Have you been wondering when the idea of ​​an ergonomic and functional chair started? What events gave rise to what we know today as a gaming chair?
The history of gaming chairs is quite curious: The first game tournament adventures were in 1970 when the gaming industry was just taking its first steps. Currently, gaming tournaments are one of the largest events in the world, and, as always, in them, you can notice the presence of gaming chairs.
The history of gaming chairs is quite interesting and as we know that you like to keep up with all the gamer curiosities, here we bring you a special about the history of gaming chairs, from its unofficial beginnings to what is currently known and how the esports industry influenced the popularity of gaming chairs.
History Of Gaming Chairs – From Its Beginnings To The Present:
eSports – The Beginning Of A Legacy:
The first eSports tournaments began in the ’80s when the Atari company launched its arcade game « Space Invaders » for the Atari 2600, a game console with interchangeable cartridges.
At that time, the game revolutionized the way of playing video games, since shortly after the company decided to hold a national tournament to advertise the game and the video game console. The surprise was that more than ten thousand players participated in the event, and had their final battle in the city of New York in the United States, something that left more than one with their mouths open.
Imagining that this was the beginning of what we know today as eSports is impressive since years later the first gaming chair in the world would be born. But long before that, video game tournaments were extremely archaic; players sat on desk chairs with static backs and played for hours without the slightest qualm about the appalling condition of the equipment and furniture.
Incredible, right?
And interestingly, when the Space Invaders tournament boom began to wane, it seemed to some that this period was the beginning of what was to come next: the first hints of an ergonomic chair for professional gamers.
The 2000s – The Beginning Of Gaming Chairs:
At the beginning of the new millennium, eSports events seemed to have been forgotten, but in South Korea, this was not the case, and all thanks to the cyber cafes that Koreans used to visit surf the internet and enjoy an afternoon with friends. These places, full of computers of the time, it was what gave rise to hundreds of PC game rooms that day after day were packed with young people wanting to play « Starcraft » by Blizzard, the popular game of those days.
The game was a revolution in South Korea, so much so that companies like Samsung and SK Telecom did not hesitate to invest money in professional teams to encourage tournaments. In fact, such was the impact of this partnership that highly regarded channels in South Korea (such as MBCGame and Ongamenet, to name a few) began broadcasting live Starcraft tournaments taking place in these rooms packed with young people. gamers.
The curious thing about these events is that the players participated for cash prizes, and spent hours sitting down without even stopping to rest. But, unfortunately, at that time the companies did not think about the optimal gaming conditions that a player should have, since there was still no ergonomic awareness or knowledge about the disadvantages of sitting for many hours.
The First Vestige Of Ergonomics In Chairs:
By 2005, the frenzy of Starcraft game tournaments continued, and by then white plastic chairs appeared that were used by players during games. These were considered a novelty, but the reality is that they were only showy. They weren’t ergonomic or had any special technology, but they were much better than the ones they used before, without a doubt.
Fortunately, this did not last for long. Because a group of scientists from the United Kingdom did an internet survey and revealed that a person could spend an average of 10 hours a day sitting down using the computer, and they talked about the consequences of such activity.
But let’s remember that at the time of the ’90s very few people had personal computers and internet service, therefore, with the arrival of the new millennium people began to spend more time at home using their personal computers, unaware of the terrible side effects that it entails spend hours and hours sitting in front of a computer.
And, with this, the consequences of spending many hours sitting began to be revealed, such as back pain, cervical pain, wrist pain, and lack of circulation, among others. And it is that as eSports became popular in the world, more and more tournaments were held, which left players with constant back pain. And it was here that the alarm sounded.
DXRacer – The Inventor Of The First Gaming Chair:
The brand that was born after the economic recession suffered by the United States had its moment to shine in 2006 when it launched its first and only modern gaming chair on the market.
The brand opted for a non-existent market but had the cunning to study the situation and cover a need that very few knew about. For this reason, the chair caused a general commotion, both because it was inspired by racing car seats, and because of its contribution to the eSports movement.
