Chinese online games players, once considered layabouts or addicts, are emerging as cultural heroes with potentially lucrative careers. Yao Minji explores.

Jeremy Zhou, 17 years old, will be a senior at a private American high school in California in September. While all his American classmates are busy planning college applications, Zhou isn’t interested in higher education. He wants to become a professional electronic “sports” player, in other words, an online game player.

“For people who love games, isn’t it a dream job? Don’t they say you need to find a job that you like?” Zhou says in an online interview. “Plus, if I am good, which I am, I can make more than a good living. I heard professional players back home in China make 20,000 yuan (US$3,269) a month, much higher than most jobs.”

Income varies, but Zhou is not just guessing. According to Shanghai-based Invictus Gaming Club, on average, players on the team for the game “Defense of the Ancients II” each made around 1.2 million yuan (US$200,000) in 2012. The team won the world championship in Seattle, Washington State, last year, splitting the top prize of US$1 million. That’s only one of their titles.

“Our team plays on the high end, but overall, the social status, income, social acknowledgement, quality of games, popularity among the public and prizes have all been greatly improved, especially over the last two years,” says Liu Yuan, chief executive officer of the club, better known as eFeng in the gaming world.

A former player himself, Liu recalls how his parents didn’t support him, like many parents at the time. It is different today, as the industry has developed and more Chinese players and teams become world champions in various types of games.

“Now, parents are much more supportive. We even have parents who sent their kids to us. You can really make a living out of it. We have competitions almost every week all around the country and sometimes abroad, and prizes are much higher too,” he says.

Professional gaming has been Zhou’s dream since 15, when he saw TV interviews with professional players “who were treated like superstars.” His goal became clearer as school guidance counsellors urged students to think about what they want to do after high school.

Last December, Zhou told his parents of his decision, saying he would go to college after he retires from a professional career, whether successful or not. People can study at any age, he told them, but the prime time for a professional player is short, usually between 18 and 22 years old because most of the games require quick hand-eye coordination, among many other skills that decline as one ages.

“Of course, they were furious,” Zhou says. “Like many people, especially parents, they equated gamer to amateur, and games to addiction that isn’t helpful and only harms someone’s life.”

Not surprised by their refusal, Zhou showed his parents what he had collected over the years — media coverage about the electronic sports industry, stories about successful Chinese professional players and statistics to show he has the potential.

It took months, but his father, a successful businessman, was gradually more receptive to his decision. In March, Zhou finally aced it with a piece of news that the General Administration of Sport of China will form a national eSports team to compete in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

“When they realized it was supported by national sports bureau, it was much easier to persuade them. They only made me promise to finish high school and to go back to college one day,” Zhou says.

Now he is researching different clubs, trying to find a way to reach out and to enter one of the professional clubs. “It’s quite competitive,” he says.

The news about the national team had considerable impact, not only on Zhou’s parents, but also around the country, where it generated intense online discussion.

Many Internet users were surprised that there’s a national team and some doubted that gamers, often labeled as bad kids, could be considered medalists who would bring honor to their country.

The national team existed for quite a while, although it was only recently reported by the media.

“It isn’t entirely new. We’ve had a national team since 2007 and I was on the team then,” IG CEO Liu recalls. “We got three gold medals then. It is causing discussion now because electronic games as an industry has got more media coverage and more attention from the public.”

The competition in Shanghai early this year filled the 10,000-seat venue, says Liu. The venue in a former Shanghai World Expo pavilion, is the first in the country specializing in electronic sports. It opened in July and attracted thousands of fans within days. Another is said to be under construction in Baoshan District.

Many people have realized that the world of gaming is much bigger than they thought. Today there are two paid TV channels specializing in games, one in Beijing and the other in Shanghai.

The industry is more mature: There are more professional clubs, bigger games, specialized commentators, industry celebrities and fans.

“You can see the change in how it’s referred to as well,” says Hai Tao, a renowned TV host and commentator on games. “It is not ‘game’ anymore. It is electronic sports, implying it is a healthy activity. And it is really similar to sports in many different ways.”

In English, the word “game” might have both meanings — entertainment and healthy activity. The Chinese word you xi (ÓÎÏ•) often implies something for entertainment. But jing ji (¾º¼¼), as it is more commonly termed by the media now, means competition and implies something professional.

“As in physical sports, there’s a prime age and as in sports, many people go on to team management, becoming coaches and commentators, or going into games companies when they retire,” Hai Tao says.

There are countless jobs in this industry today, as in other mature professional industries.

Popular games in China include DotA and DotA II, both multi-player online battles in which opposing teams use avatars called “heroes” to destroy each others’ “ancients,” or guarded structures. Each player controls one character and can acquire new items/weapons, skills and enhance their characters.

Success requires strategy, quick minds, teamwork and leadership. As with many other games, some players seem naturally gifted, while others train and improve.

A good player often needs to click the right key on the keyboard three or four times per second in a continuous 30-minute game, while figuring out the best strategy and cooperating with teammates.

“They are trained almost every day, according to a plan designed by coaches to improve different skills,” says Liu, citing collaboration as a team, quick reaction to spontaneous strategy, among other skills.

“After they retire, they can go on to other roles in the industry or do something else entirely,” he adds.