Do You Consider Gaming A Sport?

[Mr. Hatty 1,808]

So recently HBO had a story on eSports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMh2b_n7cKw

 

And here some members of the show 'Real Sports' on HBO reacted to it, several of them literally laughing at the idea of video games being sports

 

Watching this I couldn't help but ponder myself, should eSports really be considered sports?

 

Chess and Poker are, by many, considered to be a sport. NASCAR is still hotly debated as to whether or not it qualifies. 

I'm not a fan of watching these LoL or DotA tourneys, but I sure as hell tune into EVO every year to watch some competitive Marvel and Smash Brothers, but I don't think I've ever actually thought about it as if I was watching a sport. 

 

These 'athletes' get paid for what they do, they play on teams, they train, they compete in arenas, they earn rewards, the government even grants them travel visas to compete. 

 

An argument used by the HBO commentators is "of course it's not a sport, it's a game!" which to me, is absolutely crazy. Football, Basketball, Baseball, they're ALL games, I thought that was kind of the point? If you really compare and contrast, from a generalized standpoint, eSports and normal Sports don't have very many differences at all, just one is more accepted by the other.

 

That being said, there is an undeniable level of athleticism in the physical department that is absent from "MLG" players. Whereas a football player would have to be in very good physical condition to play adequately, an MLG player could, theoretically, range from obese to anorexic and still be in the top 1% of competitive players.... but does that matter? Is this something that should be considered a prerequisite for sports as a whole? As I mentioned earlier, the same would apply to chess and poker, which are, by many, considered to be sports.

 

 

I personally don't know what to think about it. When I compare Sports and eSports I honestly see only negligible differences, but at the same time I feel uncomfortable with the idea of grouping in MLG Call of Duty quickscopers with Pro Rugby players.

 

 

So yeah, I'd like to get y'all's opinions on this.

 

Either way, I think we can all agree that term "Cyber Athlete" is a bit ridiculous, no?

[True213 253]

I don't consider sitting on your behind most of the time a sport.

So no. I don't consider it a sport.

However, i do consider it to be eCompetition. Since it is one or more going against others.

[Isaac 1,218]

This isn't too in depth, but as you said, all those sports are considered to be games. They can be played casually, or they can be played competitively. The same can apply for video games. Just as you can practice against other sports teams, you can practice against other eSports teams/individual players.

 

The definition for 'Sports', however, says that it involves physical activity. So I guess I don't consider eSports to be actual sports.

 

I hate the word "eSports". It sounds stupid.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Turkey

[I can't play Mother 3 629]

This isn't too in depth, but as you said, all those sports are considered to be games. They can be played casually, or they can be played competitively. The same can apply for video games. Just as you can practice against other sports teams, you can practice against other eSports teams/individual players.

 

The definition for 'Sports', however, says that it involves physical activity. So I guess I don't consider eSports to be actual sports.

 

I hate the word "eSports". It sounds stupid.

 

Using your fingers in physical motions to type onto a keyboard or to slam buttons on a controller is technically a sport by that logic.

*drops mic*

[IndustrialKnight 889]

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment."

 

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team"

 

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill"

 

"activity involving physical exertion"

 

"physical exertion"

 

lol no

[Scaler193 899]

I'm with True on this one, or at least partly. I wouldn't call video games a traditional sport, but still a competition. I don't really view chess as a sport either, but it sure as hell can be a competition if you're into that sort of thing.

[SaltOnToast 366]

I think it really depends on the game, For exampe something like LoL, Smash or Street Fighter sure but something like candy crush... umm no.

[Morg 1,517]

Well I consider them sports, it takes strategy, timing, and precision like any other real life sport. By that logic, Soccer or even Football shouldn't be sports.

 

They're all sports. People just don't like to admit it.

[MeltedCow 229]

No. But who am I to say? Games can be more puzzling than chess, and chess sure is a sport...

[Undead Ninya 99]

I don't know what it is about me, but I absolutely do not want video games to be considered sports, mainly because I don't want to hear about it in public places because I just think it would ruin it for me if it became something equivalent to football/basketball/other boring (imo) sport.

I would personally hate for gaming to be something that you watch in your living room every Friday and for kids to grow up wanting to be MLG gamers because that would take out all of the fun in it, and the experience of learning the ropes of a game and making new friends on it and just wasting away days and days of endless fun and then looking back on those memories with nostalgia; but instead, the kids are going to want to grow up and play in tournaments for a living so they just take a game and play it over and over again until they start hating the game itself, and even if they do make it to the MLG level, (unless its just an amazing game) they're going to hate having to constantly play it so that they don't lose their skillset or get passed up by someone else.

