Why aren’t more black kids going pro in esports?

[MMS]

We got Wendy's 4 for 4s coming for Madden 19 Champs

I'll see if @Brooklynzson can sponsor us with some Coli paraphernalia next year

I might sponsor us

 

[Easy-E]

I don't know all of the underlying issues but I would imagine having initial access to money to buy top-flight PC equipment and also the types of games that people play. I'll address both.

This

every convo that starts with "why don't more black _____ do _____" should start with the question of access

 

[The Fukin Prophecy]

Because they have real athletic ability

 

[Asicz]

Because they have real athletic ability

That's a stereotype.

 

[R=G]

When I was a kid..when this all started at Blockbuster...everyone tried to sign up for the video game tournaments. Especially Street Fighter 2 championship Edition, NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat.

 

[Kairi Irving]

I could go pro in Fighting Games, i literally spent years playing SF....one day ill enter a Tournament

 

[Mr Hate Coffee]

Didn't read the article. I honestly think it's just race baiting. In the Smash Bros competitive scene at least half of the pros are black. Tons of black players in competitive Street Fighter as well. Maybe the author of the article is looking in the wrong places (PC games, game genres that most black players don't care for, etc.)

The author clearly said the fighting game community was an outlier and should be celebrated for its diversity

Don’t read articles and form opinions brehs.

 

[Kenny WRLD]

nikkas dont really play on PC, I know I don’t. It’s all console

 

[Starman]

I think @iceberg_is_on_fire nailed it. Too bad, too because esports are really taking off.

*Goes back to watching pros play Starcraft 2*

 

[PS5 Pro]

Well, we live in America where we are getting murdered for handling cellphones, cigarettes, candy.. anything that starts with a C is possible instant Death like a game of PUBG
With Donald Trump at the helm he has riled up the various groups of struggle that plan to make things even more troublesome for our youth, our children
Now you can prepare your child for the world we live in or you can be really good at counter-strike

That would be my reason for why not as many black people are in this, we kinda outnumbered by a lot, and as a society we could be doing better things with our limited amount of time on this planet
Quick side question, is gaming overall getting better or worse
Lets now make a career out of getting good at call of duty clones or whatever is the next big game. Seems silly to me, but maybe I'll feel different after I play Crackdown 3 Multiplayer

 

[TRFG]

This quote from the OP is really summarizes the main point the writer was making IMO:

“Currently, if a player loves Dota, there’s a sponsored path toward a career in the industry and the potential to net up to $10 million in the current prize pool. It can become a lucrative career if a player can reach the highest levels. But if a player loves and puts his or her hours in on Street Fighter, at best, thehighest individual take would be $50,000.”

I’ve called out racial issues with devs regularly on this forum. I don’t think this article does a good job of presenting an argument that there is racial bias in e-sports.
The writer makes it clear that the money in e-sports is primarily in PC games. (That in itself is not a racial issue). Then the writer states that most minorities game on console where their potential earnings are significantly less. The writer seems to be a bit out of touch. You can’t say: (paraphrasing) “most minorities play street fighter v and that’s why they get less money”. I say: “No, they get less money playing street fighter v because the game is whack and doesn’t pull in the same number of people to watch it”.

This whole article reminds me of the argument about the disparity in pay of women basketball players versus men basket ball players. The difference isn’t based on gender or level of skill, it’s simple math, based on viewership which equals sponsorship potential.

The article is trash tbt

 

[RoCKetSity256]

Man my momma woulda beat me just for thinking i wanna play video games when i grow up

 

[Master Teacher]

because FPS aren't competive gaming and shouldn't even be considered an e sport
never heard of dota or any of them bullshyt games, even the nerdiest nikka you can find ain't playing any of them pc games that shyt is for real nerds

street fighter started in urban arcades thats why black people have always played it and street fighter is the premier fighting game for competition

 

[Mr Hate Coffee]

this partially has to do with access to info. How many young brehs know they can get money offvideos games... how many brehs in here knew 2k was payin dudes a minimum of 32k, max 50k with endorsements for a 6 mos eleague with prizes totaling to a million? telll your young brehs about this shyt

These kids know more than our asses. All my nephews do is watch streams.

My oldest nephew (12) was telling me one of his classmates got sponsored to play on an NBA franchise’s 2K team. Said he would have to move tho.

Whole time he was telling me i was like

Real talk, if my nephew is good enough I’ll invest in his eSports career. Matter of fact i might scour the hood for the talent and manage them.

 

[Mr Hate Coffee]

I also think Fortnite is gonna change the game since it’s free and solves the barrier to entry issue.