ESFI World‘s Sam Lingle wraps up the events of 2011. Two years ago, it would have been easy to give e-sports up for dead, especially in North America. MLG’s console league was having some success, and ESL was still puttering along in Europe, though without the growth that marked the earlier years of this decade. E-sports seemed to have hit a wall after the disastrous end to the Championship Gaming Series. 2011 changed that.

A slew of new e-sport titles have energized the scene. Fans have turned out to events in throngs unimaginable compared to previous events in North America and Europe. Streaming media platforms like Twitch.TV, Own3D.TV, and UStream have helped create a community around the fans and players no one ever dreamed possible. Developers have committed to e-sports in ways never before seen. It was an important year. Let’s look at the details.(more…)