By Philip Serino, Aditya Gadepally, Fang-Jung Lin, and Jinxian Li

WHAT ARE ESPORTS?Noun

A multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers

Key City-Based Questions

1. What makes a great eSports city?

2. What cities, both international and domestic, qualify as great eSports cities?

3. What are eSports effects on a city?

4. How can a city viably host eSports?

Key City-Based Questions1. What makes a great eSports city? Tech/corporate backing,

“gaming environment, internet quality, facilities, accomodations, sponsors, demographic

2. What cities, both international and domestic, qualify as great eSports cities? Best in the World: Seoul, Cologne, Stockholm, Malmo. Best in The United States: Seattle, Orlando, Austin, NYC, Atlanta, LA, Arlington. Emerging: Chicago, Washington DC, Denver

3. What are eSports effects on a city? Financially: job creation, tourism & media, taxes & subsidies. Socially: communities, education, global citizens, access to scholarships and high profile winnings. Wellness- Tbd

4. How can a city assess and build its “gaming environment?” Host events, Attract eSports companies, Link with University Teams and Sponsors, Build programs in schools

SEOUL COLOGNE

STOCKHOLMMALMO

SEOUL COLOGNE MALMO STOCKHOLM

TECH/CORPORATE BACKING

Samsung, Hyundai, KIA, LG, Asiana Airlines, Korea Air, KBS

Oppenheim Junior & Cie, NetCologne, REWE Group, TÜV Rheinland, Deutz AG

IKEA, Mercedes-Benz, Vestas, Peugeot, Sony

Ericsson

Ericsson, H&M, Nasdaq Nordic, Spotify, IKEA, etc.

“GAMING ENVIRONMENT”

Gamevil Inc., ESA Co., Gravity, Netmarble Games, 35 other

smaller companies

Home to ESL One, Gamescom, and the Intel

Extreme Masters Tournament

40+ game companies: Inglenook Games,Odd Comet

Games, Massive Entertainment, and the DreamHack's Malmo

King, Starbreeze, Paradox Interactive, etc. who are

behind games like Battlefield, Minecraft, Candy Crush, and

Angry Birds 2

INTERNET QUALITY

Home to the fastest internet on the planet

Germany ranked 25th in the world for internet connectivity; Cologne is one of four fastest

cities in Germany

Sweden ranked 2nd in the world for internet connection; Malmo is one of the fastest

cities

Sweden ranked 2nd in the world for internet connection;

Stockholm is one of the fastest cities

ACCOMODATIONS # Hotel rooms: 39,278 Over 250 hotels with over 26K beds

200+ hotels within a small city with 300,000 residents

20,000+ hotel rooms (inner & outer Stockholm)

SPONSORS Non-endemic (SK Telecom; Samsung) and endemic (Razer)

Sports Information Dienst, SK Gaming, Toyota Motorsport

GMBH ASUS ROG, CORSAIR Monster Energy, ASUS ROG,

CORSAIR, etc.

DEMOGRAPHICSMedian age of 41.5:

17% under 18, 70% 18-64

Median age of 41.715.7% 0-17,66.6% 18-64

Median age of 36: 41.22% under 20,

63% 20-64

Median age of 38.8: 40% 20-44

KEY FINDINGS: INTERNATIONAL CITIES

NYC AUSTIN

LOS ANGELESSEATTLE

SEATTLE LOS ANGELES NYC AUSTIN

TECH/CORPORATE BACKING

Microsoft, Amazon, Nintendo of America, T-Mobile, Starbucks Google, SpaceX, Snap Inc.,

Oculus VR, Netflix, HuluBloomberg, Oath, IBM,

Verizon, ABC, CBSDell, Whole Food Market,

ABA industries

“GAMING ENVIRONMENT”

5 Gaming Companies: Arenanet, Big Fish Games, Sucker Punch Productions,

Undead Labs

Leads the U.S. with 331 gaming companies

operating in the metro area (Playstation, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, etc.)

Zynga, Riot Games,Sterling.VC,

PowerPlay and Metta SportsDreamhack Austin

INTERNET QUALITY

Washington state has 14th best internet coverage in U.S.

