World soccer's governing body FIFA said on Friday that it will widen its gaming and e-sports portfolio to ensure that controlling rights don't lie in the hands of one party.

This comes after a report by The New York Times earlier this week that said videogame publisher Electronic Arts is struggling to renew the contract that would let EA use FIFA's name for its top-selling soccer franchise.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-legend-pele-feeling-better-after-his-tumour-surgery-says-ready-to-play-420977">Football legend Pele feeling better after his tumour surgery says 'Ready to play'</a>

"The future of gaming and eSports for football stakeholders must involve more than one party controlling and exploiting all rights," FIFA said, adding that technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments.

"FIFA" game publisher EA said last week that it was reviewing naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all other official partnerships and licenses EA has in the football arena.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-announces-bidding-process-for-euro-2028-hosts-420218">UEFA announces bidding process for Euro 2028 hosts</a>

EA's current contract expires next year after the Qatar World Cup, with FIFA seeking increased revenue, and EA pushing to expand the FIFA brand into new areas, like NFTs and highlights of real games. 
&nbsp;

World soccer's governing body FIFA said on Friday that it will widen its gaming and e-sports portfolio to ensure that controlling rights don't lie in the hands of one party.

World soccer's governing body FIFA said on Friday that it will widen its gaming and e-sports portfolio to ensure that controlling rights don't lie in the hands of one party. This comes after a report by The New York Times earlier this week that said videogame publisher Electronic Arts is struggling to renew the contract that would let EA use FIFA's name for its top-selling soccer franchise. ALSO READ: Football legend Pele feeling better after his tumour surgery says 'Ready to play' "The future of gaming and eSports for football stakeholders must involve more than one party controlling and exploiting all rights," FIFA said, adding that technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. "FIFA" game publisher EA said last week that it was reviewing naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all other official partnerships and licenses EA has in the football arena. ALSO READ: UEFA announces bidding process for Euro 2028 hosts EA's current contract expires next year after the Qatar World Cup, with FIFA seeking increased revenue, and EA pushing to expand the FIFA brand into new areas, like NFTs and highlights of real games.

FIFA to expand gaming and e-sports portfolio

Bashar Abo Khalil's PUBG character dashes around a wall in a pink dress and samurai helmet, thwacking an enemy with a frying pan -- standard fare in the mobile game that is a mega-sensation in Iraq.

The online star, known as G2G, is one of many&nbsp;Iraqis&nbsp;hooked&nbsp;on&nbsp;PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- a battle royale first-person shooter game that's reminiscent of the book and film series 'The Hunger Games'.

Also read- <a href="'Escape COVID-19': Computer game helping health workers combat virus spread">'Escape COVID-19': Computer game helping health workers combat virus spread</a>

The mobile version of the game has become so popular in Iraq, where 60 percent of the 40-million-strong population is under 25, that the country's youth have been dubbed the 'PUBG generation'.

Iraqis&nbsp;across the country are spending hours every day&nbsp;on&nbsp;the game's&nbsp;virtual&nbsp;battleground, socialising via its live chat, playing competitively or even falling in love.

Abo Khalil, 31, said he used to play for hours to "stop thinking about problems".

"When you're playing the game you can become closed off to the rest of the world. It can be like a drug," he added.

Now based in Turkey, he earns a living streaming games and making videos.

Fan Dalya Waheed said she plays PUBG for an hour or two a day with friends she met&nbsp;on&nbsp;the game, and has even set up a gaming hub at the electronics reseller where she works.

"It's really easy to meet people&nbsp;on&nbsp;PUBG," said the woman in her thirties, who lives in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.

Some Iraqi parents have criticised the game as time-sucking or have expressed worry about the violence it portrays, with guns-a-plenty and explosives sending up blood spatter.

But Reshar Ibrahim, who plays PUBG Mobile competitively, said the game would never be as bad as what many&nbsp;Iraqis&nbsp;had experienced in real life over the decades of conflicts that have devastated the country.

"It's just a game," said the 19-year-old Iraqi Kurd, who has lived in Sweden for the past three years.

In 2019, the country's parliament banned PUBG amid local reports it was leading to bankruptcy, suicide and divorce.

The move, which was easily circumvented, was criticised as being out of touch with the real challenges facing&nbsp;Iraqis.

Nearly 40 percent of Iraqi youth are unemployed, according to the World Bank, and the country's poverty rate has doubled to 40 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Later that year, thousands of young&nbsp;Iraqis&nbsp;-- some dressed in PUBG outfits -- filled the streets to protest endemic corruption and unemployment. Over the months that followed, some 600 demonstrators were killed in protest-related violence.

