China Business Daily (reporter Zhao Yiru) used to call them "games" and they called them "Internet addict teenagers."
Today, they are duly called esports, and they are also recognized as professional players.
E-sports is a sports in which video game competitions reach the "competitive" level.
In November 2003, the State General Administration of Sports officially approved e-sports as the 99th official sports competition. In September this year, esports will start as an official competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In the 20 years from entertainment to sports competitions, the game industry has been standardized, and esports players have continued to grow: seven days a week, ten hours a day; Temper mentality on the field, tactical analysis off the field; Team run-in increases the winning rate of matches, maintains its own condition and extends its career...
The high-intensity training pressure dissuaded a batch of "Internet addicted teenagers". "Esports players train day and night, with professional team help, and exchange ideas with teammates; And 'Internet addiction' is simply greedy play. One player said.
During the break in training, three players from the WBG League of Legends mobile game division - Byck Yu Chuang, Fan Chen Yefan, ZiHan Hao Zihan, told the China Business Daily reporter about their life outside the arena.
The picture shows esports players training. (Photo courtesy of Photogram)
"Up to fourteen or five hours a day"
Born in 2000, Byck officially became an esports pro in 2020.
"I've been playing games since I was four or five years old. When I was playing the Glory of Kings Pinnacle at the age of 18, I found that my level was okay, and I thought that maybe I could use this as a career development. Byck said, "After going to the WBG team trial list, and having a coach help recommend it, I joined the team." ”
"When playing games becomes a hobby, it may just be because of playfulness. But when the game becomes a job, you need to train for a long time every day, which is easy to get tired and need more love. Without love support, it's hard to play well. "The selection of e-sports into the Asian Games is a great recognition of e-sports, which not only increases the sense of mission and honor of players and coaches, but also generates more love and enthusiasm." ”
Byck says he now plays more than 12 hours a day. "I'm the kind of person who can be more 'liver', so sometimes the practice time is longer, the longest time is fourteen or five hours a day. However, this is not a hard requirement, I took the initiative to work overtime. Byck said.
Despite the hard work, in Byck's view, talent accounts for 70% of the success factor, while training accounts for only 30%.
"On the one hand, talent is reflected in the fact that playing games is relatively fast, such as playing better than others when you first contact games; On the other hand, it is also reflected in professional training, which makes it easier, faster and more to understand the game. "Compared to ordinary people, I may be able to get started faster; But compared to other pros, I'm slower. My talent lies in having more ideas and more ghost ideas. ”
Faced with the saying that "playing professional esports is to eat youth", Byck admitted: "I used to feel the same way. Because I see a lot of people, they are quite good when they are 21 years old, and they can't be moved when they are around 22 years old. But then I found out that it was different from person to person. There are also a lot of players who are still playing well at twenty-five or six. This is indeed an industry that eats youth, but it depends on the individual. ”
Byck also shared his approach to extending his career: "First of all, you must have a very good professional attitude, and secondly, you must live a healthy life, and do some sports that will not affect your arms, which will be very helpful to maintain your competitive condition." ”
"Esports is a very passionate thing. Watching the contestants on the stage and listening to their voices, the excitement of their victory and the downfall of defeat can be clearly felt offstage. Byck said.
"The difference between the players, first of all, is the mentality"
Born in 2001, Fan officially joined the WBG team last year and played the role of a wild player in the team.
"At first, I saw an advertisement for professional players, because I loved esports, so I wanted to see if I could become a professional player, so I signed up for a trial and joined the team." Fan said.
"We train from 1 p.m. to 12 p.m., except for two hours of eating and resting, seven days a week." Fan said.
However, in Fan's opinion, these are all necessary conditions to become an esports player.
"To become an esports player, there are first hard conditions - the strength level must pass; Secondly, the mentality should not be very bad, it cannot be self-centered, and it is necessary to get along with the team members. And you have to train every day and be disciplined. Fan said.
Fan believes that talent is important to become a professional. And if you want to stand out among the pros, you need a good attitude on the field.
"The difference between players is first of all mentality, and second is the choice of presence. The game is different from the usual training, when you are really on the field, it depends on whether you can play normally and whether the communication with your teammates can be in place. And also stay calm enough to make the right judgment. "If there is a problem with the mentality, it is basically difficult to win." ”
"The peak golden age of esports players is between the ages of 18 and 20, because this profession requires a lot of physical strength, and most people play during their two years young. After retiring, some people may continue to stay in the esports industry as team managers, coaches, etc., and some people may leave the industry. "Having been on stage as an esports professional is actually a good experience and something to be proud of." ”
Talking about the selection of e-sports for the Asian Games, Fan believes that this is a recognition and affirmation of the e-sports industry. "Esports is officially on par with other sports, allowing esports to develop from a niche sport to a sport that has received a lot of attention, allowing professional players to express themselves on a higher stage, and further promoting the development of the esports industry." Fan said.
At the same time, Fan also believes that limiting the amount of time minors can play games is a good thing. "Minors have poor self-control, and not everyone can become a professional player, most of them are not talented enough, so it is still necessary to limit the time they spend playing games."
"The most fundamental difference between esports and gaming is that one is work and the other is entertainment. E-sports are implemented in a software and hardware environment with information technology as the core, and entertainment games are just a way to relax. Today's teenagers only need to arrange their gaming time reasonably, not indulge in it, and always remind themselves of the dangers of excessive play, and enjoy it. Fan said.
"To wear the national flag and take honor on behalf of the country"
Born in 2004, ZiHan has been an esports professional since he was 15 years old.
"When the first team invited me to join, it was to say, 'Do you want to play professionally,' and I thought it was fun to play and agreed." ZiHan said, "I started playing professionally at the age of 15, I was the youngest of the people around me, and now I am the youngest on the team. ”
It's been nearly three years since he became a professional player, and for ZiHan, esports is still his passion.
"Ten hours of training a day is not very hard for me, but it is very interesting for me." ZiHan said, "If my career is about clocking in every day and my hobby is what I do myself, then playing professionally is still a hobby for me." ”
ZiHan still remembers his first appearance.
"It's cool to play. It is very exciting on stage, the heart will beat fast, there will be more things in the mind than usual sitting at home or training, and some strange thoughts will flash through the brain. It may also be that I just played, and some old players will not think so much. ”
"E-sports should speak with strength, it doesn't matter whether they are young or not, some veteran players have a lot of experience in competition." ZiHan said that the most important thing when playing is the trust and encouragement of your teammates.
"The happiest thing is that when I play, I feel the trust my teammates have placed in me." ZiHan said, "At first I felt like I had no place in the team, and they all gave me strange nicknames. But then they saw my strength in singles and started to recognize me, which made me feel very happy. The recognition and encouragement of my teammates allows me to play better on the field. ”
On the road of professional esports, ZiHan has also experienced the disapproval of his family.
"At first, my parents didn't agree with me playing professional games, thinking that I was an 'Internet addict teenager', playing games. But esports has become a sport and made it to the Asian Games, and I made money playing professionally, and my parents agreed. "When I was a kid, I always said that I would wear the national flag to honor my country, and they all said I was dreaming. But now, that dream may come true. ”