In what looks like a naked bid to profit from the enthusiasm for e-sports, Sony (NYSE: SNE) last week unveiled a “Tournaments” feature for the PS4 console. Players also need an ESL account and a PlayStation Plus subscription in order to compete.
“Once tournaments are live, you can find them under Events on your PS4 system menu to view the details. Once you have signed up for a tournament, your PS4 will automatically prompt you when it is time to play your matches,” the company said on the PlayStation blog.
How big this will get for Sony is anyone’s guess right now, but there’s no denying the growth of the e-sports trend. Tournaments with multimillion-dollar purses have become so common that the real sports franchises want in on the action. Last month, the ownership group of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers purchased e-sports franchise Team Dignitas. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.
Sony’s first tournament with ESL opens on Oct. 27 and is based on NBA 2K17 from Take-Two Interactive. Gameplay is set to continue through Nov. 26 with “Major Cup” rounds occurring on Saturdays. Cash prizes don’t appear to be part of the kitty, though. Instead, Sony promises “a prize pack that includes items such as a DualShock 4 and PlayStation gear”. Don’t expect serious e-sports players to go for that. Nevertheless, investors should track what happens upon conclusion of this tournament.
If it succeeds, we may see Sony sponsor big-money professional leagues the way Activision Blizzard does for Call of Duty. And that could lead to a new family of high-performance, high-margin consoles made specifically for pro gamers. Either way, gaming has long been a key element of Sony’s business. With the rise of e-sports, it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Tim Beyers has no position in any stocks mentioned at the time of publication.
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