Qld university enters online gaming arena

Teens tired of parents telling them they’re wasting their lives with computer games can now turn their habit into careers.

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has established an eSports club which will provide scholarships for its top performers.

The club boasts 27 high-tech computers and the university claims its the first of its kind in Australia for an educational institute.

“We’ve got the best specs in terms of games and hardware and we’ve got the most developed program in the country,” QUT eSports coordinator Dylan Poulus said.

QUT added the club to its sports portfolio this year, opening doors to training, competitions and potential careers for the university’s best gamers.

It also comes with a yet-to-be-finalised scholarship program, extended leave and alternative exam scheduling for selected students.

Mr Poulus hopes the eSports club will better guide gamers towards their chosen field much like local sports groups.

“In traditional sports like cricket, you have a grassroots club system that brings players up through the ranks,” Mr Poulus said.

“It’s a pathway that pretty much guarantees that if you score enough centuries you’ll eventually make the Australian team.”

Competitive gaming is one of the fastest growing industries in the world with Goldman Sachs valuing eSports at $500 million in 2016.

Since then companies such as ESPN and YouTube have acquired platforms to broadcast eSports events while in Australia, the Football Federation Australia ran an “E-League” in collobration with its A-League clubs this summer.

Other competitions such as the AFL and the NRL are also exploring eSports options.