Spending hours kicking a virtual ball around in EA’s FIFA titles was never looked upon as the same kicking a real ball around outside.
The concept of being paid to play a video game would have been laughed at a few decades ago, yet today a huge industry has popped up that has made this a reality. That industry is called eSports.
Prize funds for esports have risen in recent years, putting them at levels that rival some traditional sports. One of the most generous competitions was the DOTA 2 league which handed out $24,787,916 million of prize money, with $11.2 million going to the winning team.
Esports is enjoying explosive growth at present as more than 1 billion fans watch games each year and some of the biggest brands in the world funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into competitions so that they can be associated with the industry.
While it’s unlikely they will be rivaling the likes of the Premier League any time soon, it seems likely that esports fans will be following supporters of traditional sports by placing more wagers on the outcomes of games.
For perspective, the entire 2019 purse for Wimbledon, a competition that’s over 100 years old, was $49.4 million. However, it doesn’t come close to the Premier League though, which pays around £150 million to the top teams.
Even the Premier League has got involved, with is ePremier League series that has run for the last few years on the latest FIFA video game titles. Although players are not bought and sold like they are in real sports. Instead, players must qualify through an online tournament first with many leagues using a draft system. This removes the transfer windows and transfer speculation like has been seen recently with Thomas Partey.
So, as we all miss real life live football – we’ve got FIFA helping us fill that hole in our life. And being an Arsenal fan, I need to see Pierre-Emerick Auameyang flipping at the corner flag as he celebrates his goal at the Emirates. So, FIIFA has sort of helped us all Gunners faithful here…
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has yet again retained his status by being named in FIFA 20 Premier League Team of the Season, second time in a row.
The Golden boot winner of last season was once again on the verge of winning the prestigious award and was placed second in the standing with 17 goals. If it was not for the lockdown, he may have sealed the deal.
Aubameyang has been the star performer of Arsenal this season as he stepped up when the team needed him the most. The experienced likes of Mesut Ozil and Lacazette were faltering when this Gabonese international handled the helm with his lone shoulders.
He played a prominent role in keeping Arsenal in the fight for top four and his goal-scoring ability only improved when it mattered the most. Not one or two, almost all the games were savored by Auba and his fast feet.
Aubameyang got an overall card of 96 with 99 in pace, 97 in terms of shooting and 91 when it comes to passing. The striker got a meagre 50 in defensive quadrant, although he was way better than that in a lot of games.
In 2035 minutes that Aubameyang played for Arsenal in the Premier League, he scored 17 times, averaging 0.66 goals per game. He also took 2.5 shots per game and had a pass success rate of 72 percent.
Auba has repaid the faith of his manager in granting him the captain’s band with his excellent work ethic and zeal to become an Arsenal great bringing the best in him. He is a key figure in the team having bright future and can be a teacher figure to the upcoming bunch of young Gunners.
The Gabonese may be in his 30’s but still has plural years of football left in him and his selection in the Premier League Team of the Season so Far show that Arsenal have a player to trust upon.
With Aubameyang, Arsenal also have Bernd Leno representing them in FIFA TOTS-SF. The German shot-stopper has been a crucial presence at the last line of defence and atleast my Arsenal’s Player of the season without a doubt!
