While there are still some stereotypes of gamers that remain, long gone are the days where parents view video games as a waste of time, namely because there has been a shift in the industry and trends where being a professional gamer can be a lucrative gig. In fact not only is it a lucrative gig, but eSports are now starting to be recognized as an actual sport.
So much so that there are talks about how video games could be included in future Olympics. Not only that, but there are schools who are actually giving out scholarships to students who perform particularly well in eSports. This is why it doesn’t come as a surprise that there are some parents who are sitting up and taking note, going as far as to hire “tutors” for their kids, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The report is claiming that parents are actually spending money to hire tutors for Epic’s Fortnite Battle Royale, which is currently one of the most popular games at the moment. These tutors are said to cost anywhere between $10 to $50 an hour in hopes that they will be able to turn their kids’ hobby into a potential career, or at least be good enough to compete and win some prize money.
Several months ago Epic announced that they would be investing $100 million in Fortnite eSports tournaments, so safe to say that many want a slice of that pie. It is interesting to see the extent in which some parents are heading, but then again, we suppose it’s not too different from parents sending their kids to tuition centers or hiring private tutors for other subjects in school, like maths or science.
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