Towns and cities across the US are constantly on the lookout for new businesses and industries that they can attract to their locale, in the hope that they will bring jobs and prosperity with them.
Online gaming is increasingly becoming one of the biggest players in this regard, with local municipalities often going the extra mile to bring related ventures into their midst.
Charlotte is no exception, having grown its online gaming community substantially in recent years.
In this article we look at just why it is that Charlotte is fast becoming one of the go-to venues for gamers and gaming companies.
Charlotte is going full steam ahead to become one of the hottest places for online gamers and online gaming companies to base themselves
Esports Lead the Way for Other Online Games
Whenever talking about the proliferation of gaming communities in Charlotte, it is impossible to ignore the impact that Esports have had.
This is evident everywhere in Charlotte, from the incredible link up that has been made between the University of North Carolina’s very own Esports teams and professional outfit Simplicity Esports, to the multiple Esports arenas and hubs that have begun popping up all over town.
This is undoubtedly paving the way for other online gaming initiatives to take hold in Charlotte and North Carolina as a whole, with brand new gaming initiatives due to take off in the New Year and online casinos with strong backgrounds in other online games also making their case for being accepted in the state.
Although some of these advances may take more time to realize than others, there can be no doubting the positive mood that surrounds the online gaming world in Charlotte at this moment in time, with Esports being the leading light for others to follow.
Online spaces that were born and bred in Charlotte are rapidly gaining worldwide appeal and prominence
Local Universities Swelling the Talent Pool
For any fledgling industry or cultural movement to really take root in a city, it helps a great deal if local educational organizations and institutions are all onboard.
Charlotte is lucky in that regard, with the JCSU making moves in 2020, announcing partnerships with gaming juggernauts Riot Games, as well as other major players in the field such as Gaming Trifecta and Nacon Gaming.
Johnson C. Smith University has even gone so far as to offer a degree program specifically focused on the world of Esports, which is sure to have students from far and wide enrolling.
With a similar deal already being struck between Simplicity Esports and the University of North Carolina, whereby they run Esports tournaments in conjunction with one another, it is clear to see that academic leaders clearly want a piece of the online gaming pie just as much as the players of such games do.
Old-School Games Get Reboot Thanks to Forward Thinking Charlotte Orgs
While many Esports and other online games tend to feature battle royale or RPG formats, there are some classic board games which are once again gaining prominence online in and around Charlotte.
One organization playing a huge part in this resurgence is the Charlotte Chess Center, which now hosts as many online tournaments and seminars as it does live ones at their base on Kettering Drive.
Games Development Companies Putting Down Roots
Nothing gets a local gaming scene going quite like have a bunch of local developers duking it out to see who the best in the city is.
Such a healthy rivalry exists in Charlotte thanks to some innovative independent developers such as OneSmartBunny and Mighty Rabbit Studios, Inc., with the latter having released popular titles like Breach & Clear as well as Fat Chicken.
The only thing that may hold the city back from attracting more such gaming companies is its less than impressive internet speeds, an issue that must surely be resolved soon, so as not to hinder the growth of this booming industry.