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Russian Federation905 Posts
There has been significant buzz lately over plans to include E-Sports (also referred to as Egames or gaming), a general term to describe computer/video-based games, in the 2012 London Olympics. Some Olympics official are becoming more and more sympathetic to this cause. While the Olympics have yet to issue an official statement on the matter, supporters for Esports have grown more aggressive than ever in lobbying for the listing of video games such as Starcraft, Warcraft, and Counterstrike on the pool of official events for the Olympics, for 2012 and beyond, citing that it is a long overdue decision.
Let me present here a few arguments pro and contra this issue so for TL to discuss.
CONs
- In a traditional sense, sports has always been about physical activity and general use of motor reflex. Olympics embody this very spirit by promoting events that not only require physical exertion, but are themselves first and foremost physical activities. This is the very reason why Chess, Bowling, Billiards, and similar other sports have not yet made it to Olympics. There is no doubt that there is muscular exertion in ESports, but these are mostly limited to carpal-metacarpal (hands and fingers) and visual regions. While gamers may also have rigorous exercise routines, this are arguments more towards fitness and general well-being than on being requirements of the sport.
- As a more practical argument, video/computer games have fast turnover periods, and what is popular today may not be anymore popular on the next Olympic four years after. A possible solution to this is to adapt a seasonal basis on selecting egames for specific Olympic years. But then again, this does not serve the "tradition" that Olympics hopes to promote. They will merely be fads.
- ESports has ESWC and WCG, events that have been massively successful. ESports rightfully belong there, both according to principle (the very nature of esports and its supporters/audience) and tempo (as a yearly event, which is parallel to the turnover of video games' popularity mentioned earlier).
PROs
- Olympics needs to keep up with the times, and the very definition of sports is changing as well. To include ESports in its events will be a correct move to this direction.
- In continuation to the item above, adding ESports will also bring in new and younger audience which will invigorate an "old event"
- There is obviously a significant physical requirement in ESports. To distinguish between degrees of physical exertion required is nitpicking.
- All the elements of traditional sports are present in ESports - mental acuity, concentration, coordination, reflex, even physical condition. To still differentiate the two after this fact is already being elitist.
What do you think?
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As much as I would like to see eSports in the Olympics, I rather we just make WCG and stuff into the actual eSports Olympics. Make it a lot bigger and give it more exposure so that everyone else knows about it too.
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Is Chess an olympic discipline?
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I think this would be awesome to see, but i also think we are not going to see this anytime soon.
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Probably not going to happen.
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well golf just got into the olympics
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If Chess, Bowling and Billiards haven't made it in, then something without even the tradition of those sports probably won't.
I don't see it happening, and tbh, I don't think it SHOULD. : /
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i think it's an absolutely terrible idea and can't fathom why anyone would want video games in the Olympics
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I'm all for the growth of Esports but they have no place in the olympic games. The the summer olmpics take place every 4 years. That means even the longest lasting game would last only 3 or 4 games max. Then they would need a new game and it would be a new event. where things like running, jumping, swimming, and throwing are timeless sports and video games have a life of 16 years max.
TLDR: no
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If that's what it takes for it to be accepted as a real sport, I think I'd be good. As others have mentioned, it doesn't really 'fit' in the Olympics that much, but if it can give a boost to esports in the West, why not? People competing in an esport will have practice just as much as any other athlete, and I think the world needs to recognize that.
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Katowice25012 Posts
Chess has had this struggle for a century. Good luck with video games!
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On May 23 2011 02:56 floor exercise wrote:
i think it's an absolutely terrible idea and can't fathom why anyone would want video games in the Olympics
Indeed.
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Maybe bowling/Billard/Darts etc isn't olympic but on the other hand for example archery is olympic. I don't think Esports will become olympic in London, but I wouldn't say that it will become never olympic.
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It will probably never happen and I hope it wont happen. It's just wrong imo 
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i think it's an absolutely terrible idea and can't fathom why anyone would want video games in the Olympics
Because?
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Russian Federation905 Posts
On May 23 2011 03:05 4of8 wrote:
Maybe bowling/Billard/Darts etc isn't olympic but on the other hand for example archery is olympic. I don't think Esports will become olympic in London, but I wouldn't say that it will become never olympic.
Exactly. Among the pro arguments, I think the one that has the most merit is the one on "sports" being redefined.
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MrHoon
10183 Posts
On May 23 2011 02:55 Fighter wrote:
If Chess, Bowling and Billiards haven't made it in, then something without even the tradition of those sports probably won't.
I don't see it happening, and tbh, I don't think it SHOULD. : /
this.
If anything, chess is the first in line and even chess can't get recognized.
What good would SC2 or any game for that matter be?
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I think it would be really cool to see gaming in the Olympics.
Once if the biggest issues would be people not accepting it.
Also, to the average person who doesn't play much video games, it would be hard to follow.
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There is nothing to discuss. Simply not going to happen. Just stick to WCG.
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Vatican City State2594 Posts
I think that the Olympics have been trying too hard to please everyone with the litany of 'fields' they have added in the past few decades. Some are clearly worthy to stand alongside the existing titans of sports, some are more dubious. I think that incorporating gaming would be a disaster - seeing three fat or skinny nerds standing on the Olympic podium receiving medals just doesn't seem right to me, and I think that the competitive gaming industry is far too fluid and young to not receive the ridicule of athletes from other sports. The majority of the non-gaming world will say "What the fuck? So a guy who plays computer games all day gets the same honors as the fastest man in the world? BS." I think that videogames don't NEED to be in the Olympics any more than the Olympics need them. We need to develop our own scene first, have a consistent game be #1 for decades (looking at you Brood War), and have a much larger following before it can become a true sport. When people watch discus, swimming, gymnastics, running, they are not privy to the absolute finest details of what the sports entail, but they get the gist. However, watching SC2 or Brood War for a newcomer is like watching pretty pictures dance around and explode, and no VALUE is given to the work/effort being put into the process. I think it might be decades if not more until this would be even fathomable, and by then I think it would only be because of mind/headset-controlled games that are possibly more free-form and less complex, simply because it would be a direct output of the players' imagination. Not sure about the last statement, but the rest holds true IMO.
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EPT
