After the great success recorded in the previous edition of SMW Rome in 2017 of the GiocoNews.it panel dedicated to the eSports phenomenon, the appointment was also renewed at SMW Italy, in Milan, with a series of events and initiatives dedicated to this phenomenon, that is increasingly popular in Italy and in the world.
But if we were still studying the matter in our Country until some time ago, now the show has begun. Main experts in Italy describe the phenomenon and analyze it in all its aspects (business, communication, regulation, integrity and marketing), for a world yet to be discovered and conquered, gathered on June, the 13th, 2018 in the Gioco News panel.
Angelo Cito, Fita president - the Taekwondo Italian federation, member of CONI, underlines: "The idea of seeing eSports at the Olympic Games is not a mirage, but an achievable goal. But to do it, we need to create a culture of this sector giving safe and appropriate rules and, above all, that puts the player at the center".
Cito, who took charge of deepening the regulation of this potential Olympic sport, illustrated during the debate the possible path to be taken to achieve this result. And to the goal that could be that of Paris 2024. "We are dealing with a phenomenon that, given the numbers, can't go unnoticed in the eyes of anyone and this is why even the International Olympic Committee decided to give some attention.
The commitment I have taken, as Fita, is to try to organize this phenomenon: and soon we will start the activities of player enrollment, at least for struggle games, with the organization of events and training. Always putting the player in the center, which must always be a full-fledged athlete. So, also evaluating all the aspects beloved to sport and then to the IOC: such as the attention to physical inactivity of the players - which must be oposed with effective and concrete measures, and so on. To give full dignity to videoplayers, making them become real athletes".
In the panel there is also room for numbers, with Laura D'Angeli, head of the Gamification business unit of Mag Consulenti e Associati, which states: "If we look at the numbers describing the eSports phenomenon at a global level we realize that we are dealing with a huge phenomenon and perhaps beyond compare, with over 500 million viodeplayers, playing to a competitive level and among them, more than 220 million do it at least once a month".
The lawyer Chiara Sambaldi, director of the Eurispes' Osservatorio sul gioco, talks about the legal aspect of the phenomenon, who stresses: "The right place for eSports could be within a national federation, given the competitive rate. Actually, associated sports also exist in sports, which are not national ones, but are a kind of intermediate category, where there are new sports, such as bridge, which have a minor sport connotation. One could therefore think for eSports of an intermediary step of this kind too".
But Falasca (Sampdoria) representatives are not missing too: 'eSports new means of involving young people'
Also Sampdoria football was present, with Federico Falasca, UC Sampdoria's communication manager, who said: "Sampdoria has started a strategic path in the world of eSports and with great enthusiasm and has done so for a specific reason, which is to bring young people closer to football and sport world. This is because, looking at the polls, it is easy to see how the target of young people is less interested in football schools, while at the same time they are always very interested in football as a mass phenomenon".
Mattia Guarracino, member of the Uc Sampdoria's eSports team, agrees with him: "We often hear about eSports as a “different” sport compared to traditional sports due to the lack of physical training. Actually, a competitive player who can be considered a professional usually trains at least 3 or 4 hours per day, in some cases even 5 or more compared to the type of game he practices. Although physical effort is certainly lower than that of a traditional sportsman, it is nevertheless true that there is a real and also very intense training from a technical and tactical point of view that should not be underestimated".
Luca Pagano was present at the conference too, pioneer of eSports in Italy, professional poker player, businessman and founder of Team Qlash. "Business world is increasingly interested and attentive to eSports. The sector has a very bright future ahead of it, but the operators have a lot of work to do". According to Pagano "the industry is still very fragmented, and this is a problem for those facing it for the first time, but it is also an opportunity for all those realities like Qlash that can create ad-hoc initiatives, involving the ideal audience that a possible sponsor wants to reach".