In “TerraGenesis: Space Settlers‘, gamers explore the galaxy and bring life to desolate planets by populating their own paradise. The terraforming simulator offers highly detailed sky animation and immersive gameplay that uses real science of NASA to create an experience that is out of this world.
Closer to Earth, games like this, made by Edgeworks Entertainment, pushing the boundaries of video games as we know them. They are also launching a tangible eSports industry and accelerating a digital economy previously limited to entertainment or child’s play.
That is no longer the case. Increasingly sophisticated game design, the growing influence of eSports competitions and the popularity of online streamers such as pewdiepie and jacksepticeye mean that video games are growing up – and will be here for the foreseeable future. Investors and cities in the US are already starting to notice this.
How does eSports work in Milwaukee?
eSports is short for “electronic sports” and refers to competitive gaming watched by spectators. More than $4.5 billion was invested in the eSports industry in 2018 alone, an increase of 837% from the previous year, according to Deloitte. And the worldwide fan base is expected to continue to grow: newzoo predicts that the number of eSports enthusiasts worldwide will generate nearly $1.38 billion in revenue and surpass a total audience of 418 million.
While residents of countries like China make up the bulk of eSports enthusiasts abroad, the industry is starting to take root here at home — including in Milwaukee, where an organization is encouraging Cream City to capitalize on the growing eSports industry.
Brandon Tschacher is the founder of MKEsports Alliance, an organization focused on growing the culture and connectivity of regional eSports groups and gamers. The group also works with business and community partners to support the industry through infrastructure and development initiatives, with the goal of putting Milwaukee on the eSports map.
Tschacher, a gaming enthusiast, launched the organization two years after he googled “eSports Milwaukee” and discovered a very fragmented scene. After going down a rabbit hole, he managed to find local gamers and eSports groups and looked for a way to bring them together. What started as a passion project quickly turned into a full-time business.
“This is the largest subway in the state and as an interested participant I just wanted to know more,” Tschacher . told me Technically. “I went down that path to be the connective tissue of all things eSports. Our priority is to see the industry thrive and grow. We needed to create more opportunities to pioneer how people can actually make money in the eSports- economy.”
For Tschacher, eSports is an industry that offers plenty of opportunities. By his estimates, Wisconsin could bring in about $330 million by billing itself as an eSports destination.
Tschacher said he has been promoting eSports to businesses and the city for the past two years as a way to grow the region’s digital economy. He has partnered with VISIT Milwaukee and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce to discover competitive event and workforce development opportunities; the final component is driving talent attraction and retention, especially as Boomers retire and millennials take over.
“I get a lot of furrowed eyebrows,” Tschacher laughed. “The reality is: the average gamer in the US is 31. But it’s primarily a Gen Z mechanic for gaming; it’s their currency. The reality of the digital economy is that it is there. It’s an industry. The dollars speak for themselves. When you break through that, you understand why it grows.”
Tschacher points to the recent successes of the WI eSports Summitwhich was held on MECCAO in the Deer District, and the Milwaukee Bucks’ eSports team, Bucks Gaming. That team defeated the Wizards District Gaming team to win the 2022 NBA 2K League championship – and a $500,000 prize.
Brandon Tschacher of MKEsports Alliance. (Courtesy photo)
A STEM education vehicle
Outside of business, the MKEsports Alliance has also partnered with local schools to use gaming as a tool for STEM learning. Friendly competition through eSports competitions is one way to build the pipeline for future tech careers and improve equity, impact and inclusion in the workforce.
“Coding is difficult,” he said. “It’s hard to be an engineer. But if I could teach you Python coding through Rocket League, Sign me up. One thing we’ve learned: if you can associate a gamer with those topics, you’ll get incredible acceptance. This is more than people just playing games on their phones at home.”
Unlike most game enthusiasts, Tschacher didn’t grow up playing video games. A strict religious upbringing in rural Jefferson meant that video games and television were largely out of the question. It wasn’t until his 10th birthday that he was allowed to test his video game skills on a Playstation One – a magical experience for Tschacher, who got to play”NBA Live ’98as his favorite player, Kobe Bryant.
“That was really meaningful in my life,” he said.
While he’s not negating the benefits of living in a household without video games, he wishes he’d been introduced to the power of technology sooner. In the decades that followed, he made up for lost time by becoming an avid gamer and collector of retro games. Today he is more focused on driving the potential of the eSports ecosystem for wider impact.
Ultimately, Tschacher believes it’s a great time to be entrepreneurial in the eSports world.
“In North America, we are still in the adoption phase, and [eSports] still growing,” he says. “Our goal is to keep people engaged and foster dialogue and advocate as much as possible for the city as an eSports destination. And it’s fun; we’re literally talking about games.”
Subscribe to This Week in Milwaukee Rising:
-30-
0 Comments