In my last article, I discussed the potential benefits of playing a team-based video game. I went as far as to say that I was going to attempt to play FIFA Pro Clubs in FIFA 17 to see if I could see some sort of benefit for those of us who are too sick to make it out of the house regularly to play team sports. So right off the bat, one thing that I would like to say is that this is not specific only to FIFA games, or really sport games. In Gears of War, you can join a team, Call of Duty as well. Realistically, the Esports scene provides many games that have a team atmosphere. However, for the sake of the article here, I can only really provide insight on the FIFA 17 team aspect. Okay, so here we go.
Now, I didn’t have the chance to finish the full season of Pro Clubs. If I were to play a whole season, the games would go all the way into June. Don’t get me wrong, I will be playing the whole season with the team I’m with, but I think I’ve seen enough, at least for now, to comment on the whole thing. So, how did it go for me? Well, first I will tell what I experienced and then my thoughts on the whole thing.
So I ended up doing trials (aka tryouts) with several teams. One thing I learned very quickly with this FIFA Pro Club league was that many of the guys were very competitive. One team even wanted me to try out upwards of 4 to 5 times before they would decide if I would “sign” with them or not. Right away, it all seemed a little too much for me. After all, what good is it to play Esports if there was an entry requirement to play? I understood that teams wanted to win and this was essentially a “rep” version of the game, but it was a little too intense for what I was looking for. Yet, just when I was about to go look into other, maybe less competitive leagues, a team I had trialed with decided they wanted to sign me and I became a member of the Barcelona team for the league. Cool, I was in and it was time to see how it all went down.
Now, most teams practice regularly. I will admit I was not prepared for the commitment that these guys had expected. They practiced three nights a week, and were trying to enforce that if you missed a practice, you get a 1 game ban. I went to what I could without putting anything on hold for the video game. As much as I like video games, I have to be realistic and when work schedules me during a practice, well I have to go to work. To my surprise, the team was okay with it.
The first night of games came and went, and then the next and the next. To date we have played 6 games. Our record is 1 win and 5 losses. So definitely not the greatest, but still, I was having fun. After our 5th loss, the team went a complete make over and the competitiveness of the league shone through. Half the team either left or disappeared from practices. New teammates were found. That’s where we are to date. So how does this relate to whether or not Esports can serve as a temporary substitute to team sports?
My thoughts on the whole thing so far. I can definitely see some sort of benefit for those unable to play team sports in a physical sense. When I was playing, I started to become friends with my teammates in a similar sense that I would become friends with my entire team in real life. That aspect was really cool, and truthfully, that was the biggest thing I was looking for. In terms of the actual games, players obviously aren’t getting the physical benefits of participating in sport, yet, I was able to actually learn more about soccer through playing. I’m a goalkeeper in real life, but in the game I was playing both right midfielder and right fullback. I have never played these two positions in real life, and so I was not entirely knowledgeable about these two positions. Through playing with the team on Pro Clubs, I actually learned how to play these positions. This gives benefits for those who may be new to their selected sport. When I first played soccer, I was very nervous about playing a position I was unsure about. This game can allow for players to learn these they want to play.
So that’s the good, now for the bad. This league is very competitive. It is so much so that it is almost a put off to play in. At the end of the day, this is still a video game, and in my opinion should be treated as much. Yes, it is nice to get the entire team online to practice or online for games, but to implement bans and to sit players, etc., as a form of punishment for having real life issues or events is a bit much. Everyone likes to win, but there are no trophies here. It was so bad that members of the original team, including the manager and co-manager quit because we weren’t winning. Therefore, it might be more reasonable for players to find a “fun” league to play in rather than one that is highly competitive. For those who are dealing with disease, to add an extra stress to their life that is supposed to be a fun event may not be an ideal coping method.
At the end of the day, do I still recommend video game Esports as a temporary substitute for those who cannot participate in real life sports? Absolutely! But that recommendation comes with words of wisdom. Be careful what league you join and what team you join. Find a group of players that you enjoy playing the game with, and make sure it is fun, not stressful. That is the biggest thing. Esports should be fun and get you into a team environment. There are competitive leagues out there, and unless you are a very competitive person, I recommend avoiding those leagues. Now, if you are competitive like I am, these competitive leagues may be an option, but they truly will take up a lot of time. Practicing a video game three nights a week and then playing games two nights a week is A LOT. I personally would rather see people being active, but I mean, if you have the time and it does not impede on your normal everyday life, you will get the benefits of playing in a team like this. So at the end of the day, if you can’t make it out to play sports or join a team in real life, you may just be able to reap the benefits of a team atmosphere by joining an E-sports team. I plan on playing on my team for the rest of the scheduled season if I can. I am enjoying it at the time being. I may even branch out and try other sports. Every now and then I will write an article if anything interesting about E-sports come up. Even cooler though is I am looking into continuing the whole streaming thing which will allow me to interact with you guys. If this happens, I will announce it on the site and on the AFL Facebook. When this happens, join the stream, say hi, ask questions, whatever you’d like; I will be available to chat with you guys in real time! I personally think this would be a cool avenue to connect with you guys. Anyway, that’s it for me for now! I hope you all found some interest in this article and hope to see you out on that electronic pitch!