"The Alliance" (L) battles "Natus Vincere" (R) during "The International" Dota 2 video game competition in Seattle, Washington August 11, 2013. Sixteen teams from 12 countries battled for some $2.9 million in prize money, wit
"The Alliance" (L) battles "Natus Vincere" (R) during "The International" Dota 2 video game competition in Seattle, Washington August 11, 2013. Sixteen teams from 12 countries battled for some $2.9 million in prize money, with Swedish team "The Alliance" claiming the top prize of $1.4 million after defeating Ukraine's "Natus Vincere" in a final watched by an audience of 1700 at Benaroya Hall and streamed live on the Internet. REUTERS

When grounding a child these days no longer involves banning them from going out of the house but rather detaching them the mobile devices, cutting off their Internet connection or prohibiting them from playing any video or online games is just added proof that technology has actually transformed the development of the younger generation. When a school actually offers a course where students can enrolls how to improve their skills at that online game? It is one of those times when a meme just speaks a thousand truths of "technology, you win."

China is apparently at the forefront of opening its doors to avid Defence of the Ancients (DOTA) 2 fanatics as one its schools offers it as an actual course in class. According to news site CQ News, Chongqing Energy College has opened its doors to student willing to take up the course "Recent Development of Electronic Sports and Analysis of DOTA." The study would entail a one-week immersion into the different techniques and coordination methods to improve play.

While the said development did not specify if the course would be limited to DOTA alone and not include the latest version which is DOTA 2, the acceptance of a learning institution that a massive multi player role playing game can be beneficial to developing skills in the real world is a innovative way of looking at online games as just some form of leisure. The interest in the said course is apparently in the hordes as 200 students are trying to get in the weekly allotment of only 90 slots.

With the way worldwide tournaments are being organized with millions of dollars at the end of the stick, the interest of the younger generation will surely be piqued by this development. The International 4 tournament alone has been raising millions that will serve as major cash prizes with the first place winner taking home millions. As of this writing, the tournament has already raised $7 million dollars in prizes which is more than double than last year's winnings. And with China acting as a pioneer in massive multi-player education, it may be a distinct possibility that Dota 2 inter-school competitions happen in the future.