Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 2:25 am

CowboyKing

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In some tournaments, games are put in the "extreme sports" category. Do you consider playing video games a sport?

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 2:55 am

dullahan1

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Depends. Does Madden count?

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CatMuto wrote:

Pierre wrote:

Man...that looks dull...this actually makes me worried for KH3 (since that team worked on the battle system)

I feel the same

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 3:13 am

Klonoahedgehog

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I think it depends on the game really,something like playing Pokemon or Smash Bros competitively might count.
But games like Mario Party obviously don't.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 3:37 am

General Luigi

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I'd say it really depends on what one considers the criteria for the title of "sport." Is curling a sport? Is skeet shooting a sport? Is bridge a sport? It also depends on the game. For example, I don't think visual novels such as the Ace Attorney series can really be thought of as sports. By contrast, I think you could definitely make speedrunning some games, such as Battletoads and A Link to the Past, into sports. Games that incorporate luck into the equation are a bit more iffy, but even then, reasonable arguments can be made for treating those as sports (at least as far as competitive play is concerned). We've already got full-fledged tournaments in various online multiplayer games, as well as the Pokémon games. Those who see fit to call poker or chess a sport don't really have any excuse to insist that Pokémon isn't a sport.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:21 am

Thelema

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Anything can be a sport if you apply structure to it. Washing the dishes or cutting off trees could be sports. Literally any activity could be made into a sport, if organized like one. In this sense playing games could be a sport, but it is not a sport in the real sense of the word.

Compare true volleyball to playing some game a 6 years old can play. You can emulate skills in a game that you would take years to develop IRL, just by pressing some buttons. Success in reality is harder than success in a game.

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 6:37 am

Pierre

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What with the rise of esports like Dota2 and Eco fighting game tournaments I really don't think there's room for debate on this subject.
There's huge cash prizes, sponsorship deals, gambling and betting, regular salaried teams of athletes

Hell it was only recently they brought laws in line to ban performance enhancing drugs at these events.

It might not apply to all games but there can be no denying some games are sports.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 7:44 am

CatMuto

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Not to the extent that they should be paid the disgustingly high salaries that "real" sportsmen get paid, like football or soccer players and such.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:19 am

Thelema

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Another issue I have with video games being called a sport, is that I don't think people should use an avatar to represent themselves in a real sport. Also why I don't like the idea of horse showing, or possibly even things like boating being called sports, because the object is doing most of the work. It is vicarious, and I don't think sports should be vicarious.

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:03 am

Pierre

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CatMuto wrote:

Not to the extent that they should be paid the disgustingly high salaries that "real" sportsmen get paid, like football or soccer players and such.

C-A

If you say so?

Dota2's international prize pool is currently about 18.5 million dollars. Sure its split 5 ways and I'm sure the sponsor will take a cut but that's still a tonne.

Plus the ongoing salaries and all the free gear their sponsor will provide.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:44 am

CatMuto

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Which is disgusting. Why should they get all the money when there are tons of other videogame players who don't make money off of it? And on a more personal note, I find it horrible to get 18 Million, even if the cut will result in still getting several million after. I mean, what would they DO with that money? They won't spend it on games or consoles anymore, since they get free stuff.

C-A

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 2:33 pm

tiger_festival

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CatMuto wrote:

I mean, what would they DO with that money? They won't spend it on games or consoles anymore, since they get free stuff.

Food, water, shelter, charity, pointless trinkets, the usual things people use money for. Gamers are still humans.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 4:15 pm

Pierre

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CatMuto wrote:

Which is disgusting. Why should they get all the money when there are tons of other videogame players who don't make money off of it? And on a more personal note, I find it horrible to get 18 Million, even if the cut will result in still getting several million after. I mean, what would they DO with that money? They won't spend it on games or consoles anymore, since they get free stuff.

C-A

Well then it's even more like sports then. There's tonnes of casual athletes and amateur teams iun every sport that get paid nothing but do it anyway.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:16 pm

CatMuto

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sumguy28 wrote:

CatMuto wrote:

I mean, what would they DO with that money? They won't spend it on games or consoles anymore, since they get free stuff.

Food, water, shelter, charity, pointless trinkets, the usual things people use money for. Gamers are still humans.

The first three can be paid for with "regular" jobs. Charity is the only thing I can think of to spend huge amounts of money on, especially if everything else (like pointless trinkets) are given to me for free by sponsors or stuff they want me to endorse.

I've said it before, if I got 10+ Million dollars, I'd have no idea what to do with the money once I've spent large amounts of it on paying my parents stuff, giving myself some stuff and giving it away to charity. I guess I can give the rest away to charities, too, but... is that really all one can do with money? I guess you could travel, but I don't enjoy travelling a lot. Buy mansions? I am quite happy where I live, I don't need a mansion.

C-A

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:34 pm

Cesar Zero

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Sure. I mean, if the game can be played as a competition and being good at it is dependent on the skills of the player. I don't see why it would any be different from non-physical sports like chess.

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:37 am

CowboyKing

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Is chess a sport? But I agree about games being dependent on skills and talents of the player, like hand and eye coordination and motor skills. in this respect, games are like sports and could be treated like one.

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Sat Aug 15, 2015 9:19 am

Mayu Igiyooki

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I actually sometimes wonder if Backgammon ever counts as a sport. I mean, it's a board game, digitalized or not. Sure, there are video games of it (like I said, "Digitalized"), but I think it should be counted as a Sport.

Any Objections?

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Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Sat Aug 15, 2015 9:30 am

Thelema

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CowboyKing wrote:

Is chess a sport? But I agree about games being dependent on skills and talents of the player, like hand and eye coordination and motor skills. in this respect, games are like sports and could be treated like one.

Getting out of bed, putting the key in my ignition, driving, daily life etc. requires hand eye coordination, motor skills etc. If we are defining sport as something that requires skills, then video games could be one like any other existing activity you can think of. Chopping down trees could be a sport if you create rules and structure for it.

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Sat Aug 15, 2015 4:31 pm

dullahan1

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Sport - an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Bluntly, according to definition, I say no. I have no problem with it being treated as a competitive event, but I don't like the idea of it being called a sport. I feel a sport is something that you should be putting a good amount of physical activity into, something that actually gives your muscles some sort of workout. Video games require no such effort. Essentially you're just sitting on your butt clicking buttons on a controller. That's not a workout. I like video games as much as the next guy, but I don't consider it a sport.

And if they're calling things like Chess and Backgammon sports, then they either need to redefine the definition or come up with a new category. I'm sorry, but when I think of sports, I think of getting sweaty, physically exhausted, and getting a good workout that benefits my health. Sitting on my butt all day long may just get me sweaty.

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CatMuto wrote:

Pierre wrote:

Man...that looks dull...this actually makes me worried for KH3 (since that team worked on the battle system)

I feel the same

Re: Should playing games be considered a sport?

Sat Aug 15, 2015 8:25 pm

Cesar Zero

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CowboyKing wrote:

Is chess a sport? But I agree about games being dependent on skills and talents of the player, like hand and eye coordination and motor skills. in this respect, games are like sports and could be treated like one.

It is. I dunno about the official definition, but for me it could be called a competitive event where people need to have certain talents in order to win. Chess is played professionally, people can get a lot of money for competing in tournaments and you can get a scholarship (I think that is what it's called in English?) for college if you're good at it so...yeah, if that's not considered a sport I don't know what is.

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