They are members of EDG, one of China’s top electronic sports teams, who spend six days a week in a military-style training compound to become world beaters in video games. China’s craze for e-sports is being propelled by the country’s booming video game market, the world’s largest and one that is expected to register US$27.5 billion in sales this year, according to the gaming consultancy Newzoo. Game developers like Tencent and NetEase Inc, and others like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, are competing to market video games, fill stadiums with fans and sell broadcast rights to the matches. Cities around the country are looking to cash in on the market’s fast growth with video game theme-parks and e-sports venues. The raucous crowd, a bigger turnout than most local soccer games, underlined how popular gaming as a hobby and spectator sport has become in China.

Source: New Strait Times December 12, 2017 01:30 UTC