E-sports are gaining popularity worldwide, which will be examined from various perspectives at the University of Debrecen.
FIFA 17, Hearthstone, Mortal Kombat X, CS: GO, League of Legends – it was in these most popular computer games that students could compete at the closing event of the Information Technology Professional Days. The Student Government of the Faculty of Information Technology has held LAN Parties since the foundation of the Faculty in 2004, and twice each year since 2011, in the spring and in autumn, they have held their all-nighter gamer festivals, as part of the events of the professional weeks.
“The event is also popular among female students, who account for approximately 10 percent of the participants. In addition, an increasing number of international students also participate in the competition; it is particularly popular among Asian students, as there is a more significant tradition of e-sport competitions featuring computer games in their home countreis,” as Gergő Gecző, chief organizer, explained.
The increasingly widespread nature of computer games is indicated by the fact that the organizers of the Olympic bid of Los Angeles for 2024 would like for e-sports to be incorporated in some form also into the Olympic Games.
The Student Government has recognized that this type of sport attracts an increasing number of people, and therefore, instead of the traditional, but smaller Ceremonious Hall, they staged this year’s event in Lovarda, a venue capable of providing a higher level of services – including the serving of “LAN-dogs” instead of the earlier “bread and dripping” sandwiches.
“Each year there is increasing interest in these LAN Parties, and not only participants but a large number of supporters also come to the event. In addition, the students of our university now also include some professional competitors. For these reasons, the Student Government also treats the LAN Party and the related student community with priority. Our aim is to turn the local LAN Party into a national championship where students from various universities pursuing e-sports could compete with each other,” said István Ádám Bognár, president of the Student Government of the University of Debrecen.
E-sport is a new area, and there is limited research available on it; due to this and also the increasing popularity of this activity, the University of Debrecen now also has a research group that will examine its physiological and psychological effects.
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