DXRacer gaming chair, the first chair on the market
This chair was large, with a high back, highly curved edges, a removable headrest, lumbar cushions that helped keep your back in the correct position, adjustable armrests, and a host of features that were groundbreaking for the time.
In fact, as a curious fact, all the gaming chairs created from that year to the present are using the structural prototype of the DXRacer gaming chair as an example. So you can imagine the effect it had on the industry.
Obviously, if we think about it a bit, the impact the chair had on the eSport industry was predictable. Since players would not have to spend hours sitting down suffering from back pain, they could sit comfortably and concentrate on their game without putting their health at risk.
Evolution Of The Gaming Chair:
In the previous section, we talked about the events that took place in 2006, with the launch of the first gaming chair by DXRacer and the impact it had on the eSport industry. This period was important since it was from there that the rise of ergonomic chairs for eSports players began.
2008:
With the impact on sales that DXRacer had, AKRacing came out in 2008 to compete with its gaming chairs, based on the original model. And just like DXRacer, AKRacing was well received in the industry and quickly established itself, so much so that in 2013 they had the honor of becoming the sponsors of the World Cyber ​​Games event.
2009:
With the competition threatening their move, DXRacer embarks on a much more powerful strategy for 2009, seizing the opportunity that was presented to them on a silver platter during that year’s World Cyber ​​Games in Chengdu, China. In that tournament, the strategy of the brand was to give a model of its chair to each of the players in the event, and this small “selfless” act was the beginning of many associations and sponsorships.
DXRacer quickly became the sponsor of several teams, making their brand a presence both in tournaments and in the middle.
2012:
For three long years, the only brands of gaming chairs in the world belonged to DXRacer and AKRacing, but the curious thing about this time is that several Chinese brands soon released their own versions of the chairs, but at an extremely high cost. economic. These chairs were a disaster, the quality of the materials was very low and, in addition, they used the same color palettes of both brands to try to compete or confuse.
Of course, this poorly executed idea brought to the fore a reality that was not in sight at the time: DXRacer gaming chairs were very expensive compared to other desk chairs. For the common consumer, the ergonomic chair concept that the brand brought was absurd and ostentatious, which gave rise to many clandestine manufacturers making imitations at a much lower cost.
In addition to generating losses for both companies, this caused gaming chairs to be classified as “chairs for video game players”. Which in a nutshell meant that gaming chairs were a product that only a professional gamer (or someone with the financial means) could (or even) buy.
The Imitation Of The Dxracer That Did Work:
What no one expected that year is that a short time later Chinese brands would appear launching their first gaming chairs. Brands like Intimate WM Heart, for example, had the objective of launching gaming chairs on the market that were accessible to everyone, a fact that was obviously going to cause tension in DXRacer and AKRacing. But what no one expected is that the idea would work.
Their plan was simple: Â create a chair similar to the DXRacer but lowering material costs, but they didn’t want to use lousy quality materials either, so they managed to create chairs with unconventional materials that hit the spot. Moreover, such was the success of the low-cost ones that are currently among the best-selling chairs on the market, a rather ironic fact.
Start Of Other Mid-range Brands:
The secret formula for cheap brands then became a guide for other brands just as interested in competing in the market. Therefore, a short time later, other brands such as GTPlayer appeared.
The GTPlayer, for example, already had everything you could expect from your own gaming chair: robust, economical, and of good quality. It had better features than the lower-end chairs without a doubt, and even though it was a little more expensive, the difference wasn’t much.
2014:
This year the eSport scene reaches a level that very few expected: television tournaments begin to attract the masses, and more and more people tune in to electronic sports channels to enjoy the tournament. And, with this accelerated growth of the gaming industry, gaming chairs begin to evolve (even more).
The new models begin to include different features, such as integrated lumbar support, cold foam padding (much more resistant), and versions of the chairs with larger dimensions.
