Is eSport a real sport?

Flex

Flex

Will lift for boobs!
So this has been a question i have been back and forth with for a while now.
As a person that has always been very active, I understand what it takes to be an athlete and compete as one.
I have my SA colors in Gymnastics as well as my National colors in Body Building.

Do you consider Gamers as athletes? Would you compare JW (from Fnatic CSGO) to lets say Federer?

Both put in lots and lots of hours into their chosen discipline.
Both rely on fast reaction times to do their best.
Both have to be physically capable, although this might be where some people disagree.

Some people argue that eSport should be considered a mental sport instead of being considered as a real sport.

I found this very nice article comparing both athletes and giving a breakdown of the the of eSports.

What are your thoughts?
 
Sport
noun
1.an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"
synonyms: (competitive) game(s), physical recreation, physical activity, physical exercise; pastime
"he takes part in a variety of sports"

2.informal
a person who behaves in a good or specified way in response to teasing, defeat, or a similarly trying situation.
"go on, be a sport!"
 
BeoTeK said:
Sport
noun
1.an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
"team sports such as soccer and rugby"
synonyms: (competitive) game(s), physical recreation, physical activity, physical exercise; pastime
"he takes part in a variety of sports"

2.informal
a person who behaves in a good or specified way in response to teasing, defeat, or a similarly trying situation.
"go on, be a sport!"
Click to expand...


That is exactly the question i am asking, as i feel both fill the requirements. So a Straight up definition out of the dictionary does not help much =D
 
Flex said:
That is exactly the question i am asking, as i feel both fill the requirements. So a Straight up definition out of the dictionary does not help much =D
Click to expand...

Well it does. A sport is defined by being of competitive nature.
 
BeoTeK said:
Well it does. A sport is defined by being of competitive nature.
Click to expand...

Yes that part makes sense. But the physical part of it is actually what all of this is about.
The Training involved. The amount and intensity there of for an example.
 
Flex said:
Yes that part makes sense. But the physical part of it is actually what all of this is about.
The Training involved. The amount and intensity there of for an example.
Click to expand...

I figured that's what you were getting at. Well physical is two fold innit.

Just because a pro athlete gets out of house and runs and trains his body, is that any different from someone who sits in front of a PC training his mind? It's really a matter of perspective as to what you consider to be physical activity.
 
BeoTeK said:
I figured that's what you were getting at. Well physical is two fold innit.

Just because a pro athlete gets out of house and runs and trains his body, is that any different from someone who sits in front of a PC training his mind? It's really a matter of perspective as to what you consider to be physical activity.
Click to expand...

I am considering all aspects which makes an athlete an athlete.
That does make sense yes. But do gamers not also train their bodies as well and not only their minds?
They have to improve their reflexes and accuracy of controlling the mouse and keyboard. So its that any different than hitting a tennis balls against a wall and hitting it back to improve your accuracy and reflexes?
 
Flex said:
I am considering all aspects which makes an athlete an athlete.
That does make sense yes. But do gamers not also train their bodies as well and not only their minds?
They have to improve their reflexes and accuracy of controlling the mouse and keyboard. So its that any different than hitting a tennis balls against a wall and hitting it back to improve your accuracy and reflexes?
Click to expand...

Well yes, it harbours on the same principals. Just like a tennis player would train their arms, elbow and shoulders (I'm guessing). A professional gamer would be more microscopic changes, down to tiny muscles in the hands, fingers and forearms.

Though like you (a fitness freak), I do maintain even a gamer needs to take a break and maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle to accommodate their sitting for prolonged periods of time.
 
BeoTeK said:
Well yes, it harbours on the same principals. Just like a tennis player would train their arms, elbow and shoulders (I'm guessing). A professional gamer would be more microscopic changes, down to tiny muscles in the hands, fingers and forearms.

Though like you (a fitness freak), I do maintain even a gamer needs to take a break and maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle to accommodate their sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Click to expand...

Agree with that 100% !
 
I find the topic very interesting... I played Sport my whole life, Gauteng Swimming as well as field Hockey, and if i compare a sport to an eSport to me the degrees of separation are to large...

An eSport for me can be much closely related to the "sport" of Chess. I love Chess. And to me the idea of a "mind sport" makes more sense. Dont get me wrong i have equal respect for the difficulties involved across both fields, i just dont think you can equate someones PHYSICAL strengths the MIND STRENGTH, and yes you can argue that gamers need to achieve a certain amount of clicks per minute etc, but to me its just not the same...
 