Abo Khalil and Ibrahim are just two of many successful Iraqi gamers outside the country, away from the additional challenges of poor internet and unreliable electricity that players back home face.

Ibrahim, aka Freak, recently won Most Valuable Player in the PUBG Mobile Star Arabia Challenge, which doled out $100,000 in total prize money.

His team, GunZ Esports, won the competition despite one player in Iraq losing power mid-game and another having to travel from southern Najaf to the northern Kurdistan region -- where internet connectivity "is slightly better", Ibrahim said.

Helmat Shiar, 23, who competed in the tournament with the Iraqi iKurd E-Sports team, said it wasn't just that&nbsp;Iraqis&nbsp;"play against teams abroad who have much stronger internet".

There was also 'no support'&nbsp;from private or governmental sponsors, he lamented.

Elsewhere in the Arab world, governments and major sponsors are pouring money into eSports.

In the Gulf, the gaming market is expected to reach $821 million this year, according to consulting firm Strategy&amp;.

Hayder Jaafar said he had struggled for 10 years to register his non-governmental Iraqi Electronic Sports Federation as a full member of the international gaming body before succeeding in 2020.

"The youth ministry structure for eSports was last modified in 2009, and a lot has changed in eSports since then," the 38-year-old told AFP.

Iraq suffers from war-ravaged infrastructure and poor electricity -- most households only have a few hours of state-provided electricity per day.

But there are 40 million mobile phone connections in the country and 30 million internet users, according to a 2021 DataReportal study.

Last year, PUBG was the 11th-most-searched term in Iraq&nbsp;on&nbsp;Google, and variations&nbsp;on&nbsp;the game's name took several top spots&nbsp;on&nbsp;YouTube searches as well.

PUBG's widespread popularity is in part due to the launch of a free-to-play mobile version by Chinese tech giant Tencent, which said in March that over one billion people had downloaded the app since 2018.

iKurd player Jiner Hekmat, 18, said he was hooked&nbsp;on&nbsp;the mobile version but wasn't banking all his hopes&nbsp;on&nbsp;being a competitive player, saying he wanted to focus&nbsp;on&nbsp;his studies.&nbsp;

But, he added, "I'm also going to do everything I can to keep my level in PUBG, and keep playing as long as the game exists".

Bashar Abo Khalil's PUBG character dashes around a wall in a pink dress and samurai helmet, thwacking an enemy with a frying pan -- standard fare in the mobile game that is a mega-sensation in Iraq.

Bashar Abo Khalil's PUBG character dashes around a wall in a pink dress and samurai helmet, thwacking an enemy with a frying pan -- standard fare in the mobile game that is a mega-sensation in Iraq. The online star, known as G2G, is one of many Iraqis hooked on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- a battle royale first-person shooter game that's reminiscent of the book and film series 'The Hunger Games'. Also read- 'Escape COVID-19': Computer game helping health workers combat virus spread The mobile version of the game has become so popular in Iraq, where 60 percent of the 40-million-strong population is under 25, that the country's youth have been dubbed the 'PUBG generation'. Iraqis across the country are spending hours every day on the game's virtual battleground, socialising via its live chat, playing competitively or even falling in love. Abo Khalil, 31, said he used to play for hours to "stop thinking about problems". "When you're playing the game you can become closed off to the rest of the world. It can be like a drug," he added. Now based in Turkey, he earns a living streaming games and making videos. Fan Dalya Waheed said she plays PUBG for an hour or two a day with friends she met on the game, and has even set up a gaming hub at the electronics reseller where she works. "It's really easy to meet people on PUBG," said the woman in her thirties, who lives in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Some Iraqi parents have criticised the game as time-sucking or have expressed worry about the violence it portrays, with guns-a-plenty and explosives sending up blood spatter. But Reshar Ibrahim, who plays PUBG Mobile competitively, said the game would never be as bad as what many Iraqis had experienced in real life over the decades of conflicts that have devastated the country. "It's just a game," said the 19-year-old Iraqi Kurd, who has lived in Sweden for the past three years. In 2019, the country's parliament banned PUBG amid local reports it was leading to bankruptcy, suicide and divorce. The move, which was easily circumvented, was criticised as being out of touch with the real challenges facing Iraqis. Nearly 40 percent of Iraqi youth are unemployed, according to the World Bank, and the country's poverty rate has doubled to 40 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic. Later that year, thousands of young Iraqis -- some dressed in PUBG outfits -- filled the streets to protest endemic corruption and unemployment. Over the months that followed, some 600 demonstrators were killed in protest-related violence. Abo Khalil and Ibrahim are just two of many successful Iraqi gamers outside the country, away from the additional challenges of poor internet and unreliable electricity that players back home face. Ibrahim, aka Freak, recently won Most Valuable Player in the PUBG Mobile Star Arabia Challenge, which doled out $100,000 in total prize money. His team, GunZ Esports, won the competition despite one player in Iraq losing power mid-game and another having to travel from southern Najaf to the northern Kurdistan region -- where internet connectivity "is slightly better", Ibrahim said. Helmat Shiar, 23, who competed in the tournament with the Iraqi iKurd E-Sports team, said it wasn't just that Iraqis "play against teams abroad who have much stronger internet". There was also 'no support' from private or governmental sponsors, he lamented. Elsewhere in the Arab world, governments and major sponsors are pouring money into eSports. In the Gulf, the gaming market is expected to reach $821 million this year, according to consulting firm Strategy&. Hayder Jaafar said he had struggled for 10 years to register his non-governmental Iraqi Electronic Sports Federation as a full member of the international gaming body before succeeding in 2020. "The youth ministry structure for eSports was last modified in 2009, and a lot has changed in eSports since then," the 38-year-old told AFP. Iraq suffers from war-ravaged infrastructure and poor electricity -- most households only have a few hours of state-provided electricity per day. But there are 40 million mobile phone connections in the country and 30 million internet users, according to a 2021 DataReportal study. Last year, PUBG was the 11th-most-searched term in Iraq on Google, and variations on the game's name took several top spots on YouTube searches as well. PUBG's widespread popularity is in part due to the launch of a free-to-play mobile version by Chinese tech giant Tencent, which said in March that over one billion people had downloaded the app since 2018. iKurd player Jiner Hekmat, 18, said he was hooked on the mobile version but wasn't banking all his hopes on being a competitive player, saying he wanted to focus on his studies. But, he added, "I'm also going to do everything I can to keep my level in PUBG, and keep playing as long as the game exists".