2015:
With the popularity of gaming chairs in the market, more brands joined, such as Secretlab, Noblechairs (one of our favorite manufacturers), and Vertagear, two well-known manufacturers that took the idea of ​​a gaming chair to another level. . But this did not stop here, since at this time two high-end manufacturers also joined: Vertagear and Noblechairs. Let’s talk a little about these brands:
Secretlab:
Secretlab is currently one of the most recognized gaming chair brands in the industry, however, it was in 2019 that the manufacturers really managed to take a step toward success. Because that year they managed to launch several updates to their chairs, a collection called ” Series 2022 ” that brought an improved version of their previous models.
Noblechairs:
The German brand is one of our favorites at Sillas-Gaming.com. Its beginnings date back to the beginning of 2016 when it launched its first chair: an elegant model, with a subtle design, but with high-end quality.
However, the quality of their chairs made them very expensive for the general public, which led them to focus on eSports and thus manufacture custom chairs for associated teams. In fact, the brand sponsors the professional team ” Endpoint ” from the United Kingdom and ” SK Gaming ” and ” Mousesports “, two German teams.
Pour:
Around the same time, an American brand called Vertagear emerged. Their creations were well received by the public, and in the middle of the year, they managed to join the eSport scene with the Dota 2 ESL tournament in Frankfurt. Their participation in sports conventions was constant, so much so that during all this time they were present at tournaments held in Europe.
Currently, the brand is in charge of sponsoring the Capcom Cup and the team of professional players known as « Splyce ».
2019:
2019 was the year of gaming chairs and eSports, without a doubt. The electronic sports industry achieved something that was never seen before: they generated more than a billion dollars worldwide, managing to position themselves as one of the sports with the largest audience.
In fact, at the end of 2019 when the League of Legends season finale was held, the event achieved the unthinkable, it became the most watched in eSports history. And, of course, gaming chairs were not lacking at the event.
This year was also a smashing year for sales for many gaming chair manufacturers. According to a report, the market for gaming chairs will increase by 5% in the next 5 years.
Conclusion:
Were eSports a driver for gaming chairs? Yes, there is no doubt. Mainly because the gaming chair industry has always been linked to electronic sports, and thanks to the popularity of events and other figures in the field, many more people began to become aware of the advantages of ergonomics and how beneficial it is to use a chair. chair with the features offered by brands such as DXRacer, AKRacing, Secretlab, Noblechairs, Diablo X, and many more.
Also Read: Who Invented The Massage Chair?
As time goes by, we are becoming more and more aware of the importance of having good habits when using the computer. In other words, the implementation of ergonomic keyboards, mice, desks, and chairs is only the first step in mitigating the problems caused by poor sitting posture and the incessant work of being in front of a computer for a long time. And it is that, according to several studies, we spend more than 70% of our time in front of a computer, so it is necessary to have an ergonomic chair that guarantees that our body is not affected.
Gaming chairs are the evolved version of conventional desk chairs, and fortunately, manufacturers continue to bet on new technologies that facilitate the lifestyle of those people who must spend two-thirds of their day sitting in front of a computer. The evolution of what we know today as a “gaming chair” is nothing more than a cluster of needs that were covered in an object that already existed, as is the case with desk chairs.
Fortunately, in the last decade, ergonomic chairs have managed to lead the markets, increasing their popularity and demand, as well as the growing curiosity of many people who still suffered from the evils of conventional desk chairs but who did not finish taking the leap. towards the ergonomics offered by gaming chairs. It is impressive how much the gamer culture and eSports events influenced the popularity of gaming chairs.
However, we believe that it is a matter of time for more people to join this trend and bet on a healthier lifestyle. It is for this and more reasons that at HomesBeast.com we are committed to the use of gaming chairs since they are not only much more comfortable and functional than normal desk chairs but also help prevent physical health problems associated with gaming. office work, such as back, neck, wrist, and hip pain, among others.