Tom said:
I find the topic very interesting... I played Sport my whole life, Gauteng Swimming as well as field Hockey, and if i compare a sport to an eSport to me the degrees of separation are to large...

An eSport for me can be much closely related to the "sport" of Chess. I love Chess. And to me the idea of a "mind sport" makes more sense. Dont get me wrong i have equal respect for the difficulties involved across both fields, i just dont think you can equate someones PHYSICAL strengths the MIND STRENGTH, and yes you can argue that gamers need to achieve a certain amount of clicks per minute etc, but to me its just not the same...
Click to expand...

I agree. Hoping its just a fad that dies.. Mugshots of eSports "athletes" makes me cringe on so many levels..

/runs
 
Is racing a sport? Are Darts or snooker a sport? Is fishing a sport? of course gaming can be a sport too.

You will find that as with race drivers, Darts and Billiard players and fishermen that physical fitness goes a long way to helping you be at the top of your 'game' and helping with pro-longed sessions of intense concentration. Rarely are the pro's over weight or unhealthy in any discipline.

Anyway, I say yes. Gaming can be regarded as a sport for sure.

Is hunting a sport?

I could go on and on.....
 
Edelweiss said:
I agree. Hoping its just a fad that dies.. Mugshots of eSports "athletes" makes me cringe on so many levels..

/runs
Click to expand...
Hahha it does sometimes get a bit much.
But it's the same as the rugby mugshots of guys wearing pink jerseys :P
There are MANY more people watching eSport matches than Rugby matches. Will get the exact stats for spectators, but i know it is an insanely huge amount!



Tom said:
I find the topic very interesting... I played Sport my whole life, Gauteng Swimming as well as field Hockey, and if i compare a sport to an eSport to me the degrees of separation are to large...

An eSport for me can be much closely related to the "sport" of Chess. I love Chess. And to me the idea of a "mind sport" makes more sense. Dont get me wrong i have equal respect for the difficulties involved across both fields, i just dont think you can equate someones PHYSICAL strengths the MIND STRENGTH, and yes you can argue that gamers need to achieve a certain amount of clicks per minute etc, but to me its just not the same...
Click to expand...

I understand that. But for example, USA gives a P1 Visa to eSport "Athletes" These are visas giving to professional sport athletes. So it does seem that eSports is getting recognized by more and more countries as a real sport.
 
bradbear117 said:
Is racing a sport? Are Darts or snooker a sport? Is fishing a sport? of course gaming can be a sport too.

You will find that as with race drivers, Darts and Billiard players and fishermen that physical fitness goes a long way to helping you be at the top of your 'game' and helping with pro-longed sessions of intense concentration. Rarely are the pro's over weight or unhealthy in any discipline.

Anyway, I say yes. Gaming can be regarded as a sport for sure.

Is hunting a sport?

I could go on and on.....
Click to expand...

There have been many golfers that are overweight, unfit, smoking, drinking "athletes" playing the sport professionally. There are also quite a few rugby props that are grossly overweight and pretty much can't play a match out for the full 80 minutes. Also, look at the physicality of many all-star American Football "athletes", specifically the line defenders. They are big guys, with weight loss and fitness not high on their list of priorities. Some cricketers have also sported more than just baby fat while playing professionally.

There are many sport disciplines that can still be competed by the big, fat, unfit guys and girls. if they have enough sports acumen and talent. Yes, physical health help make some sportsmen better than others, but it's not the defining characteristic that classifies them as "athletes"

Do I think esports is a "real" sport, no, most certainly not.

The definition of sport has it's foundation in the ability of individuals showing that they are faster, stronger, or more talented than another person. This competitiveness of the human race has been settled since the dawn of time through various physical activities. As these activities grow in popularity, various rules was added to structure these activities into different "sports". That is where sport has originated, and I don't believe that esports falls within this criteria of classification. Much like chess

BUT....

I do believe esports must be classified under a new type of sports definition. The current definition is too broad and ambiguous to clearly state whether or not esports should be considered as a sport.

As [MENTION=13244]Tom[/MENTION] stated, esports is more a type of mind sports, where physical power, speed of talent has little to no effect on whether or not a person can perform at a professional level. Here I see activities like chess also fall within.