And I don't know about most of you, but as putrid as it is, I love the gaming community as it is and would not want it to change into something that CNN talks about with a smile on their face and something that those filthy casuals can brag about to their friends about how 1337 they are at quick-sniping those n00bs in CoD MW8 (I know most of you have heard some of those cringe worthy conversations that make you feel embarrassed just listening to them)
Plus as stated above by Turkey, eSports does sound really stupid.
 

I don't know if that answered the question or not because I went off in my thoughts so:

Video games are a hobby, calling them a sport and calling MLG players athletes would be like calling one of those speedcubers an athlete, or saying that doing magic tricks is a sport. They are hobbies that require little physical talent or training; which should be required to be classified as a sport.

 

Edit: Just watched that second video and even though it contradicts what I said above, it really frustrates me to no end that those 40-70 year olds would even try to leave their comment on something that they know nothing about and are just going to shrug off what is becoming one of the largest forms of entertainment in the world.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Undead Ninya

[Chris 1,206]

We had a thread a bit like this a while ago, but I guess this one is focused more on the definition of 'eSports' specifically.

 

This thread reminds me of the discussions you sometimes hear about professional Chess: "Is it a sport or is it just a game?". Most people say stuff like: "well it's recognised by the Olympic Committee as a sport, so it's a sport". Other people say this goes against the dictionary definition of a sport and that Chess isn't physically demanding enough to qualify as a sport. And then there are some who come back with the argument that Chess can be both mentally and physically demanding in professional play, given the endurance and mental strength needed to compete at such levels (and the argument goes on and on...). 

 

Personally, I'm on the fence. But I do recognise that Chess as a game can be as entertaining to watch as it can be to play. The same applies to some video-games. In future we're definitely going to see 'eSports' becoming more and more common (both in competitions and as a definition), maybe even enough to make it onto TV. If this does become the case, I don't care what the games are defined as (sports, eSports, competitions, games, etc.), I'll just be happy to see video-games (as both a hobby and an industry) getting the attention they deserve.

[IndustrialKnight 889]

I ate a piece of toast this morning, it took physical exertion and lots of strategy to determine which side of the toast to eat. I'm an Major league Toaster and it's totally a sport because it took my skill, mad strats, and physical exertion to eat that toast on a competitive level. Toasting is not a sport you say? Well I think it's just not well accepted.

[yugo657 450]

well people consider golf a sport, but I don't see it taking much physical exertion except a single swing, what makes that much different from using a keyboard? (even though I have to admit swinging a golf club is more movement than typing)

[RedHotSword3256 24]

i dont get this thread

Edited December 19, 2014 by RedHotSword3256

[I can't play Mother 3 629]

i dont get this thread

 

Then why did you post in it?

[The Forgotten Knight 86]

I would consider this more of a hobby.  Sports imply physical activity.  Not much of that going on here.

[True213 253]

I don't know what it is about me, but I absolutely do not want video games to be considered sports, mainly because I don't want to hear about it in public places 

This is my feelings on pretty much anything otaku related. 

 

I would consider this more of a hobby.  Sports imply physical activity.  Not much of that going on here.

I agree with zombie here. Not enough physical activity to warrant naming this a sport.

[Timkinut 16]

Nuh, I don't thik that gaming is a kinda sport. It's just playing, y'know. 'But you can compete to find out who plays bettah! It IS a sport', you might say. But, well, you can compete with your friends to know who reads faster or, maybe, who cooks spaghetti quicker. But that doesn't make those activities sports. 

 

And, yeah, I get really annoyed when somebody tries to talk to me about 'hurr durr Dota 2 International' or 'waka waka CS GO world cup' because of that.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Timkinut

[RedHotSword3256 24]

i still dont get this thread

[Mr. Hatty 1,808]

i still dont get this thread

Do you see how little you are contributing to this discussion by making posts like this?

 

What is there not to understand? Some people think gaming is a sport and others don't, this topic is a discussion where we can make a case as to which side we personally align with or contemplate what it means for a sport to be a sport in the first place

[IndustrialKnight 889]

i still dont get this thread

There's the door

[Dexide 361]

Seriously? No haha

[Boggle_Playing_Chicken 111]

No honestly, I have no idea who would. But I do remember reading something about a Korean who managed to get out of the country by claiming he was a professional....I want to say starcraft player.

[Mr. Hatty 1,808]

So last night/a few hours ago, ESPN2 started showing a Heroes of the Storm match, which is Blizzard's new MOBA and is sure to be huge in the eSports scene.

 

The general reaction to this has been... less than stellar. If you search for it on Twitter these are the kind of things you'll find:

 

 

I thought this was relevant enough to potentially reignite this discussion

Edited April 27, 2015 by Mr. Hatty

[Roy-G-Biv 447]

Well to those of you who said that eSports isn't necessarily a sport due to the physical exertion requirements specified in the dictionary, you're not wrong.

 

But the dictionary definition can always be changed y'know. It's not exactly set in stone.

 

 

In my opinion though I think they need a better word than just "eSports" though.