Japan is synonymous of games, being the home of leading developer companies such as Nintendo, Sony, Capcom and Konami, among others. But eSports faces legal restrictions, such as a law that made it difficult for game makers to hold competitions offering substantial prize money in the country.
“Japan is the only country that has this kind of law,” said lawmaker Jin Matsubara, head of the secretariat of a suprapartisan group of lawmakers promoting online games and eSports and who was previously state minister for consumer affairs.
To set the stage for growth in the domestic eSports market, the group negotiated with the Consumer Affairs Agency and helped make it possible for esports tournaments to offer large monetary prize pools on condition that the contestants are professional competitors.
The Japan Esports Union (JESU), formed in February this year through the merger of five related entities aimed at unifying administrative activities, is tasked with issuing professional licenses.
JESU has so far issued licenses to more than 100 people for game titles including “Street Fighter V Arcade Edition,” “Call of Duty: WWII” and “Winning Eleven 2018,” known internationally as “Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.”
JESU Vice President Hirokazu Hamamura said the eSports movement in Japan is accelerating. This has drawn the interest of companies outside the industry, including entertainment firm Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., which formed a professional esports team in March.
Still, the remuneration in Japan lags the rest of the world, peaking at around US$ 540,000. Hamamura said prize money is merely one index.
“A bigger prize may bring excitement about esports, but another aspect is to attract attention,” he said, referring to such events as the Olympics, which do not directly offer prize money to the medalists but succeed in exciting athletes and spectators alike.
Source: GMB / Japantimes.co.jp / SARAH SUK
