For people in the U.S, getting coverage on eSports is harder because it isn't as popular as in other countries. That is where Samuel Lingle, a staff reporter of eSports comes to mind. Being a staff reporter of the site TheDailyDot, Lingle has knowledge of the competitive gaming circuit. I felt a connection to Lingle that I didn't get with other eSports blogger. Lingle's blogs would satisfy the readers desire for eSports news. If you give him a chance he will not disappoint and here is why:
1. He gives you the topics that matter, not some review about game xyz that won't connect with the readers that don't play video games.
2. Lingle makes sure that he leaves the reader with his opinion. Gives us more open thought and I enjoy bloggers point of view on eSports topics.
3. You are hard pressed to find another blogger that gives you information like Lingle. One of the only people that talks about eSports.
Samuel Lingle has been covering eSports as a job for a while now. According to his Twitter account, Lingle has been writing about video games for 12 years. His in depth knowledge covers in depth analysis of popular gaming titles such as League of Legends. He also talks about non gaming factors within the gaming world such as sexism, professional gaming and college scholarships, and sponsorships. His most recent blogs have focused on the recent IEM World Championships tournament for League of Legends held in March. TheDailyDot website as a whole is popular among people who are interested in online news, though for most casual people of games, TheDailyDot may not satisfy their desire for at the second in depth news of particular professional games.I don't look for video game reviews anymore when searching for eSports news. The two do not go together, like oranges and apples. Lingle gets my attention for his eSports coverage and opinionated in depth analysis that I identify with. This key component makes his blogs more readable as it doesn't just offer the plain, dry neutral reporting, conventional new outlets produce.
Samuel Lingle wrote an article on TheDailyDot titled collegiate gaming to feature on ESPN's Outside the Lines. For some background, eSports has had a difficult time getting airplay on ESPN (one of the biggest providers of entertainment in sports). Recently however, ESPN has been showcasing more eSports on their networks which is nice for a change. Outside the Lines is one example of a show that features eSports. Outside the Line is a popular news series that ESPN broadcasts on their parent of networks. OTL (Outside The Lines) is an overall enjoyable show and I would recommend it to people who want to know more about the sports world. Here the discussion is Lingle discusses how eSports and college gamers are to be featured on one of ESPN's television shows. One particular line in his post that caught my attention and a opinion that I also believe in is that "ESPN certainly can't ignore esports. Even if its present thinks its just a competition." Here Lingle acknowledges that the growth of eSports is something that is important. I feel as though Lingle does not care whether ESPN's John Skipper, the president of ESPN thinks eSports is a sport. If it gets attention, then that is a win for the eSports community as a whole. He looks at the bigger picture instead of focusing on what most people for and against what eSports as a whole stands for.
Hearing people argue whether eSports should be considered a sport is tiresome now. At this point myself and people who like eSports will focus on the future. Even if people will not consider it a sport, the bigger picture according to Lingle is the growth and establishment as an alternative form of entertainment is key to longevity. Longevity means that eSports will continue to last and have opportunities to grow even bigger. Lingle with the article on collegiate gaming on ESPN, presents a topic that people within the eSports community will be interested in reading as well as people that do not traditionally follow the sport but are curious. College is something that most people identify with (i say most because even some professional gamers aren't college graduates), so this plays in Lingle's favor when writing to people. He has a point of view by mentioning that eSports has something bigger to look forward to. These components make for an interesting blog post.
Lingle also caught my attention with his article about eSports as a sustainable business.Power house sports entertainment companies doubt the potential of eSports as a whole. For example ESPN refuses to take eSports seriously even though they broadcast eSports content on their family of networks. Though it may be understandable that competitors in the entertainment sphere share their doubts over eSports, gaming developers are a group that may shock some as doubters of eSports. In Lingle's article, he expresses that game developers have not made strides in the past to incorporate competitive gaming features that benefit both parties. It is not until recently that game developers embrace eSports as a viable way to promote games and make them better for audiences. Lingle uses the classic example of the game Counter Strike which was a mod of the hugely popular game Half Life. Even though this game went on to achieve a paramount amount of success in the competitive scene, developers of the mod didn't implement professional gaming features until recently. Ignoring the idea of making a game more competitive at the cost of tweaking mechanics that may seem balanced at first overall makes the game better and the industry better.
Again Lingle reinforces his point of view that video games are not just a hobby but a viable business, which video game fans agree with. By uniting game developers, sponsors, eSports business and audiences all on the same page, eSports will become the next big thing in the entertainment industry if it hasn't already. I hadn't thought of game developers affecting the growth of eSports in the past. But after reading about Lingle, I became more aware of the issue. It made me think for once when reading a blog post, something I rarely do on other game blogging sites. The future of gaming is bright. As it continues to grow, more people will look for ways to learn about it. I believe that Lingle is a great source of information for people who are curious about video games. Lingle is someone who I think is beneficial to eSports. Esports is in good hands with his reporting.
