14 DAY TRIAL // The eSports field is one of the fastest evolving areas of the gaming world, and many companies are aiming to either create a title that can capture the imagination of players or sponsor a team that can perform well in the high-profile competitions.
As the big communities created around Multiplayer Online Battle Arena watch the most capable gamers go head-to-head in major tournaments, like in the recently finished The International for DOTA 2, many are wondering how the best players have reached their level.
New research from Dr. Amine Issa, who is both a long-term League of Legends player and has a doctorate in biomedical engineering, suggests that natural attributes can be important, but spending a lot of time playing is also crucial.
The researcher has spoken about his findings in a Reddit thread and has said that his preliminary results show how complicated looking for causes for eSports performance is and how complex the interplay between the various factors can be.
Dr. Issa says that there are some natural characteristics that are common among eSports pro players, but he adds, “I am not sure what we can identify as natural aptitude at this point. Fine motor skills, maybe? Ability to process multiple channels of information?”
He also believes that the young stars of today can have long careers as long as they use their intelligence in order to compensate for the decrease in physical attributes and keep the level of their game up.
The researcher adds, “Our physical traits begin to dull as we age, but the hope is the wisdom, experience and intelligence we have gained more than make up for it. However I think the ceiling for this is much higher than most people think.”
Issa thinks that proper nutrition and physical activity will also become increasingly important as eSports become more popular, and that soon illegal drugs will be used by some gamers to gain an edge and will be difficult to fully eliminate from competitions.
eSports are at the moment focused on the first-person shooter genre, with Call of Duty and Counter-Strike serving as the main titles used in competitions, and on MOBA experiences, where DOTA 2 and League of Legends are dominating the field.
Major tournaments can have prizes worth millions of dollars or Euros, and traditionally, they are streamed for a worldwide audience that is often willing to pay in order to get High Definition quality and specialized commentary.