South Korea has its bangs and Japan now has its esports gyms. While the term “gym” may be a little misleading at first glance, Japan is slowly shaping up to be a leader in regional competitive gaming, and, make no mistake, the country has plenty of catching up to do. While gaming has definitely not lacked in the country, playing professionally has. However, Japan has been able to produce some exciting titles, such as Final Fantasy, Pokémon Unite, Super Smash Bros., and Street Fighter to name a few. Today, professional gamers are quickly catching up, having been allowed to participate in real money tournaments since 2018. As a result, betting on esports has proliferated as well making Japan a fully-blown esports market. There is still some catching up to do as Japan is not at the apex of its competitive gaming culture. The arrival of esports gyms in the country may be a catalyst of a strong change that could produce more talented players. Check Steroids UK here.
What Is an Esports Gym?
An esports gym is not a place where players get their daily dose of PA. Rather, it’s a place that resembles the South Korean bangs, clubs where young people come together to hone their skills and try their hand at winning skill-based video games. The first Esports gym has opened its doors in Tokyo, offering 12 upgraded and fully-equipped desktop PC with high quality VR headsets. The place is an ideal spot for anyone who wants to improve their gaming and it has a one-time payment of 1,430 yen that will allow you to buy a basic test membership and use a PC for three hours at a time before having to take a mandatory break. To attend the club monthly, you need to pay 12,100 yen and have unlimited access. While the club is focused on promoting esports as a whole, its target audience often is children who are only getting started into esports or are very talented players already. The idea is to quickly train new generations of players that allow Japan to stay competitive in a region that is dominated by China and South Korea, which have been cultivating their esports communities for many years now. In fact, Japan also has talented players, but most of them have remained hidden in the shadow of more competitive nations. One true hurdle for Japanese esports has been the inability to play games for money which the country only legalized very recently.
Can Japan Break into the World of Global Esports?
A country that has never competed will now try to cultivate promising players who can conquer the highest summits of competitive gaming. This is not going to be easy and everything points to that. Just think about the signs already:
- Japan can compete in esports now
- Gamers are keen to get better
- The country has great franchises
Japan has long been cut off from the rest of the world when it comes to professional gaming so regional players have had less motivation to go big. With the ability to acquire an esports gaming license, though. Now, gamers will have an opportunity to catch up on a plethora of video games. The country does not have a professional organization that stands high in the esports world, though, but this may change and the Japanese are quite good at titles as Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros., and even Pokémon.
Taking their vast experience into niche genres and games would quickly give the country a place among the others. The arrival of a single Esports gym is definitely helpful, but not necessarily the end of Japan’s push for a world esports status. In fact, the country will witness a rapid development of its esports ecosystem, precisely because it has a lot of catching up to do. As people continue to develop and hone their skills as gamers, Japan is going to rise internationally very quickly, precisely because of its somewhat limited exposure right now. The country is yet to build a more cohesive esports ecosystem where players come together and train as hard as their Chinese and Korean counterparts. However, the signs are already there and Esports gym is focusing on training those young people who are keen to turn esports into a full-time profession, time permitting.
The Quick Growth of the Japanese Esports Industry
More esports players and fans in Japan mean that companies will have more opportunities to expand their reach and focus on various aspects of the experience. Ticket sales, merchandise, and even direct sponsorships. Japan has long been an isolated market, but things are finally picking up and investors are already circling around the next great option out there to allow for excellent results.