Broadband internet service is available to 99% of LA

residents vs. 79% of residents nationwide

New York ranked the fourth broadband coverage at

97.8%

Austin’s internet quality is the best in the State of Texas

ACCOMODATIONS14,250 hotel rooms in downtown

Seattle1,008 hotels with more than

98,600 hotel rooms 115,530 hotel rooms with more than 630 hotels

11,000 hotel rooms in downtown Austin

SPONSORS Non-endemic (T-Mobile) and endemic (HP Omen)

Overwatch League in LA: non-endemic (Toyota; Sour Patch Kids) and endemic sponsors (Omen by HP)

Red Bull, Comcast Xfinity, Intel,

Mountain Dew, Monster energy, Twitch

DEMOGRAPHICSMedian age of 35.6

16% under 18, 72% 18-64

Median age of 35.823% under 18,

67% 18-64

Median age of 36.2 25% under 18,

67.9% 18-64

Median age of 31.826% under 18,

67% 18-64

KEY FINDINGS: SELECT DOMESTIC CITIES

INTERNATIONAL CITIES QUALIFIER DOMESTIC CITIES

Local/national companies TECH/CORPORATE BACKING Local/national companies

Home to several eSports tournaments/ Many gaming

companies

“GAMING ENVIRONMENT” Started to to host several eSports tournaments/

Many gaming companies

Named top 10 cities in the world‘s internet connection INTERNET QUALITY

Named top 10 cities in the United States‘ internet

connection

More than 20,000 rooms in downtown area ACCOMODATIONS More than 11,000 rooms in

downtown area

Technology/Energy Drinks/Sports/Automobile SPONSORS Technology/Energy

Drinks/Sports

Median age of 39.617.65% under 18,

68% 18-64 DEMOGRAPHICS

Median age of 34.8522.5% under 18,

68.48% 18-64

KEY FINDINGS� CITIES COMPARISON

CITY FEEDBACK• Events work!

• Education is key

• Create multipurpose spaces/facilities

• Community engagement yields interest

• Sponsorships help get the job done

• Has resulted in substantial job creation

TAKEAWAYS• Most qualifiers already present in most cities -

corporate backing, internet, hotels, etc.

• Key differing variable is gaming environment

• The better the gaming environment, the better chance eSports has to succeed

• Up to cities to foster gaming environment

• A tip to smaller-scale city: incorporate eSports in city’s attractiveness

• Host major gaming events such as

GamesCom• Encourage gaming co’s to incorporate in

your state• Improve internet connectivity wherever

possible• Work closely with local

universities to educate people on eSports

WAYS TO GROW GAMING

ENVIRONMENT

Any city can participate in eSports.Any business can participate in eSports.Any person can participate in eSports.

Intel® Extreme Masters (IEM), the longest-running global pro gaming circuit in the world, celebrated the climactic finale of its 11th season as it returned to Katowice, Poland for the 2017 World Championship.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Now, it’s not a matter of IF cities can viably host eSports. It’s if they WANT to host eSports.

Appendix: Scorecard

City Gaming Environment Scorecard

20

Dimension 1 2 3 4 5

Event Host Not in the city’s conversation

Inquiries and Conversations underway – hoping to host an event

First Events Hosted (Austin – will move to next level next year)

Multiple events hosted over time with a cadence

History of hosting major events (Malmo, Cologne, Seattle)

Encourage Gaming Co’s And/Or Leagues To Be In Your City

Not part of city dialogue

In conversation; Incentive created

In community (Austin has first esports company moving there)

A community of esports companies is emerging (New York, Shanghai)

Gaming Companies are part of the city ID (Los Angeles)

Exceptional Internet Connectivity AND Access

U.S. average Internet, with homes dependent on purchased services

Local investments in fast internet

Speed in public spaces and accessible: 75% ofhomes -

Speed in both upload and download; 90% of homes accessible (LA, Seattle)

Among the best in the world; virtually every home (Seoul, Malmo, Cologne, Stockholm)

Working Closely With Local Universities

No University with esports teams

University with esport team – little connection with city efforts

Community and city support for University esportsteams

Connection between esportsplayers at University and City events (LA)

Synergistic relationships with esports (e.g., Arlington)

Building Presence In Local Schools

Initial discussions of esports in schools

Club programs around esports in schools

Competitive esports teams in HS (LA)

Competitiveesports teams with structured league programs

Fully integrated and structured programs beginning in Middle School (Stockholm)

Part Of Community Social Activities

Little community space for game enthusiasts to “hang-out”

Community spaces – e.g. pop-up and game bars emerging (Atlanta)

Some Community spaces and emergingsponsorships (Austin, NY)

Some Community Spaces and Strong sponsorships (LA)

Strong Community Space with games orientation pulling crowds ( Seoul) and SPONSORSHIPS