Goodbye gym class, hello eSports. Nintendo has just teamed up with PlayVS, an eSports league where students can play competitively with others across the United States. Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are set to be added to PlayVS's roster of regional game leagues for high-schoolers, alongside the pre-existing likes of Rocket League, League of Legends, and SMITE. PlayVS explains that it considers eSports to be varsity sports, and Nintendo's Bill Trinen states that Nintendo is partnering with them to bring that "team-based atmosphere" that competitive gaming leagues provide to kids across the country. Smash Bros. and Splatoon 2 will be added to the high school bracket varsity league for participating schools this Fall, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be officially added in the 2022 school year. Nintendo will also be sponsoring the program by providing Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions and the games to 3,000 different schools.

As the premier provider for students in the ever-growing world of competitive gaming, PlayVS enables high school teams around the country to compete against each other through online matches and seasonal leagues. In this partnership with Nintendo, PlayVS becomes the home for high schoolers to compete in officially sanctioned Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2 leagues.

As part of the PlayVS and Nintendo partnership, we will provide a Nintendo Switch™ system to hundreds of select qualifying schools, and 3,000 select schools will receive either a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Splatoon 2 game and a Nintendo Switch Online 12-month Individual Membership*. (More details to come!)

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[raxadian]

Good luck trying to have schools pay for this, unlike real sports they can't justify it.

 

[AmandaRose]

Good luck trying to have schools pay for this, unlike real sports they can't justify it.

The thing is it's not really costing the schools anything as Nintendo are providing the Switches and games and online membership free of charge.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

There's no health benefit, wich I believe is the main reason schools care about sports.

 

[ZeroFX]

Good initiative, maybe that can help those tards quit fortnite and some other shit.

 

[MaxToTheMax]

Sports are fucking stupid. Especially in high school. If you can get a scholarship by being good at Smash, then it’s just as valid as physical sports.

 

[GenNaz]

There's no health benefit, wich I believe is the main reason schools care about sports.

That's the case for PE class but that isn't really relevant for optional school sports/competitions. Plenty of highschools have golf teams (technically physical but low-impact), chess teams, science olympiad etc.

 

[raxadian]

The thing is it's not really costing the schools anything as Nintendo are providing the Switches and games and online membership free of charge.

Ah so is a publicity stunt, got it.

 

[AmandaRose]

Ah so is a publicity stunt, got it.

Pretty much.

 

[RyRyIV]

There's no health benefit, wich I believe is the main reason schools care about sports.

Schools care about sports because it brings booster dollars, notoriety, and income to the school. Maybe this is just the US, but health benefits are the last thing on a schools mind for high school athletics

 

[x65943]

This is awesome, and imo the best part about this is it will create a space for people to make new friends and have fun

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

finally ill have an excuse for spending hours doing nothing but playing smash
"mom, im training to become an esports star"

 

[1B51004]

finally ill have an excuse for spending hours doing nothing but playing smash
"mom, im training to become an esports star"

"mom i am doing homework, im practicing my falco for the next school wide tourney. I gotta work on my wavedashes and z-cancels, otherwise someone will TOTALLY three stock me."
"That's nice Jimmy, now eat your veggies"

 

[Valery0p]

This explains the netplay Melee crackdown back in November. The had a project to profit from it.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

"mom i am doing homework, im practicing my falco for the next school wide tourney. I gotta work on my wavedashes and z-cancels, otherwise someone will TOTALLY three stock me."
"That's nice Jimmy, now eat your veggies"

"1b5, you're failing all your classes" "man we really should've named him better"

 

[1B51004]

"1b5, you're failing all your classes" "man we really should've named him better"

*dad comes in*
"son, it's time you play a real smash bros"
*whips out the purple gamecube, melee, custom made controller and the cheapo gamestop turbo controller
"If you win, you can participate in the tournament. If i win, you have to become a doctor and give up gaming"

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

*dad comes in*
"son, it's time you play a real smash bros"
*whips out the purple gamecube, melee, custom made controller and the cheapo gamestop turbo controller
"If you win, you can participate in the tournament. If i win, you have to become a doctor and give up gaming"

sounds like some dhar mann shit

 

[x65943]

This explains the netplay Melee crackdown back in November. The had a project to profit from it.

"Nintendo will also be sponsoring the program by providing Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions and the games to 3,000 different schools."

Giving away games and subscriptions to 3000 schools is a horrible way to turn a profit

 

[1B51004]

sounds like some dhar mann shit

huh. now that i think about it, it does sound like some sorta Dhar Mann plot.
"Son OBLITERATES Dad in Smash Bros., gets divorce and leaves"

 

[Eskon]

this is epic.