Question
At the Esports Job Fair
Teen Channel: Sports Extra
Maikol Brito tracked the action of the Overwatch match across his computer monitors. The grunts of clashing avatars filled his headphones. He and his teammates were giving commands, as well. His hand expertly guided the mouse to follow the flow of the game.
But Brito wasn't trying to clinch a win for his team. Instead, he was managing a crew of "observers." They are the virtual camera operators who capture the action of live esports events for audiences worldwide.
Brito is someone who turned his hard work and love of gaming into a paycheck. He has worked as lead observer and in other roles. At one time, his parents doubted the wisdom of working in esports, Brito told NBC News. But his success opened their eyes to the opportunities in a new and growing industry. Their reaction? "You have a career," Brito said.
The Rise of Esports
From League of Legends to Rocket League, gaming has often been criticized as a mind-withering distraction for lazy teens. But a funny thing happened while critics were grumbling: Online streaming transformed gaming into a global industry. In the process, esports has created new kinds of jobs.
Like Sonic the Hedgehog's top speed, the meteoric rise of esports is difficult to overstate. Global revenues for the industry exceeded $1.1 billion in 2021, according to business experts. They are expected to pass $3.5 billion by 2027. That growth is driven by a keen fan base. More than 450 million viewers watched esports online in 2021. That doesn't include thousands of spectators who pack arenas to watch tournaments on jumbotrons.
Esports Career Tracks
Top professional esports players get most of the fanfare and prize money. But their success relies on an entire esports ecosystem of workers. Besides being a pro player, there are four main career tracks in esports:
Strategists: This group includes coaches who prepare teams for competition.
Content creators: This path is a fit for creative types—those who like to write, draw, and code. Video game designers and developers belong here. So do journalists, graphic designers, and videographers. This is also the place for "shoutcasters." They are the announcers who deliver play-by-play reporting during esports matches.
Organizers: Esports events require good planning and direction. These responsibilities fall to event managers and network engineers. These tech wizards handle the computer set-up at every esports tournament.
Entrepreneurs: These people manage the business end of esports. They get sponsors, negotiate deals, and execute business plans.
An Education in Esports
For many esports fans, such career paths can add purpose to their educational goals. And more schools are taking notice. School esports clubs are popping up like mushrooms in Super Mario Bros. These groups are often started by students themselves. Beyond high school, there are some 175 varsity esports programs at U.S. colleges. The number of college programs for those interested in learning the business of esports is growing, as well.
Chris Aviles is the esports coordinator for a New Jersey school district. He says the energy of esports has rippled throughout school communities there. And not just for gamers. "Our district's not only investing in esports but also in STEM," he told Edtech Magazine. "You can't be serious about STEM jobs without being serious about esports, because that's where a lot of these jobs are going to be."
Think about and discuss these questions:
What facts from the article support the idea that a career in esports could be a good choice?
Which career in esports sounds most (or least) interesting to you and why?
Video credit: NASEF
Question 1
1 / 8
In the first paragraph, the author presents a description of Maikol Brito's actions during an esports match in order to __________.
suggest that the noise and pace of esports prevent its fan base from growing
argue that being an esports observer is more challenging than being a pro player
highlight an example of a job that is essential to streaming esports matches
demonstrate how esports teams choose their avatars for matches
Teen Channel: Sports Extra
Maikol Brito tracked the action of the Overwatch match across his computer monitors. The grunts of clashing avatars filled his headphones. He and his teammates were giving commands, as well. His hand expertly guided the mouse to follow the flow of the game.
But Brito wasn't trying to clinch a win for his team. Instead, he was managing a crew of "observers." They are the virtual camera operators who capture the action of live esports events for audiences worldwide.
Brito is someone who turned his hard work and love of gaming into a paycheck. He has worked as lead observer and in other roles. At one time, his parents doubted the wisdom of working in esports, Brito told NBC News. But his success opened their eyes to the opportunities in a new and growing industry. Their reaction? "You have a career," Brito said.
The Rise of Esports
From League of Legends to Rocket League, gaming has often been criticized as a mind-withering distraction for lazy teens. But a funny thing happened while critics were grumbling: Online streaming transformed gaming into a global industry. In the process, esports has created new kinds of jobs.
Like Sonic the Hedgehog's top speed, the meteoric rise of esports is difficult to overstate. Global revenues for the industry exceeded $1.1 billion in 2021, according to business experts. They are expected to pass $3.5 billion by 2027. That growth is driven by a keen fan base. More than 450 million viewers watched esports online in 2021. That doesn't include thousands of spectators who pack arenas to watch tournaments on jumbotrons.
Esports Career Tracks
Top professional esports players get most of the fanfare and prize money. But their success relies on an entire esports ecosystem of workers. Besides being a pro player, there are four main career tracks in esports:
Strategists: This group includes coaches who prepare teams for competition.
Content creators: This path is a fit for creative types—those who like to write, draw, and code. Video game designers and developers belong here. So do journalists, graphic designers, and videographers. This is also the place for "shoutcasters." They are the announcers who deliver play-by-play reporting during esports matches.
Organizers: Esports events require good planning and direction. These responsibilities fall to event managers and network engineers. These tech wizards handle the computer set-up at every esports tournament.
Entrepreneurs: These people manage the business end of esports. They get sponsors, negotiate deals, and execute business plans.
An Education in Esports
For many esports fans, such career paths can add purpose to their educational goals. And more schools are taking notice. School esports clubs are popping up like mushrooms in Super Mario Bros. These groups are often started by students themselves. Beyond high school, there are some 175 varsity esports programs at U.S. colleges. The number of college programs for those interested in learning the business of esports is growing, as well.
Chris Aviles is the esports coordinator for a New Jersey school district. He says the energy of esports has rippled throughout school communities there. And not just for gamers. "Our district's not only investing in esports but also in STEM," he told Edtech Magazine. "You can't be serious about STEM jobs without being serious about esports, because that's where a lot of these jobs are going to be."
Think about and discuss these questions:
What facts from the article support the idea that a career in esports could be a good choice?
Which career in esports sounds most (or least) interesting to you and why?
Video credit: NASEF
Question 1
1 / 8
In the first paragraph, the author presents a description of Maikol Brito's actions during an esports match in order to __________.
suggest that the noise and pace of esports prevent its fan base from growing
argue that being an esports observer is more challenging than being a pro player
highlight an example of a job that is essential to streaming esports matches
demonstrate how esports teams choose their avatars for matches
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is: **highlight an example of a job that is essential to streaming esports matches.**
In the first paragraph, the author describes Maikol Brito's actions to illustrate the role of an observer in esports. This serves to show how integral this job is to capturing the action for audiences, thus providing an example of a career within the growing esports industry.
In the first paragraph, the author describes Maikol Brito's actions to illustrate the role of an observer in esports. This serves to show how integral this job is to capturing the action for audiences, thus providing an example of a career within the growing esports industry.