The University of Washington is the latest college to cater to the burgeoning esports industry. It was announced on Tuesday that the University of Washington would furnish its student activities building with a space for esports events.
It will make the UW the largest public, higher education institution in the nation and the first university in the state of Washington to have a dedicated esports arena.
The 1,000 square foot gaming center is set to open this spring and will be the center for casual and competitive gaming and virtual reality. A portion of the UW’s Student Technology Fee will fund this arena.
The arena will bring together a community of gamers as well as an opportunity for research in game development and tools for expanding broadcast opportunities according to former Washington Gaming Association President Kevin Zhou and UW alum.
With the expansion of the sport, esports scholarships are being offered by universities as the industry is growing at a rapid rate.
Students will be $3.50 an hour or $30 for 10 hours; UW faculty and staff will pay $4.50 per hour or $40 for $10 hours. The general public will pay $6 an hour.
The move shows the growing interest in video gaming (i.e., esports). More than just a hobby, like the bowling alley that used to be in the basement of the HUB, esports is now offering more. The arena will offer top of the line gaming equipment as well as virtual reality. It should be a real interesting place to go if this is your interest.