“We’re literally at the edge of the water right now,” said Mark Rosentraub, the Bruce and Joan Bickner Endowed Professor of Sport Management at the School of Kinesiology. It will cover such topics as the interplay between the video game and esports businesses the differences between traditional sports and esports as they relate to economics, demographics, underlying products, the competitive landscape and distribution platforms and the structure of esports leagues and tournaments. The large-enrollment introductory course will engage students with esports platforms, teams and industry experts. The chair will develop an esports “blockbuster” course, featuring an innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum, to be offered annually beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. The Kotick gift will fund a new esports professorship position, with a search to begin immediately and a goal to have the leader in place by the conclusion of the 2021-22 academic year. Innovative educational and research program The School of Kinesiology and College of Engineering are also early campus partners in the multidisciplinary program, which is expected to attract student interest from across the university’s 19 schools and colleges. The School of Information’s research and instruction in data science, human computer interaction, information economics and extended reality will play a role in addressing what Finholt called “critical social and behavioral questions surrounding games and game use, and the design of games.” I think it’s a natural fit at the University of Michigan, given our interest as an institution, as a student body and as alumni, in games.” “The time is right this is the right place to do it.
“This generous gift by Bobby Kotick gives us an opportunity to contribute to an understanding of video gaming broadly and esports more specifically as a tremendously important cultural and economic phenomenon,” said School of Information Dean Thomas Finholt. Activision Blizzard boasts nearly 400 million gamers around the world.Ĭall of Duty League 2020 Season / Image credit: Robert Paul for Activision Blizzard The fan base is expected to include nearly 729 million by the end of 2021, a 10% increase from 2020. The esports industry is expected to top $1.08 billion in 2021 on its way to $1.6 billion in 2024, according to the Newzoo Global Esports and Live Streaming Market Report.
Gaming and esports require programmers, game developers, music composers and voice actors for the games, as well as event planners, broadcast producers, announcers for the event play-by-play, marketers and more for competitions. Video games not only provide popular entertainment and competition among the college crowd, but are also a booming industry with career opportunities across a wide variety of disciplines. University of Michigan combines world-class instruction, research and athletics, making them the perfect partner for a multidisciplinary collegiate program that will help shape the future of esports.” Industry with opportunities
“Most of the people watching are also playing-this leads to greater enthusiasm, engagement and truly unlimited potential. “Unlike traditional sports, esports is truly a participant sport that anyone can play and enjoy. “Esports is poised for explosive growth, and I am thrilled to join the University of Michigan to develop a program that will cultivate the talent to meet the needs of this complex and evolving industry,” Kotick said. Under Kotick’s 30-year leadership, Activision Blizzard has become one of the top global developers and publishers of interactive entertainment, best known for iconic franchises including Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft. Kotick’s $4 million gift will fund a professor to lead the development of the program, combining best-in-class research and instruction in computer science, sports management and user experience, among other disciplines. The contribution lays the groundwork for an esports minor at U-M by 2022 to help prepare students for careers in the burgeoning esports industry. Robert “Bobby” Kotick, CEO of Activision BlizzardĪ multimillion dollar gift from Robert “Bobby” Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, will establish a multidisciplinary esports program at the University of Michigan School of Information.Įsports are organized video game competitions played for spectators.
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