Iraqis find escape, success on a virtual battleground

China's booming video games industry has got a big boost due to the coronavirus, perhaps the only economic segment in the virus-hit country which is showing growth ever since the epidemic was first detected in December.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-coronavirus-death-toll-rises-to-over-1480-japan-confirms-first-death-280603"> China's coronavirus death toll rises to over 1,480; Japan confirms first death</a>

Young Chinese are hooked to e-sports which is a well-known fact with the country registering billions in sales. Game developers like Tencent and NetEase Inc, Alibaba have pumped billions in the gaming video market.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chinese-f1-grand-prix-postponed-due-to-continued-spread-of-novel-coronavirus-280489" hreflang="en">Chinese F1 Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus</a>

According to reports, Tencent’s hugely followed "Honor of Kings"&nbsp;got a big boost during China's Lunar New Year holiday last month as the coronavirus spread and Chinese authorities asked residents to stay indoors.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/sporting-events-that-fell-victim-to-coronavirus-280070" hreflang="en">Sporting events that fell victim to coronavirus!</a>

Millions of Chinese travel nationwide during the Lunar holidays and also make plans to travel abroad. However, this year several international airlines stopped air services to China due to the virus as authorities clampdown on people gathering while shutting schools and disallowing local travel&nbsp;with&nbsp;vast majority of people staying&nbsp;indoors.

According to Sensor Tower which analysis video games, Tencent's PUBG mobile which is called "Game For Peace"&nbsp;topped &nbsp;$176.3 million in&nbsp;mobile games in January this year with "Honour of Kings"&nbsp;coming second raking in &nbsp;$151.3 million in gross revenue.

<h6><img alt="PubG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2858bce9-8ed2-4f5c-8383-3eb31012367c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%285%29_25.jpg" /> 
PubG Mobile</h6>

China's much&nbsp;loved “Honor of Kings” game which grossed $2billion in sales two years ago was a clear hit with Chinese millennials who took to gaming to cool their nerves while being forced to stay indoors by authorities and parents.

<h6><img alt="dd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b6465948-e1f7-4ec8-8d89-3b9aa6a271dd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%284%29_36.jpg" /> 
Honour of Kings</h6>

Sensor Tower said AFK Arena which was launched in January was the fastest riser with sales amounting to $88.3 million which was also the time when China began to feel the heat of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-let-myself-down-and-club-eglish-footballer-dele-alli-apologies-over-coronavirus-video-279721">coronavirus</a> as Wuhan became the epicentre of the virus.

AFK Arena's revenue was three times the revenue compared to last August, Sensor Tower found in its study with user spending zooming in January.

