Ayaka Otsu (@ayaka_otsu), the leader of the Collaborative Party, held a discussion about esports with Ryota Akedo (@akd_r) titled "The Future of Esports" on her X Space on July 29, 2024, at 8:00 PM.
For your information, the Japan eSports Union (JeSU) generally uses the notation esports, and the American Copy Editors Society Convention also stipulates that the correct spelling is "esports." However, Otsu uses the full-width alphabet characters Ｅ sports.
Contents of the Space
XAt the beginning of the Space, Ayaka Otsu publicly stated that she was not knowledgeable about games and invited Ryota Akedo, who is said to be knowledgeable about games and is in charge of policy planning and election measures, to discuss esports. Akeido posted materials on Google Slides on X, but access to them is restricted.
eスポーツ発展を考える（スライド資料）https://t.co/kKqyQXMPtl
— あけど亮太 (@akd_r) July 29, 2024
The Space lasted about 50 minutes, and a rough summary is as follows:
Current Status and Future of Esports
- Market Size Expansion
The esports market is growing rapidly, and its recognition as an Olympic sport is advancing. - Legal Issues
Prize money regulations and copyright issues exist, which are hindering the development of esports. - Social Recognition
Esports is still often viewed as "just playing," and the social recognition of professional players is low. - Health Issues
Health risks such as gaming addiction are also being discussed.
Potential of Esports
- Educational Value
There is potential for skills and knowledge gained through games to be utilized in education. - Impact on the Elderly and People with Disabilities
Esports has the potential to provide a new field of activity for the elderly and people with disabilities. - Economic Impact
The economic scale of esports is expanding year by year, and further growth is expected.
Challenges and Proposals for Esports
- Legal Framework Development
Solving prize money regulations and copyright issues is necessary. - Improvement of Social Recognition
The government and companies need to support esports and raise its social recognition. - Measures Against Health Risks
Measures against health risks such as gaming addiction are also important.
As such, the Space concluded that while esports has a lot of potential, there is a need to address legal challenges and improve social recognition. It is interesting that esports competitions were referred to as contests instead of tournaments.
「Ｅスポーツの未來」 https://t.co/WSnoZhF8pg
— 大津あやか (@ayaka_otsu) July 29, 2024
If you are interested, you can listen to the recording of the Space.
