The internet generation
doesn’t have drunken punch-ups; it has forum “flame wars.” Millennials don’t
watch television; they watch “streams” and “VoDs.” Instead of protesting in the
streets, they engage in hashtag activism. And when it comes to sports, yes,
they have their own as well: competitive gaming, or, for the initiated,
“eSports,” where the very best players come together to compete for prestige
and prize money. A lot of prize money.
You’ll be familiar with
the stereotypes surrounding hardcore gamers. The phrase conjures an overweight
basement-dweller, replete with furry neckbeard, shrouded in body odour. While
no stereotype can exist without at least a grain of truth, in my experience as
a veteran eSports reporter a hardcore gamer these days is just as likely to be
an image conscious gym-nut as anything else.
