Are eSports a real sport?

[The_Admiral]

[RichardWitham]

they most certinaly are sports... you need hand eye coordination, teamwork, strategy and knoledge of the in game stats and opponents tendencies to make the best plays/charecter selections .... kinda sounds like a head coach in the nfl picking the right play to run at the right time, isnt it? with all the work these people put in as well, it is a full time job... esports are just as much sports as any team sport, even more so than chess, and that is accepted as a sport, i think chess has even been considered for the olympics.

these people practice and strategize for at least 8 hours a day so when gametime comes they can be at their best. oh that's just like any sport in existance. you gotta practice to get decent!

esports are just as demanding as any other sport... they're just more mentally taxing than physically, although there is definately that component too

[The_Admiral]

I thought "esports" was how Pujols said "sports" in the old WordUpThome comics.

[sportzfan]

no one is doubting the mental part of the GAME, but to be a sport it needs to be physically taxing on the body, not just the thumbs. no one would consider a gamer an athlete unless they played sports and did other things outside the game.

[Alex Houston]

I expect this conversation to continue deviating in the "what is/isn't a sport" line of thinking, but I think the introduction of eSports begs the question: Many of you are hung up on the "physical" aspect, saying if you don't break sweat that it isn't a sport. Sure, that works. I can agree that's a line in the sand worth using.

However, let's say that 20-30 years down the road, with the breakthroughs like Oculus Rift, that eSports actually requires players to do physical gestures and actions, not just mash buttons as it could be otherwise affectionately known. Is that enough to bring it over that line and into the realm of sports? I wonder this because although we're hung up on the exertion factor being the standard for denying eSports, you already see it's susceptibility when it comes to bowling, golf and auto racing.

[rams80]

they most certinaly are sports... you need hand eye coordination, teamwork, strategy and knoledge of the in game stats and opponents tendencies to make the best plays/charecter selections .... kinda sounds like a head coach in the nfl picking the right play to run at the right time, isnt it? with all the work these people put in as well, it is a full time job... esports are just as much sports as any team sport, even more so than chess, and that is accepted as a sport, i think chess has even been considered for the olympics.

these people practice and strategize for at least 8 hours a day so when gametime comes they can be at their best. oh that's just like any sport in existance. you gotta practice to get decent!

esports are just as demanding as any other sport... they're just more mentally taxing than physically, although there is definately that component too

By that token Dungeons and Dragons is a sport.

[Xist2inspire]

I love video games and traditional sports, and I don't consider video games a sport. It's purely a game, like chess or poker. That being said, I find that whenever the question of "is ______ a sport" comes up, it's really less about the issue of "legitimacy" than it's about "can/should someone get money and recognition for doing this?" That's the big lure of the "sports" label.

[sportzfan]

I love video games and traditional sports, and I don't consider video games a sport. It's purely a game, like chess or poker. That being said, I find that whenever the question of "is ______ a sport" comes up, it's really less about the issue of "legitimacy" than it's about "can/should someone get money and recognition for doing this?" That's the big lure of the "sports" label.

if thats the case then all college sports shouldn't be considered sports because the athletes don't make money off of it. people will pay for things they enjoy, being a sport isn't a requirement at all.

[Raysfan12]

I've been thinking about this topic lately and I want to know what the CCSLC thinks. I think they are, but I'm probably biased. So what are your thoughts?

Visit South Korea and you tell me that it isn't a sport.

The picture above is a StarCraft tournament in South Korea.

[IceCap]

I've been thinking about this topic lately and I want to know what the CCSLC thinks. I think they are, but I'm probably biased. So what are your thoughts?

Visit South Korea and you tell me that it isn't a sport.

The picture above is a StarCraft tournament in South Korea.

Hey South Korea. Starcraft isn't a sport.

[Raysfan12]

I've been thinking about this topic lately and I want to know what the CCSLC thinks. I think they are, but I'm probably biased. So what are your thoughts?

Visit South Korea and you tell me that it isn't a sport.

The picture above is a StarCraft tournament in South Korea.

Hey South Korea. Starcraft isn't a sport.

It's very competitive to the point of being ridiculous and is very mentally challenging (so many things happening at once). Also, there are huge prizes for winning and some players even resort to cheating (2010 scandal) to do it. Plus, thousands of people attend the tournaments and is watched all over the world. Heck, major companies like Samsung sponsors teams for the tournaments (similar to soccer). So yes, eSports are a real sport.

Here's a video that illustrates my point.

[sportzfan]

Anything and anyone can have a following, and make lots of money. It doesn't make it a sport. People get sponsored and lots of money racing RC cars, that doesn't make them athletes either.

[sc49erfan15]

I think the term "mind sports" is a fitting description for mentally (but not physically) taxing activities (when played competitively) such as chess, go, and video games.

[pmoehrin]

To me a sport should be competitive, organized, requires participant interaction (ie. can I instruct someone to play for me without having any impact on the game? If yes, then its not a sport.) and isn't overly conducive to chance. (ie. cards, board games, dice, or anything where a randomness element is specially built in) If it checks out on all of those criteria, then its a sport.

No question eSports are both competitive and organized and by in large I would say requires the user to interact. Its the chance part where I have questions.

A video game is a just complex computer code. So in theory it can manipulated anyway you want. That would seem to put video games in a bit of a grey area when it came to not being overly conducive to chance. If the computer spits out a seven instead of a three and that causes you to lose, then that game isn't a sport.

I guess I would say it depends on the game. Something like Tetris I think is out. Its just too reliant on randomness. If I got all line pieces I would be greatest Tetris player in the world. Unlikely yes, but not impossible. Something like a competitive game of Madden I think brings up a better argument. I can't really win or be given an advantage by virtue of luck, or at least I don't think you can. So long as you can't win or lose because a computer spit out a 7 instead of a 3, I think it can qualify as a sport.

As a whole I would lean towards yes for eSports being a sport, but don't know enough or care to know enough to say for sure. Video games on their own though I don't believe qualifies as a sport.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

What's wrong with "competitive gaming" as a category? Why does it have to be or not be a "sport"? Who's asking the question?

[Gothamite]

Competitive gamers aren't satisfied with their lot, apparently. They need the affirmation?

[PSUcelticsWON95]

To me, a sport requires people to be athletes. Sure, sports on lower-levels (rec sports and whatnot) will have participants that aren't the greatest of athletes, but on the professional level (for a majority of sports), the participants will almost always be athletic. I wouldn't call professional gamers athletes. Yes, it requires good hand-eye-coordination and quick reaction-time. But those are, for the majority, mental challenges. Just because it's mentally straining and competitive doesn't make it a sport. eSports require very little physical activity. For those that sweat during gaming, it's mostly because of stress/concentration. They don't take a toll on physical ability.

[Lee.]

If you can drink while doing it, it's a game not a sport.

/Lee's rule of thumb

[mattb6]

If you can drink while doing it, it's a game not a sport.

/Lee's rule of thumb

Beer league softball?

Nevermind, I'll show myself out.

(and no, it's not a sport)

[mattb6]

Sorry for the double post...

I've been thinking about this topic lately and I want to know what the CCSLC thinks. I think they are, but I'm probably biased. So what are your thoughts?

Visit South Korea and you tell me that it isn't a sport.

The picture above is a StarCraft tournament in South Korea.

Alright, so is this concert a sport?

Similarites:

A. Large Crowd

B. Bright Lights

C. Large Screens

Is singing a sport?