Alexandra Camelia Dedu on What Esports Can Learn from iGaming

The rise of iGaming and eSports has almost run in parallel. At their heart are advances in processing power, particularly on smaller devices, and improvements in connectivity. Both need stable and quick connections to operate. Yet while they have many similarities, there are some major differences. There are also several lessons that eSports can learn from iGaming.

Reputation Matters

One factor that should never be overlooked is reputation. When you have developers and providers people know and trust, then they will come back to the service time and time again. It is no different in the traditional gaming sphere. You only need to see how Activision has had its reputation damaged over the past few years and how this has impacted the public’s perception of its games. This awareness can either harm or strengthen the market position. In our casino review process, reputation factors heavily in deciding where a provider ranks. That includes having official sign-off from the relevant iGaming license providers and independent testers, but also how their users view and rate them. 

When it comes to eSports, this is particularly relevant to both those creating games and those playing them. A team will have a reputation just like a business does. Anything that can harm that brand's reputation, be it a social media post or conduct during play, must be monitored. There is a lot of money associated with the biggest eSports teams now, and in many ways, they must function as any team or operator would.

You Must Keep Evolving

Once an eSport is in place, the basic game often stays the same for some time. There are patches and mods to keep a game fresh. However, little else can happen for a long time. For example, CS:GO, one of the main eSports games, was released in 2012.

If the eSports community can take anything from iGaming, it is that you need to evolve. The casino industry is always updating games, adding live elements, new bonus rounds, and even bringing in whole new genres. While I understand how professional teams using tactics may not want to change that much, the audience needs it. All these things keep people interested in the product. 

There are ways in which the eSports industry has done this. It has introduced specific mobile games for titles like League of Legends and PubG. However, competitive eSports will need to understand that the public can easily turn its attention to something else.

Never Underestimate the Power of Community

This final one is something that eSports are really teaching iGaming, and it has taken us a while to catch on: that is the power of community. Look at an eSports game like Dota 2. It has had the highest prize pots for tournaments ever, which have been acquired through its fervent community. Unfortunately, the iGaming world is only just starting to catch onto the power of social interaction. 

Spribe Studios with Aviator has been a major catalyst. Including lobbies where people can talk and chat during a game has made quite a simple concept insanely popular. We have included live elements in Casino games, but the industry still has some way to go. In fact, it is definitely one of the main elements you can expect to see in the next few years.