"Chicago school adds video gaming scholarship" y Jason Keyser | Associated Press June 21, 2014
CHICAGO — Note to parents: All those hours your kids spend blazing a trail of destruction in video games may not be a complete waste of time after all.
No, you can learn to pilot drones for the Air Force.
A small private university in Chicago is offering hefty scholarships for players of one game in particular, “League of Legends,” which has become one of the most popular games for organized team competitions.
Robert Morris University Illinois announced its new program this month and said it recognizes the growing legitimacy of what are known as ‘‘eSports.’’ The school says it also wants to give credit to those with a competitive spirit who do not necessarily want to play traditional sports such as basketball.
Associate athletic director Kurt Melcher, who will be in charge of the school’s varsity eSports program, said Friday he expected a certain amount of attention, but was surprised by how much he’s getting.
‘‘It’s interesting. There’s two sides: There’s the gamers’ side, who feel like they’ve been vindicated or liberated,’’ he said. ‘‘Then there’s the hard-core athletes’ side, who say, ‘What do you mean? That’s not a sport.’’’
Melcher said “League of Legends” is a competitive game that demands team strategy and mental prowess, and spending money to recruit the best will deliver the types of committed students who are drawn by scholarships for traditional sports. The school is even hiring a coach for its team.
Starting this fall, the scholarships will cover up to 50 percent of tuition and 50 percent of room and board. That’s worth up to $19,000 per student. Robert Morris says it is among the first in the nation to offer such substantial scholarships of this type.
“League of Legends” players control warriors battling it out in a science fiction-like setting.
The Nazis rule the world.
Dispelling any doubt about its popularity, a “League of Legends” championship sold out the Staples Center in Los Angeles last October.
The game is very challenging and demands a well-thought strategy, Andrew Dixon, a Robert Morris senior, told WLS-TV.
‘‘You have the physical — you have like football and basketball and all that — this is a very mentally taxing game, especially when you’re being pitted against five other individuals,’’ he said.
I agree. I'm already exhausted and have put the controller down.
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