Taiwan is "poised to join" the esports industry, according to Ben Sin of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. U.S. video game publisher Blizzard launched its first estadium in Taipei this month, "dedicated to hosting live video game tournaments up to six days a week." Near the Taipei 101 tower, the estadium is hosting the Overwatch Pacific Championship as its first event. Eddy Meng, managing director of Blizzard's operations in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, said that the venue was "built to provide a platform for Blizzard's games" -- which are among the "most popular" esports titles and include Overwatch and World of Warcraft -- and "to help grow" esports on the island. Meng said, "Taiwan has a good foundation for developing esports. If you look at viewership numbers on [esports streaming platform] Twitch, Taiwan is always in the top three to five markets globally. There's just a lot of interest here." According to figures from Twitch, "one-fifth of Taiwan's population" (about 4.5 million people) watches esports "every month." If the stadium is successful, it "should help convince the government" that esports is a "very real and lucrative industry" (SCMP, 4/19).
