Talking the Brave New World of Esports at Becker College on LIVE

Monday, July 02, 2018

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Dr. Vaughn Calhoun

To the uninitiated, the world of esports can be an overwhelming one: dozens of players glued to flashing screens playing complex, multiplayer games.

But as Dr. Vaughn Calhoun of Becker College explained on GoLocal LIVE, esports is on the cusp of becoming the next big thing in gaming and in spectator sports.

Esports, greatly simplified, is the professional league of online gaming, primarily League of Legends and other immersive, roleplaying games.

Like any other professional athletes, professional gamers spend hours training every day, sometimes up to 12 or 14. Specialized training regimens and diets keep these athletes in top shape, and schools are increasingly offering varsity scholarships to those willing to play esports on the professional level for schools.

Becker College is now taking things one step further by creating an esports management major in their College of Business, the first like it in the country. Through the fledgling program, Calhoun hopes to help prepare students for the emerging world of esports.

Aside from training professional gamers through their varsity team, Becker plans to train students in managing esports leagues and development of new games, through several specialized fields within the major.

Calhoun says the most interesting part of being a part of esports now is the fact that everything is constantly changing, likening it to being a part of the development of the internet in the 1990s.

One thing is for certain: this is a far cry from casual gaming.