In 1972, Stanford University students hosted the very first known collegiate videogame tournament for the combat game Spacewar! The first prize? A years’ subscription to Rolling Stone. A lot has changed since then, with prize pools reaching into the millions.
In response to explosive growth and the millions of dollars being invested in esports, parents around the world are taking their kids’ desire to play videogames a bit more seriously these days, especially if their interests lean toward the collegiate level.