I happen to attend a local high school eSports tournament in my town and was inspired to write about it and spread the word for this organization.   Headed by Senior Cameron Whiteside, Warren High School, located in Gurnee, IL has started an organization for local high school students to compete in the first ever eSports league at the school.     With the approval of the school and the HSEL (High School eSports League), Cameron organized a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament on the Nintendo Switch.

This would be the first organized tournament Warren would run and the turnout did not disappoint.    With only 2 weeks of spreading the work and putting up posters in the school, which had a QR code on it to allow students to sign up.  The Super Smash Bros. entries were over 40 contestants.    I was very impressed by the turnout on such short notice as well as it being the first event held in the school.

I sat down with Cameron to find out more about how this started and how does he see the future of eSports in his high school as well as his future in eSports.   Cameron explained to me that this vision of running an organized event started around October 2018.   The school did have a “digital gaming” club in years past, but that would just consist on students meeting up online to compete for a small local game between friends.   Cameron wanted to see this vision turned into something bigger and more competitive in a gaming room where everyone can physically be present.    Cameron searched online and realized High School eSports was becoming popular around the country.   He thought to himself, “Why can’t I start one?”.    So, Cameron asked around the school and enough positive feedback to take his vison to the next step.    With some help from his friends, they wrote out a Constitution, found a teacher to sponsor, and formed the club.   The Constitution is more for administration to prove the eSports club is legit.   Cameron got the high school to partner with the High School eSports League, a national organization which allows high schools to come together and participate in tournaments for real world prizes and scholarship money.  As part of the HSEL organization, you can compete formally in the following 9 games: League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, Rainbow Six, Rocket League, Smash Bros Ultimate, Hearthstone, Dragon Ball Z – Fighterz and Counter Strike: Global Offense. You can learn more on the website,  https://www.highschooleSportsleague.com/.

I was able to be at the first tournament for Warren High School, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch.   Since this is a new eSports league to the school, volunteers who help Cameron out, donated their own TVs, game systems and controllers to be shared within the students.    Students were able to bring their own systems and controllers if they wanted to practice or play a friendly game while they are waiting for their turn to play.    The other Warren eSports members who donated their time to organize and setup this event are seniors Spenser He, Cameron Seider, Jisoo Kim, Kael Valdez and junior Jackson Brewer.    Located in the Black Box Theatre at Warren High School, this event was well planned and setup in a professional manner with many TV’s, tables, projectors, power cords and an official tournament bracket that was run off a laptop and projected to a screen high above so everyone can view the standings.  The group was even able to offer soft drinks and snacks for the participants thanks to a care package given by the school.  Prizes were also offered for the top finalists.

What is the future of Warren eSports for Cameron and friends?  Cameron tells me, “Hope is that the junior representative, Jackson, is able to pass on consulships to others to keep the participation going.  Having solid leadership at Warren ensures the eSports league will continue”.  Cameron plans on going to Michigan Technological University in the U.P. but he will keep in touch with Jackson and others through Discord to make sure things are running smoothly and if any help is needed, he will offer any guidance he can.

Discord :discord.gg/fEgH3cP

Final Standings

1) Manny Martinez:   PRIZE: Cloud II HyperX Headset and $25 Amazon gift card

2) Jisoo Kim: PRIZE: Cloud II HyperX Headset and Drawstring bag

3) Cameron Duffy: PRIZE: Drawstring Bag and Funko Pop

4) Javan Turner: PRIZE: Funko Pop

5) tie: Kael Valdez and Jacob Bode: PRIZE: Pen and Sticker

The post Warren High School eSports League appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Esports do not have to always include the latest titles that are out there, but you can easily find a lot of them on thunderpick.io bitcoin series. At the same time, there has been a growing resurgence in retro gaming out there, and some of the titles out there are what you may have already been able to guess for yourself. Let’s look closer at what a few of these happen to be.

Super Mario Kart

Perhaps one of the most popular retro titles out there that has continued to stand the test of time, there is no doubt that Super Mario Kart still has legions of fans out there, and also those who are wanting to compete with the best of the best. In many ways, it is the type of game that lends itself perfectly to esports, as there are still plenty of skills to learn and develop, and it is also great to watch, as there are plenty of thrills and spills that are naturally involved.

Street Fighter 2

The second in the Street Fighter series is one that many people keep on returning to time and time again. It is one of the originals in the highly popular fighting genre that continues to capture the imagination of gaming fans all around the world. While it may well seem like it is the type of straightforward game in its essence, there are also all sorts of different combinations that you can learn and master that are going to help you to become a much better player. There are many different online tournaments out there that are readily available for viewing.

StarCraft

There is no doubt that if you have followed esports to any degree, StarCraft will be a game that you will have heard all about already. It is widely considered to be one of the most popular competitive games out there, but it was first released way back in the late 1990s. There are plenty of skill sets that it tests all at once, which is why it can prove to be a major test for all sorts of people. Since every gamer has worked on slightly different skills, it is bound to have an impact on the games, ensuring that no two of them are going to be the same.

With the popularity of esports and retro games remaining high, there are likely to be more and more that keep on coming through and gaining some traction. This is bound to be excellent news for all retro game fans out there.

The post Best Retro Games Out There in Esports appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Reasons for the popularity of esports

Esports has gained such popularity and demand that the question of including it in the Olympic Games along with football or hockey is already being raised.

With it, you can realize all your sports dreams that you could not achieve in reality. Not everyone can become a professional athlete with quite a few indicators. For example, health, and it is possible to reach unprecedented heights in eSports. To become the best, you just need to have access to the Internet and the desire to play a computer game, and this usually does not cause problems.

There are three main indicators of the popularity of eSports:

An amazing event. Those of you who have ever encountered online computer games know that their plots are bright, large-scale, and spectacular. In such a huge format it is even more exciting and tempting. Some people have a rather cool attitude towards ordinary sports, but eSports has no equal entertainment. Based on this, we can say that every tournament in eSports is an amazing show that does not leave anyone indifferent.

Big win. For an organization that gives you access to the Internet during competitions, this is a good chance to attract attention to yourself. They pay a lot of money to the best players who don’t mind earning extra money while playing their favorite game.

Easy access. Any major tournament held by amateurs gives every newcomer an opportunity to try himself in a desired, but still unknown role. Thanks to this given chance, everyone will be able to become an experienced athlete and conquer international peaks.

These obvious advantages have allowed esports to conquer almost every corner of the world. Tournaments and games allow everyone, regardless of gender and age to find something for themselves. And every year the popularity will only grow.

And if you like to watch esports events, then you can use additional entertainment – betting. Today, many online live casinos and sportsbooks sites offer a wide range of betting options.

The post Why has esports become so popular? appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.