A life without sport would be unheard of for many people, but increasingly real sporting life is being taken over by the world of virtual sports and online gaming.
The World Of Virtual Sports
With sports events being cancelled across the world or operating in closed arenas without spectators, virtual sports have taken the gaming world by storm. The virtual sports genre is blurring the line between sport and online gaming to such an extent; it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins.
Virtual sports such as fantasy football, Formula One or cycling have been updated to bring more intense entertainment to sports fans left with limited betting options during the pandemic. Virtual sports create an increasingly profitable relationship between online gaming operators and their players. This relationship is not just financial; eSports maintain the interest between the fan and the players, the consumers and the sponsors.
New stars players are being born every week, and older players don’t have to retire; you can even bring back some sports stars from the dead. Diago Maradonna is still a fantasy football favourite even though he died in November 2020. That’s not all; the production companies involved have spent millions creating uber realistically graphics over an enormous amount of sports choices delivering instant gratification made even more attractive by eliminating the wait times associated with real-life sports.
So please pull up a gaming chair, and let’s see what’s available to virtual sports fans right now.
Anyone for Virtual Tennis?
Tennis is no longer just a summer sport; fans can play virtual tennis outside all year long. You have to provide your own strawberries and champagne, and there’s no need for sunscreen, but aside from that, the experience is the same.
The downside is that the games are short, making it more challenging to get a bet on, but graphically, the game is realistic and played on a grass court, but the player’s names are all made up; Roger Ferderer is not a fan just yet. The fun is over in only one game, and no-one shouts at the umpire, but virtual tennis is fun if you can’t get the real thing.
Virtual F1 and Motor Racing
Virtual F1 or general motor racing has some terrific sound effects and excellent graphics, but the commentary is flat and a little dull. Most games use made-up names for the drivers, and there is no element of motor racing being a team sport driving that you get in real life, all of which impacts the realism of the game.
On the positive side, apart from the roaring sound effects, there is a good selection of bets to choose from; with 12 drivers in every race, there is a wide choice of odds available on each race. Gamers would probably like the scantily clad girls, and cigarette promotion brought back, but you can’t have everything.
The Virtual Sport of Kings – Tennis
For those who don’t know, this is horse-racing and an obvious choice for virtual sport. Horse Racing is where this genre started and is still one of the best virtual games you can play today.
Variation is critical; some sites offer races over the flat and jumps, and that you can have any number of runners in the race. The game has so much entertainment scope; expected updates will bring back old favourites like the late great Red Rum, and Form will be updated in real-time.
Virtual Tour De France – Cycling
In terms of realism, the choice is vast, street cycling or in a velodrome, the action is life-like and exciting. The fact people are not so familiar with cyclists names means no-one was looking out for Bradly Wiggins or the infamous Lance Armstrong wearing the yellow jersey.
Every Sunday, lycra-clad cyclists are welcome on Monaco’s streets with eSport. What’s more, there are many bets available with the correct number of riders in each race make it enjoyable, making cycling an excellent choice for armchair enthusiasts.
No list of virtual sports would be complete without football, whether American or English (soccer).
Virtual Football (Soccer)
Perhaps the most anticipated of all the virtual games released. Virtual Football did a great job of offering soccer betting to customers in an ingenious way. The commentary is excellent at creating a typical Saturday afternoon playoff atmosphere.
The number of bets available is positive; real teams are used in the International version but not in the club version. Although to be honest, not many people are interested in the Brentford Barnacles, although?
Virtual American Football
No eSport game as yet; someone is missing a trick. The NFL partnered with Microsoft so virtual fans can attend select NFL games, but this is not the same as actually playing – so virtual American football is a rotten tomato in the world of virtual sport.
Whichever eSport takes your fancy, you are now free to participate at any time, and the good news is no freezing cold showers are waiting for you at the end of play – unless you want to, but that’s another article altogether.
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