Do you know a teenager who plays video games as if it is his or her job? Well, some of those gamers are going pro - playing games in front of an audience and occasionally, getting paid.
This year, the prize money for a video game tournament called "The International" was more than $10 million. Most video game tournaments don't have purses like that, but the world of eSports is growing by leaps and bounds. On this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Lawrence Tabak, author of the new young adult novel In Real Life, and Sam Stewart, aspiring video game journalist.
"There is a recognition that this is a big part of popular culture and youth culture, and the fact that it becomes institutionalized is sort of what Americans do," says Tabak. "If we have competitive cheerleading, we're certainly going to have competitive gaming as a part of the institutional life in America."
