Popular = profitable. This equation governs the gaming industry.
In the case of Dota 2, the game is bringing in millions via the in-game store. The game has 200k active players at any given time, and they're well on the way to 1mil active players in a few years. A significant portion of those players are buying tournament tickets. Most of them are buying custom equipment like couriers, announcer packs, etc.
Dota 2 will be the most lucrative Valve project since Steam. To call it insignificant is to be short-sighted.
In the case of Dota 2, the game is bringing in millions via the in-game store. The game has 200k active players at any given time, and they're well on the way to 1mil active players in a few years. A significant portion of those players are buying tournament tickets. Most of them are buying custom equipment like couriers, announcer packs, etc.
Dota 2 will be the most lucrative Valve project since Steam. To call it insignificant is to be short-sighted.
If you still think the MOBA genre is insignificant, then perhaps this infographic will offer some perspective: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2012/10/12/league...
Source: I worked in the MOBA genre.