gamers, including sedentary lifestyles, performance pressure, managing in-game performances, and coping with defeat. A lot of this research draws comparisons to more traditional sports as the pressures and expectations are comparable, with professional gamers often playing in front of larger crowds than the average Premier League spectatorship.

Team dynamics can sometimes promote communication issues, conflicts, and negative behaviours between team members, often exacerbated by inadequate or underserved safeguarding procedures or support structures due to esports’ dramatic boom. Female gamers also face added stigma and discrimination - with feeds and forums commonly swamped with misogyny and objectification leading to further unfair scrutiny and abuse.

Video gaming does not share the same kind of scrutiny or expectation as esports, however when playing video games online, the levels of bullying and harassment are worryingly high. Where esports players experience the highest levels of stress through how they play, online video gamers experience abuse more so for who they are.

Yet, the gaming community is an incredibly welcoming and supportive place, where people can find community and personal growth

Esports and video gaming have numerous positive aspects that contribute to their growing popularity. They offer a platform for individuals to develop and showcase their strategic thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Esports tournaments foster a sense of community among players worldwide, promoting cross-cultural understanding. The competitive nature of these games can also drive personal growth, as players strive to improve their skills and rankings, and can earn a living doing the thing they love most: video gaming. Video gaming can be a source of entertainment and relaxation too, providing a creative outlet for players to immerse themselves in various virtual worlds. However, like any sport or hobby, it’s important for players to balance their gaming activities with other aspects of their lives to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

The future of video gaming and esports

There are clear distinctions between video gaming and esports, yet the two are heavily intertwined. The expansion and accessibility of video games introduced a new way to game through the vehicle of esports. Esports is now at the forefront of shaping and defining the digital and gaming culture of young people. Esports is a very accessible sport for most, besides the cost of the hardware and technology, and is one of the few competitive sports that does not discriminate due to physical prowess, identity, life experience, or interest. The same could be said for video gaming – with both forms of gaming introducing young people to new skills and new communities alike.

Conversations around the safety of young people while playing video games has increased in recent years, as too has the topic of safeguarding of both players and fans within esports. It’s crucial that the wellbeing of esports players and fans is prioritised so that the appropriate regulation, safeguarding and support is in place to ensure all are protected against possible risks and harms.