College Kids Can Play Video Games For Tuition Now

It seems like the prayers of every broke and in debt college kid in America have been answered. Now college kids can play video games for tuition! Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you should be running out to your local video game store to buy the latest console. I would urge you to first look into your own university's course offering before dropping that kind of cash. Last time I checked, playing video games cost just as much as one college credit, so I would do as much research as possible.

But if your school happens to be among the lucky few that will put video game use toward tuition, more power to you. According to an article in Fortune, schools like Robert Morris University and the University of Pikeville are offering their students scholarships for playing popular eSports games. This comes as less of a surprise for those following the ESPN2 broadcast of the "Heroes of the Dorm" program. It seems like video games are not just for playing anymore — you can now watch other people play them competitively and win money for their efforts. And if that doesn't interest you, then maybe knowing that Blizzard Entertainment is giving away over $600,000 in tuition for those who are brave enough to pick up that video game controller might just swing your vote around.

With technology rapidly improving our user experience, movies and video games have benefited from smoother CGI in exponential amounts. We expect mind-numbing explosions, non-stop action and hyperrealistic characters. Because of these changes, video games are no longer "nerd territory", nor are they just "for guys". Both men and women can benefit from them and earn cash in the process. All they have to do is practice and compete.

There will obviously be backlash from people who say that video games aren't a sport. What they fail to see is the amount of strategy and skill that goes into playing professionally. The news report above captures Robert Morris University's athletic director explaining the merits of video gaming. It is exactly what the doubters need to hear. Instead of criticizing these men and women over the definition of "athlete," haters should be paying attention to how much cash these students are earning to pay for school!

Just to give you an idea of what these tournaments look like in the real world, here is a video of "Heroes of the Dorm". This game was the final showdown between Arizona State and UC Berkley. There are huge crowds that turned out to support their favorite teams. Giant projectors show the action taking place on smaller computer screens below. This is an actual area, with high stakes and money on the line. With Blizzard giving away $100,000 in scholarship money to the top players, people should start reconsidering their majors STAT.

Image: Pixabay