ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the restructuring of the video game industry in the context of the widespread arrival of personal computers and the Internet, explaining why and how Player versus Player (PvP) replaced Player versus Computer (PvC) and Player versus Environment (PvE) as the most popular form of video game competition. It also reviews the formation of popular esports genres, such as real-time strategy (RTS) games, first-person shooter games (FPS), fighting games and sports games, and explains how they nourished a cyberathlete culture and gave rise to the concept of esports and professional gaming.
