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feature :: the history of competitive gaming - part 1

The History of Competitive Gaming - Part 1

Starks gives us a in depth feature on the history of competitive gaming. This is Part 1 of a two part series.

Introduction | The Past | Walter Day Interview | The Rise of Nintendo | Conclusion

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I grew up watching sport and began playing when I was about... ooh, 9? 10? I can’t remember; it was a long time ago. In any case, I was never one of the best sports people going around until I hit my teens and discovered that I could run. It led to a few things - A desire to play Rugby League, some scorching 100m times (I hit a low 11 at Championship in my final year), the desire to get fit and a remarkable competitive streak that had previously lain dormant.

Long story short, I finished school, discovered alcohol and screwed up my knee in a trial for Hurstville United U/21’s. Add to that the fact that I think I’m the only person in the history of sport to be knocked out with head gear on (Of any kind) and I’m safe in saying that as much as I wanted, the dream of being an NRL player for St George was never going to be fulfilled.

Never the less, the competitive spirit remained, and the purchase of an X-box over the Christmas of 2002/2003 saw me find a previously untapped domain to sate my burning desire to be the best. It started with PGR, then it got bigger with PGR2, then a little game called Halo: Combat Evolved came around and with the onset of a lovely little virus called Glandular Fever, I got plenty of time to hone my pistol.

With Halo 2 came X-box Live, and a completely new world opened up for me; A world of Matchmaking, a sea of new friends and my first foray into real competitive gaming.

I’ve often reflected on both sides of my life, and I find that the similarities between sports and eSports, as they’re called, are simply the physical nature one has that the other doesn’t. Teamwork, communication, practice, hand eye co-ordination, consistency, awareness, reflexes and probably the most important of all being a knowledge and understanding of the game you’re playing - They’re all elements that are applicable whether you’re playing Quake 4, cricket or even fooling around with Wii Golf.

My article is not what I would call comprehensive. Indeed, I’m currently working towards building a more comprehensive database of information for competitive gaming and will release it as it is progressively completed. However, it will hopefully give you a broader understanding of the Past, Present and Future of competitive gaming.

In any case, enjoy.




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