E-Sports can be considered an actual sport?

[mssfgaming]

E-sports has been growing for quite a while now, so I wanted to ask some of the members of this forum, do you think this aspect of “sports” can be considered legitimate at this point? I mean, the money is there. 17.8 million dollars spent on the prize pool of this year’s International Dota 2 is nothing to scoff at. I, myself, don’t even play Dota 2 and I am still impressed by this prize pool. Counter-Strike, an e-sport I follow a lot, still has a quarter million dollars in the prize pool for at least 2 events per year. It’s getting pretty huge to say the least. What are your thoughts on e-sports on a whole? People may argue the effort’s not there (within the players) to compare it with other sports, and I know that e-sports may not grow to that extent but the potential is there.

 

[Wubwub]

That is impressive and Dota isn't even the top MOBA right now so LOL must be giving out loads of cash. I think it's definitely considered sports by now, at least in my opinion. It's just as much a sport as chess, I think.

 

[FuZyOn]

Well, E-sports is considered an actual sport. Players have visas just like football players for example, and the prize pool is becoming more and more immense. What a time to be alive!

 

[spectre456]

Even though they're starting to be considered sports, I donpt think I'll ever see them as such. I love video games, but competitive gaming isn't my idea of a good thing to watch instead of actual sports.

 

[Wubwub]

Well, E-sports is considered an actual sport. Players have visas just like football players for example, and the prize pool is becoming more and more immense. What a time to be alive!

Yup. I think more so in Korea than in any other country, but hopefully the rest of the world picks up on it soon. I've never really paid much attention in the past but I've recently gotten into MOBAs so I've grown much more appreciation for watching these matches.

 

[FuZyOn]

Yup. I think more so in Korea than in any other country, but hopefully the rest of the world picks up on it soon. I've never really paid much attention in the past but I've recently gotten into MOBAs so I've grown much more appreciation for watching these matches.

South Korea is one of the best countries in terms of video gaming but a lot of European and American countries have visas as well. E-sports have been recognized as an actual sport in USA firstly, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Wubwub]

South Korea is one of the best countries in terms of video gaming but a lot of European and American countries have visas as well. E-sports have been recognized as an actual sport in USA firstly, as far as I'm concerned.

I did not know is. I think it's good that it's recognized in the US since they are the most influential country so if they somehow reach the point of making esports a standard then even more countries would follow suit.

 

[gats]

If there are enough viewers and money in the sport then I would consider it a mainstream sport. The younger generation is moving away from football and towards video games.

 

[Wubwub]

If there are enough viewers and money in the sport then I would consider it a mainstream sport. The younger generation is moving away from football and towards video games.

Here the popular sport is basketball and even though esports hasn't gotten as popular here that it overshadows basketball, I think it is inevitable and I'm guessing basketball is sort of fading here anyway since no one pays much attention to the local teams anymore.

 

[gats]

Here the popular sport is basketball and even though esports hasn't gotten as popular here that it overshadows basketball, I think it is inevitable and I'm guessing basketball is sort of fading here anyway since no one pays much attention to the local teams anymore.

Perhaps in smaller countries, egaming could have a large presence if the teams are not big enough internationally. I think starcraft 2 or LoL is more deserving as an international sport that soccer imo.

 

[hafiz93]

I do think it can be counted as a competitive sport, but the players' can't be referred to as an athlete, well at least in my opinion.

I think that it's impressive to see big broadcasters like ESPN recognizing this and broadcasting it live on their channel. It just shows how huge gaming has become. Soon people in bars will no longer watch Super Bowl, they'll watch The International .

 

[Squigly]

Esports has made it into ESPN already, and viewership on Twitch exceeds a few hundred thousand. I think it's much more than qualified to be labelled as a sport, if you consider other physically undemanding games like chess, darts and billards as a sport.

 

[Wubwub]

Perhaps in smaller countries, egaming could have a large presence if the teams are not big enough internationally. I think starcraft 2 or LoL is more deserving as an international sport that soccer imo.

Unfortunately that is not the case here. I have just gotten into esports so I'm not that much informed, but so far the local teams I've heard of needed to be acquired by foreign countries since they get no support here.

 

[rz3300]

Well I would just have to go with no on this one. I could listen to arguments all day and you could prove every point that there is and all of that, but it just does not pass the smell test for me. That is what I go to for this sort of thing...my smell test. Can't do it on this one, and that is enough said for me.

 

[Wubwub]

Well I would just have to go with no on this one. I could listen to arguments all day and you could prove every point that there is and all of that, but it just does not pass the smell test for me. That is what I go to for this sort of thing...my smell test. Can't do it on this one, and that is enough said for me.

Smell test, care to elaborate on that one? Now I'm curious lol. If it's anything to do with sweat then I can understand I guess.

 

[artyarson]

Nope. The same old story with chess and poker. To me, they will always be games. Not sports. The latter requires an essential physical aspect which is completely absent in those kind of games.

 

[Scooby Snack]

Well I think the "e" in front of the word "sports" sort of takes care of any sort of grey area. It's electronic sports.

But just watching the way elite fighting game champions play, I'd say yes, I'd qualify it as a competitive sport, absolutely. Physical exertion and concentration and execution are key...just like many other sports.

 

[artyarson]

Well I think the "e" in front of the word "sports" sort of takes care of any sort of grey area. It's electronic sports.

I guess It should be separated from non-electronic sport. I mean, it shouldn't be treated as its genre.

 

[Locoton22]

I personally think that they could be considered as a sport because they're mostly strategy games and as we all know Chess is also considered as a sport so why wouldnt e sports be considered like so, it is relative.

 

[Wubwub]

I personally think that they could be considered as a sport because they're mostly strategy games and as we all know Chess is also considered as a sport so why wouldnt e sports be considered like so, it is relative.

I agree. It's similar to those and they are considered sports. Recently I just learned that esport players are being petitioned by fans to get considered as official sports so they will have an easier time traveling between different countries. Kind of surprising that they aren't already to be honest.