Page 32 - aruba-today-20180310

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 10 March 2018
NHL takes esports on ice with gaming tournament

By STEPHEN WHYNO equipment can be expen-
As Patrik Laine climbed the sive and difficult to come
ranks of youth hockey in by, this is another possible
Finland, he learned about route. Mitchell said about
the NHL from video games. 50 U.S. colleges now offer
"I learned probably just esports scholarships and ex-
about the players," the Win- pects more development
nipeg Jets star said. "Nowa- at youth levels as they be-
days it's super realistic, and come more popular.
you can just pretty much NBC Sports in the U.S., Rog-
see how everybody is play- ers Sportsnet in Canada
ing and how good they and Viasat in Europe will
are." It's about to get even promote the event, air-
more real with the NHL fol- ing regional finals and the
lowing the lead of the NBA, championship and putting
NFL, FIFA and other leagues highlights on TV around
in establishing a presence playoff games.
in a burgeoning esports How it goes will help deter-
market. The 2018 NHL Gam- mine the NHL's next steps.
ing World Championship, "We don't really have a
launched Friday, is a first statement on what the fu-
step toward a potential ture holds other than we're
version of the season-long In this March 3, 2018, file photo, gamers compete during the Athens Online mega-lan gaming going to be active in one
NBA 2K League that's set expo hosted by eSports at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. way, shape or form," said
to begin in May or perhaps Associated Press Chris Golier, NHL vice presi-
eMLS on FIFA 18. dent of business develop-
"You're really both tapping in Canada and are in the ends" and "Counter-Strike," tures are ways for leagues ment. "We're going to have
into and expanding the midst of the Snider Hockey but National Amusements to make fans of young a lot of involvement and
existing fan base of the Cup tournament on EA programming and corpo- people who get their sports conversation with a lot of
game," said NBC Sports ex- Sports NHL 18 with the finals rate development execu- largely through their smart- the top gamers, as well,
ecutive Rob Simmelkjaer, taking place March 22 in tive Kevin Mitchell doesn't phones or computers. Ac- make sure that it's fun, en-
who got his introduction to Philadelphia, next to the believe the NHL needs to cording to Newzoo's 2016 gaging, the content works
hockey from playing "NHL Flyers' arena. worry."Console gaming is Esports Consumer Insights, and we'll revise as we see
94" on Sega Genesis. "I think "After the response we just now starting to take 28 percent of hockey fans fit going forward."
that's something that the got to this tournament, we off," said Mitchell, who also are 21-35, while 49 percent Esports might be a way
NHL can benefit from by worked closely with the teaches esports at Emer- of esports enthusiasts are in for the NHL to grow its au-
putting esports front and NHL and Electronic Arts for son College in Boston. "I that age bracket. dience in China, where it
center in the way that they this program," WorldGam- think it's really just coming "We have a very attractive is already broadcasting
market their sport." ing and Collegiate Star- up with an ambidextrous fan base," Wachtel said. "It's regular-season games and
Players will be able to League CEO Wim Stocks strategy on finding ways to young, it's very tech-savvy, hosting exhibitions ahead
match up 1-on-1 in EA said. "They're going to be in integrate with their tradi- and millennials these days, of the 2022 Olympics.
Sports NHL 18 qualification the marketplace with really tional fan base and finding which is really the gamer, “China is a huge gaming
rounds. That will be fol- cool esports programming ways to create cross-over are consuming sports in a population,” Stocks said.
lowed by regional finals in in the very near future." engagement for this new much different way." “What better way to help
the United States, Canada Sports-based esports have generation that has been For a sport grappling with bring the game of hockey
and Europe on PlayStation a long way to go to catch primarily consuming con- challenges of getting kids to China than through vid-
4 and Xbox One, and then up to fighting games like tent online." interested in hockey in eo gaming? I think the NHL
the June 19 championship "Dota," ''League of Leg- Mitchell thinks esports ven- places where ice time and has a great opportunity.”q
at Esports Arena Las Vegas
during the NHL Awards with
a prize pool of $100,000.
The hope is to land new
fans and connect with cur-
rent fans in a different way.
"This is really at its embry-
onic stage," NHL executive
vice president and chief
revenue officer Keith Wa-
chtel said. "This is the most
basic way for our fans to
play. We're also going to
explore in the future the
opportunity, and we're go-
ing to test this with some
of the guys at the regional
tournaments and the final,
maybe a two-versus-two or
a three-versus-three."
WorldGaming and Colle-
giate StarLeague are al- In this Aug. 22, 2017, file photo, visitors play the latest FIFA 18 soccer game from EA Sports at the Gamescom fair for computer
ready experimenting with games in Cologne, Germany.
gaming at movie theaters Associated Press