eSports in the Olympics

[Arsenic]

I was browsing through my news today when an article about the Olympics and eSports came up. The article said that the director would happily incorporate a non-violent game to the Olympics (to sum it up fast). But this brings up a question I'd like to ask all of you...

Should eSports be added to the Olympics?

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I don't think they belong myself for a few reasons. They aren't athletic, they aren't really a sport, and they encourage laziness.

The Olympics are as I see it, a competition of the best athletes and members of physical sport out there. It's a place where countries send their strongest to push their bodies to their limit and accomplish amazing physical feats. Now you could argue that video games exercise your brain, but I don't think this is a valid point as it's intellectual exercise not physical, and centered activities do not belong at the Olympics. You'd have to add chess before you could add eSports. This leads into my next point.

Video gaming is a hobby, not a sport. Much like flying a kite, or driving an RC boat, Video games are a low energy activity. It's at it's best a competitive pastime, and that's coming from someone who plays a lot of games. Much like motorsports, or paintball, gaming just isn't really a sport. Like the previously mentioned, they should stay to their own events, and the bigger they get, the better, but things like NASCAR are huge, and that's nowhere closer to getting into the Olympics. Neither should gaming...

Lastly, adding eSports to the Olympics is encouraging the youth to aspire to be lazy. With high-level gamers being in one of the most prestigious events we have, kids are going to want to be like them. As of now that would mean it would encourage kids to get outside, and get good at skiing, or swimming, or something healthy for their body, but with eSports, they'll be sitting playing video games all day. We have enough kids who do this already, and don't need to encourage more to follow. They need every push they can get to be outside doing physical activities to get some health in their life.

That's my two cents on just a few reasons it would be bad for us to push eSports into the Olympics. I'm sure I will be alone in my opinion but I strongly feel it would be poor and insulting all around.

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So again, what's your thoughts on eSports at the Olympics? Why do you feel the way you do?

 

[Graine]

Does eSports belong in the Olympics? I don't think so, for the main reason that it does not target the same audience. Like you said, the Olympics is a competition of the best athletes in the world. People want to see athletes pushing themselves to be the best in their category and eSports doesn't really bring that feeling on the table.

However, I'd like to challenge your idea that eSports encourages people to be lazy. With all due respect, I think the debate as to what is a "real" sport and what isn't is kinda old, stupid and shouldn't even be a thing. While it's true that gaming at a casual plebian level is a low energy activity, Professional gaming is definitely on another level. I personally know two guys who made it pretty far on the eSports scene (one with Call of Duty, the other with CS:GO). And let me tell you something. These guys are as disciplined and physically capable as some of my friends who played collegial football. Professional gaming actually requires extremely quick reflexes and insane eye/hand coordination. And you don't achieve that by sitting on your ass doing nothing all day. The only way you'll reach that level is by training the same way athletes do. Now of course eSports won't train the same muscle groups as let's say soccer, that's why you don't see professional gamers looking like Christiano Ronaldo, but the base principle is the same as any other sport. If you wanna git gud, you have to work hard.

Now I'm not saying "Hey, let's host a Mario Party tournament, slap a cash prize on it and call it eSports!", some games are not suited to become eSports just like some sports are not suited to be presented during the Olympics. What I'm saying is that some games, played on a professional level, requires the same amount of work than other sports. Just because the work is different doesn't make it less of a sport. :)

 

[Zeffy]

I don't think eSports belongs in the Olympics primarily because the Olympics involves athletes that compete against each other in a physical activity.

I did want to piggyback on what Graine said about you saying that eSports encourages laziness. While being a professional video gamer may not be as physically challenging as being an athlete, it is as much mentally challenging, if not more, as any competing sport out there. I do agree that video games are a hobby for most people, but there are actual people out there who devote their time at getting better in a game to be able to compete at a professional level.

 

[CidHazard]

I don't think so... Esport is a completely different beast than traditional sports. Even chess, which is considered as a sport, doesn't have an event in the Olympic games.

Maybe it'll be like the Winter Olympic games where the events have a very specific theme in mind. VG Olympics maybe? that's for the future to decide.

Also,

There's often a misconception that being a Pro-Gamer is just fun and games... when in truth it's requirements are just as strenuous and demanding. Just look at the Korean E-sports scene where, VG are treated as sport, you'll see just how well organized some of the teams/players are.

How will it encourage laziness exactly? IF they really want to be a Pro-Gamer they'll learn right away that high levels of play isn't achieved by twiddling their thumbs. Those who try to get in to the competitive scene, take things very seriously. With some studying Psychology the Art of war, and of course maintaining a healthy diet. All to get that extra edge in the game... not to mention they still have to study the game their playing itself.

Teams in Korea are unbelievably brutal in training their players. With the gamers being subject to a strict diet / training regiment, not to mention being required to live in a house together with their team, away from their families. Those practices are also slowly creeping into western teams.

Really the only difference between tradition and e-sports, is the money involved. But with more and more companies buying into E-sports... that gap is slowly going to disappear.

A lazy person won't be able to achieve anything in any facet of life. Hard work and Luck, is what determines someones success. IF they are lazy well they're really not going to get far, it may just steer them away from competitive gaming altogether...