Ever since the dawn of the internet, there have been ‘electronic’ manifestations of almost everything. The world of gaming is not an exception to this transformation. Without missing out on the quotient of fun offered by the NBA and the NFL, people have also carved a niche of engagement in electronic games.
Electronic games have become so popular that there are tournaments that are conducted, and they attract gamers from all over the world. The prize money runs in the order of millions of dollars, and the revenues are expected to be in the order of about $1.6 billion in 2023. With such a promising growth rate, there is no question that an esports tournament would be a lucrative business idea for any aspiring entrepreneur.
The first step to creating an esports platform lies in esports tournament software development. We will, later this writeup, discuss the essential features of the software and the different esports software providers. Before that, we will look at a few essential aspects of the esports world.
What is esports?
Esports is a blanket term given for video games. It can be played either online or off-line. There are also gameplays that can happened between individuals and teams. Esports tournaments happened all over the planet and they attract both players and audiences. There are people whose only endeavour is esports, and they have even considered adopting playing video games as a full-time profession.
It is not at all surprising given the fact that the financial rewards, the fame, and the recognition are quite intense. There have been instances when the recognition that esports players receive is on par with any other major sport like soccer or baseball.
The coronavirus crisis has catapulted the popularity of esports as it was one of the biggest means of entertainment and engagement during the lockdown. This has not only increased the number of gamers but also has proportionally increased in the profitability of tournament platforms, inviting more sponsors as well.
The major games
There are quite a lot of games that are played in esports tournaments all around the world. Some of the most famous:
- DOTA2
- Call of Duty
- Players Unknown Battle Grounds (PUBG)
- Overwatch
- League of Legends
- Dragon Ball Fighters
- Capcpm
- Evolution
It would not be an exaggeration to say that these games just from the tip of the iceberg of the entire gaming landscape. The number of games keeps getting added with every passing day. Games like PUBG do not high-end system hardware to play, but just a simple mobile device. The growing smartphone penetration and the newfound interest in community gaming has catalysed the growth of esports and have also fuelled the creation of new tournaments in different corners of the world.
The importance of a tournament platform
Esport tournament platform development process has to ensure that it endeavours to achieve the ultimate goal. The platform should provide a smooth interface for gamers to participate and compete with each other. In addition, it has to be extremely organised, not allowing any discrepancies in registrations and payments.
Just like any platform that involves connecting users, there are distinct applications for the user and the administrator. Both these apps need to be designed keeping in mind the utility they need to provide, and they should work in tandem with each other to provide a flawless gaming experience on your esports platform.
The essential features
The user application
The gamer or the user forms the epicentre of engagement when it comes to these esport tournament platforms. The app should ensure that it facilitates all utilities for the player.
- They should be able to quickly and easily register for the services, and your app should also facilitate logging in using legacy credentials like Google and Facebook.
- The created profile should have all the information including but not limited to the games that the player has played, their winning records, and the rewards that they have earned.
- They should be able to join any contest by paying the required fee.
- The players, if they are playing as a team, should be able to communicate with each other through an in-app chat.
- The results of the match that they have played should be made available to them as fast as possible.
- The player should have access to an exclusive wallet where they can add their money and with draw their winnings at their will. The wallet should be connected, if possible, to their bank accounts, so their winnings can be used for real.
- To ensure that payments do not suffer any security lapses, your app needs to be integrated with a robust payment gateway.
The administrator application
The administrator is responsible for up keeping the sanity and sanctity of the tournament platform. They should be provided with a utility – driven dashboard, and should also be vested with certain powers in the interest of the health of the gaming ecosystem.
- The administrator should be able to add tournaments to the platform, and they should also have the capacity to create more than one tournament in a single shot.
- They should be able to manage the entry fees charged from the users for entering into tournaments.
- They should also control notifications. To the gamers about new games and their winnings.
- The administrators are responsible for the contents of the application. They also should have the power to manage promotions and bonuses.
- They should be in a position to provide or delegate support to the users on multiple channels like chat, email, and if possible, even through telephone.
Conclusion
There are different ways to embark on your esports tournament platform can be set up. You can either choose to develop your esports tournament software from scratch. There are a lot of esports tournament software providers who can help in the development process. Alternatively, you can also consider using a white label solution for your esports tournament platform. These platforms offer turnkey solutions, and help you launch your business in no time.
These white label solutions are extremely customisable, and most esports tournament software development companies and take care to build your platform and also customize it according to your business requirements. You are all set to capitalize on the budding market that is all set to be among the top five sports on this planet within a decade.