Rise of Kingdoms which was ranked tenth in the list also had its best January ever earning $63.1 million, Sensor Tower's research found. Others on the list included Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans which saw revenues surge in January.

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Interestingly, Plague Inc a strategy video game on a virus saw a dramatic increase in sales in January.

The company in a statement said: "Plague Inc. has been out for eight years now and whenever there is an outbreak of disease we see an increase in players, as people seek to find out more about how diseases spread and to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks."

<img alt="vsd" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec0c8af3-ec16-48f6-9aee-039838cfc8b0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%287%29_28.jpg" />

"We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues. This has been recognised by the CDC and other leading medical organisations around the world," it said, adding,"We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."

China's booming video games industry has got a big boost due to the coronavirus, perhaps the only economic segment in the virus-hit country which is showing growth ever since the epidemic was first detected in December.

China's booming video games industry has got a big boost due to the coronavirus, perhaps the only economic segment in the virus-hit country which is showing growth ever since the epidemic was first detected in December. Also Read: China's coronavirus death toll rises to over 1,480; Japan confirms first death Young Chinese are hooked to e-sports which is a well-known fact with the country registering billions in sales. Game developers like Tencent and NetEase Inc, Alibaba have pumped billions in the gaming video market. Also read: Chinese F1 Grand Prix postponed due to coronavirus According to reports, Tencent’s hugely followed "Honor of Kings" got a big boost during China's Lunar New Year holiday last month as the coronavirus spread and Chinese authorities asked residents to stay indoors. Also see: Sporting events that fell victim to coronavirus! Millions of Chinese travel nationwide during the Lunar holidays and also make plans to travel abroad. However, this year several international airlines stopped air services to China due to the virus as authorities clampdown on people gathering while shutting schools and disallowing local travel with vast majority of people staying indoors. According to Sensor Tower which analysis video games, Tencent's PUBG mobile which is called "Game For Peace" topped $176.3 million in mobile games in January this year with "Honour of Kings" coming second raking in $151.3 million in gross revenue. PubG Mobile China's much loved “Honor of Kings” game which grossed $2billion in sales two years ago was a clear hit with Chinese millennials who took to gaming to cool their nerves while being forced to stay indoors by authorities and parents. Honour of Kings Sensor Tower said AFK Arena which was launched in January was the fastest riser with sales amounting to $88.3 million which was also the time when China began to feel the heat of the coronavirus as Wuhan became the epicentre of the virus. AFK Arena's revenue was three times the revenue compared to last August, Sensor Tower found in its study with user spending zooming in January. Rise of Kingdoms which was ranked tenth in the list also had its best January ever earning $63.1 million, Sensor Tower's research found. Others on the list included Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans which saw revenues surge in January. × Interestingly, Plague Inc a strategy video game on a virus saw a dramatic increase in sales in January. The company in a statement said: "Plague Inc. has been out for eight years now and whenever there is an outbreak of disease we see an increase in players, as people seek to find out more about how diseases spread and to understand the complexities of viral outbreaks." "We specifically designed the game to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues. This has been recognised by the CDC and other leading medical organisations around the world," it said, adding,"We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."

Video games: Only industry that is booming at the time of coronavirus

The introduction of the Drone Racing Championships on&nbsp;mainstream television is the first step in making e-sports a household name.

The Drone Racing League (DRL) received an investment of $12 million from partners like Sky Sports and ProSieben after the proven success of the sport on social media platforms.&nbsp;

The broadcasters will air a circuit of five DRL races from North America in October and November.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VxTHVn9k3ck?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe>

All pilots fly an identical drone; so winning and losing is purely dependent on people&rsquo;s piloting skills and not technology.

The compact unmanned flying vehicles race at a speed of 80 m/h (130 k/h).&nbsp;They fly on complex three dimensional courses, which is unlike any other form of racing.

The evolution of e-sports begins with high-speed drones racing in futuristic three dimensional tracks

The introduction of the Drone Racing Championships on mainstream television is the first step in making e-sports a household name. The Drone Racing League (DRL) received an investment of $12 million from partners like Sky Sports and ProSieben after the proven success of the sport on social media platforms. The broadcasters will air a circuit of five DRL races from North America in October and November. All pilots fly an identical drone; so winning and losing is purely dependent on people’s piloting skills and not technology. The compact unmanned flying vehicles race at a speed of 80 m/h (130 k/h). They fly on complex three dimensional courses, which is unlike any other form of racing.

Video: Drone racing comes to mainstream television

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FIFA to expand gaming and e-sports portfolio

Iraqis find escape, success on a virtual battleground

Video games: Only industry that is booming at the time of coronavirus

Video: Drone racing comes to mainstream television