HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

216

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLLEGE ESPORTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII.

 

 


     WHEREAS, electronic sports, more commonly known as esports, are video game competitions, often in organized, multiplayer video games, among professional players, individually, or as teams; and

 

     WHEREAS, the esports industry is projected to produce over $1,000,000,000 in global revenue with video game companies being a major driver of jobs in the United States and generating more revenue than the music and film industries combined; and

 

     WHEREAS, nearly seventy percent of all Americans play video games and over one hundred colleges in North America have started scholarship-based esports programs that foster and develop innovative educational and work opportunities, sportsmanship, discipline, dedication, and awareness and education to avoid unhealthy gaming habits; and

 

     WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii has been asked to partner with other Pacific-Rim universities in South Korea, China, and the United States that are doing cutting-edge esports research; and

 

     WHEREAS, a University of Hawaii esports program can promote career development, research, and competition amongst other universities; and

 

     WHEREAS, the creation of a University of Hawaii esports program seeks to provide educational support for students and establish a connection and pipeline for graduates into the growing digital gaming industry; and

 

     WHEREAS, a fledgling University of Hawaii esports program is preparing to locate space for a college esports arena with capable computers, consoles, and peripherals in which training, competition, and events can take place; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the Senate concurring, that this body supports the University of Hawaii in developing a comprehensive esports program designed to promote students' passion for video games through competition and social interactions, foster personal growth and academic research, and educate and prepare students for opportunities in the video game industry; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii and President of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Esports; University of Hawaii