\u201cDamn it, I\u2019m dead!\u201d exclaims a student in front of his computer. At his side, dozens of boys between the ages of 14 and 23 are tapping on their keyboard, staring at a flat screen: the course started at Lanxiang Technical High School in Jinan (east).<\/p>\n
eSport has become a professional discipline, with players competing for money in tournaments organised in halls and stadiums.<\/p>\n
These competitions, also broadcast on the Internet, are sometimes watched by millions of people.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a hobby for me, I loved playing video games very much, it\u2019s a new profession, I think it\u2019s promising. I want to give it a shot, I\u2019m still young and I have time to dedicate to it,\u201d said Teng Xin, a student at this high school.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started, my parents were against it, but I love to play so much. When I showed them how much I love it and will persevere, my father understood and agreed that I would come here to study,\u201d said another student Song Jinze.<\/p>\n
In 2018, the sector is expected to generate USD<\/span> 906 million (\u2019 732 million) in sales worldwide, according to the specialized firm Newzoo, with China accounting for 18% of the total.<\/p>\n In this country, 260 million people play eSport games or watch competitions, according to the Chinese company iResearch.In the beginning, parents thought it was all about playing video games\u2026<\/p>\n In fact, it\u2019s not the case, pro-gaming is developing enormously, and it has become a factor in a market economy. That\u2019s the situation,\u201d said Lanxiang Technical High School director Rong Lanxiang.<\/p>\n According to the Chinese law firm CNG<\/span>, eSport in China employs 50,000 people, but it would take 260,000 more to fill all its job vacancies.<\/p>\n The studies last three years. After a first common year, with 50% practice and 50% theory, the pupils are separated. The best are trained to become professional players, the others learn the management of eSport<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Playing a video game in the classroom? It is permitted and even compulsory in this school in China, where students are trained to become eSport professionals, a sector in full boom worldwide. \u201cDamn it, I\u2019m dead!\u201d exclaims a student in front of his computer. At his side, dozens of boys between the ages of 14 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[325],"news-category":[320],"class_list":["post-7928","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-esport","news-category-tech","entry","has-media"],"yoast_head":"\n