The problem with ambiguously stating that any activity done competitively that is based on dexterity, intellectual ability and tactical thinking opens up a slew of other activities to be just as much a "sport" as what esport people what their profession to be. For example, if chess and esports are a sport, why can't Monopoly, 30 Seconds, Charades, or any other board game also be seen as a sport? They have the same profile of abilities as esports, so surely they also have the right to be called sports? How about Memory Games, Rubix's Cube Championships or even Professional Sudoku? Surely these have just as much a chance to be a "real sport" if esports can be considered...

So no, esports is not a sport as the current definition stands. It's a new kind of sport, one that is a sport of the mind, rather than the physical dominance of one individual or team over another.
 
Tom said:
I find the topic very interesting... I played Sport my whole life, Gauteng Swimming as well as field Hockey, and if i compare a sport to an eSport to me the degrees of separation are to large...

An eSport for me can be much closely related to the "sport" of Chess. I love Chess. And to me the idea of a "mind sport" makes more sense. Dont get me wrong i have equal respect for the difficulties involved across both fields, i just dont think you can equate someones PHYSICAL strengths the MIND STRENGTH, and yes you can argue that gamers need to achieve a certain amount of clicks per minute etc, but to me its just not the same...
Click to expand...

In Conjunction to my previous statement. Not Rugby though, but probably even a bigger sport
graphicbig.jpg

The 2014 Super Bowl was watched by an estimated 111.5 million people, but eSports viewership has doubled over the last year. In January, League of Legends creator Riot Games announced that the game has 67 million monthly users (worldwide). For comparison, an estimated 24 million play basketball in the United States, and less than 9 million people play football.

Twitch.tv, the leading video game platform used by professional gamers and companies like Riot to stream competitions, has become the fourth-leading website in peak internet traffic in the United States, ahead of Facebook. According to Variety, YouTube is looking to purchase Twitch for $1 billion.
 
DieGrootHammer said:
There have been many golfers that are overweight, unfit, smoking, drinking "athletes" playing the sport professionally. There are also quite a few rugby props that are grossly overweight and pretty much can't play a match out for the full 80 minutes. Also, look at the physicality of many all-star American Football "athletes", specifically the line defenders. They are big guys, with weight loss and fitness not high on their list of priorities. Some cricketers have also sported more than just baby fat while playing professionally.

There are many sport disciplines that can still be competed by the big, fat, unfit guys and girls. if they have enough sports acumen and talent. Yes, physical health help make some sportsmen better than others, but it's not the defining characteristic that classifies them as "athletes"

Do I think esports is a "real" sport, no, most certainly not.

The definition of sport has it's foundation in the ability of individuals showing that they are faster, stronger, or more talented than another person. This competitiveness of the human race has been settled since the dawn of time through various physical activities. As these activities grow in popularity, various rules was added to structure these activities into different "sports". That is where sport has originated, and I don't believe that esports falls within this criteria of classification. Much like chess

BUT....

I do believe esports must be classified under a new type of sports definition. The current definition is too broad and ambiguous to clearly state whether or not esports should be considered as a sport.

As [MENTION=13244]Tom[/MENTION] stated, esports is more a type of mind sports, where physical power, speed of talent has little to no effect on whether or not a person can perform at a professional level. Here I see activities like chess also fall within.

The problem with ambiguously stating that any activity done competitively that is based on dexterity, intellectual ability and tactical thinking opens up a slew of other activities to be just as much a "sport" as what esport people what their profession to be. For example, if chess and esports are a sport, why can't Monopoly, 30 Seconds, Charades, or any other board game also be seen as a sport? They have the same profile of abilities as esports, so surely they also have the right to be called sports? How about Memory Games, Rubix's Cube Championships or even Professional Sudoku? Surely these have just as much a chance to be a "real sport" if esports can be considered...

So no, esports is not a sport as the current definition stands. It's a new kind of sport, one that is a sport of the mind, rather than the physical dominance of one individual or team over another.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your input bud.
I agree with you to a certain extent.

Chess, you do not need quicker reflexes of your hand and better coordination.
You can practice the whole game in your mind. If that makes sense. You do not have to sit hours and hours repetitively practicing something over and over.

eSport "athletes have gaming houses. Where they basically have 8-5 "jobs" playing games and practicing.
They must intellectually work on strats as well as physically improve their reaction times as well as the hand to eye coordination.

I am a bodybuilder/Gymnast that goes to lans to compete and understand both worlds very well.

Maybe creating a new genre of sport is a good idea. But it's won't be that easy. Because how many categories of sports will there be then? Every second person with a strange hobby will want it made an official sport.
And if there could be a new category of sports for esport I definitely don't think a Mental Sport fits the bill
 
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