Capcom is planning for entry into esports, while Nintendo is set to use E3 as a testing grounds of sorts to gauge how much interest will be shown towards a Super Smash Bros tournament.
Welcome to another week in eSports news!
Throwing punches
Capcom is preparing to enter into the esports scene with a flip kick and a few punches to the face. According to EventHubs, the company focused heavily on professional gaming in the more recent earnings report, and various changes have been detailed within the organization.
Two corporate officers to an electronic sports group. Shigenori Araki was promoted to Managing Corporate Officer, Head of eSports just five months ago in January of this year according to Linkedin, and Jun Akanuma became the company's Deputy Head of eSports Group on April 1st.
What makes this exciting for esports is the games Capcom will bring to the stage. There is a shortage of games that have made it big that aren't battle royales, massive online battle arenas (MOBA) or first-person shooters. A few fighting games would make for a welcome change and introduce more viewers to esports who perhaps aren't too fond of other genres.
Smashing conventions
Speaking of violence, Nintendo will be hosting a Super Smash Bros tournament at this year's E3 conference in Los Angeles. Even the massive Japanese video game company is taking note of the growth of esports and hosting a tester at the world's largest video game convention makes a lot of sense to gauge how much interest will be present.
Imagine professional Pokémon esport tournaments.
More details on how you'll be able to tune in to watch the tournament will be confirmed closer to E3 in June, but if all goes well (and even if it doesn't surpass Nintendo's expectations), one can expect to see more of the company in esports. Just imagine some Pokemon, Splatoon and possibly even Mario Kart on the big stage.
Oxford University to offer esports and gaming courses
Tencent, the Chinese giant that owns League of Legends and Arena of Valor among its many properties, has agreed a "cultural deal" with the UK as part of a trade agreement that will see esports courses coming to Oxford University. As reported by Reuters
Working with Visit Britain, Tencent plans to create a new version of its "QQ Speed" racing game for mobile phone users with British characters, costumes, and music. It also will work with Oxford University to host games and courses designed to promote the development of the e-sports industry, it said.
The deal extends far beyond video games, and while this won't be the first academic institution in Britain to start recognizing esports, it's the most prestigious. There aren't any details what specifics may be involved, but it's an exciting development for the industry in the UK and Europe.
Williams F1 launches its own esports team
The F1 esports scene continues to grow, as does the list of manufacturer teams taking part in the F1 esports Pro Series, based on Codemasters' official game of the F1 World Championship. The latest is Williams F1, legendary British team home to Champion drivers of old like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. The outfit has officially launched its team to take part in the next season of competition, as reported by PitPass.
The team will run competitions for gamers to earn their place on the Williams eSports roster for a variety of sim racing competitions throughout the season. Details of these competitions, games, and series will follow.Williams eSports drivers will have access to the team's factory in Oxfordshire for training and events, as well as the chance to work in the team's simulator with technical staff and drivers including Robert Kubica.
The team has already signed its first three drivers, Javier Perez, Jani Vitsaniemi and Bernardo Perez.
