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A profession that sounds too good to be true is e-sports. The profession that pays for playing video games. It really sounds ridiculous, given our country's socio-economic status.
A young adult from Rajshahi, Ismail Hossain Oni (20), aka 'Bl4nk, earns Tk 8,000 per month by doing what he loves to do most: playing video games. He plays with a Dhaka-based CS (Counter Strike) team called RedViprez.
Oni has been playing video games since quite a young age. He played his first video game at 10 with GTA Vice City. As time passed, he developed a sense of passion for video games. His family supports his choice.
But it wasn't always like this, thanks to stereotypes about how negatively gaming affects your life: gaming has no future; gaming makes you violent, anti-social, etc.
This particular industry has come a long way from being a nuisance to parents to being the most rapidly growing industry. The global eSports market was valued at just over 1.38 billion US dollars. The eSports industry's global market revenue is estimated to grow to 1.87 billion US dollars by 2025.
Organisations such as ESL, Riot Games, Tencent, Twitch, and Ubisoft organise eSports tournaments.
Compared to the global industry, Bangladesh's eSports industry is smaller. Its market revenue is estimated to be around 100,000 USD.
Organisations such as Discovery One, Angular eSports, CGL, and CSBD organise CS and Valorant-based tournaments. Players participate in preferred tournaments. Unlike the rest of the world, Bangladesh isn't convinced that this recreational activity might be a profession.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played a vital role in gamers'gamers' lives worldwide. When all the businesses and institutions were shut down, we all had to live inside our homes. Gamers couldn't ask for the situation to be better than that.
When asked how the pandemic affected his life, Moinul Hasan Ovi, a pro gamer from Dhaka, said, "I had nothing to do except play counter-attack. That time of my life influenced me to have a more online-based approach to everything and showed me the potential of online gaming more vigorously than any other time."
There is huge potential for gaming as a profession. Local teams are playing a wide range of video games. They are bringing in remittances in addition to international glory.
The owner of Hellbent eSports, Tahsin Karim, said, "International game publishers like Moontoon (MLBB) host tournaments in BD on a daily basis, which directly counts as remittance."
Other than participation, we can add billions to the country's foreign currency reserves even if we can grasp a little part of the global market.
The major challenge in gaming is insufficient resources. Choosing gaming as a career requires money that many families cannot afford.
When asked what Bangladeshi gamers expect for the future, Moinul Hasan Ovi said, "More investment is our only expectation. This will ultimately motivate and give the players a larger field to compete on. It will also give a sense of purpose to the players' competitive mindset."
Most players leave due to insufficient payment at an early age despite having potential. Those passionate about video games don't usually pursue this career.
In this regard, pro gamer Ismail Hossain Oni remarked, "Players really don't consider this a career due to insufficient prize pools. Players would consider this a career opportunity if they had better salaries."
He added, "Family's cooperation is also needed. I have seen many players with potential leaving. Why? Because their families wouldn't accept gaming as a career."
In our country, apart from some mainstream skills, most talents are not valued properly. Hobbies are not appreciated in most families. Most people didn't get to pursue their passion.
But society evolves gradually. A burning example of this is playing video games, a mere hobby slowly turning into a possible career opportunity.
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