Gaming

U Nevada Las Vegas Opening Lab Dedicated to E-Sports

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 08/24/16

No place may be better suited to take on the job of educating people about e-sports than the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Shortly, the institution's International Gaming Institute will help students explore the segment of video game culture that brings players and spectators together physically and virtually for massive video game competitions.

The new eSports Lab will help students research the subject of e-sports and create presentations and business plans relevant to the casino industry. Topics of study will include the genres and games that are at the forefront, the use of big data related to gamer and fan behavior, and related areas.

The first course from the lab will feature guest speakers, including game and platform developers, tournament management companies, design engineers and architects, compliance and regulatory experts, competition design professionals and gaming executives. Students will also be expected to attend and participate in e-sports events.

"E-sports is the hottest topic in every board room on the Strip, particularly with respect to millennials," said Robert Rippee, director of the university's Hospitality Lab and eSports Lab, in an article about the new program. "What better place to begin the journey to understand its relevance and application to the casino and hospitality industry than right here?"