Are E Sports An Actual Sport

[DumbPanzyDisks]

me and my class just watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKn-QjsFIuc&list=UU5lRKhIHneKpX4qKOgh2V3Q and now we are debating if Esport is an actual sport because it is not physical 

[NuraXx]

yes they are. ´nuff said.

[Excon]

That's why its called e-sport because the dictionary definition of sport states that is physical activity. For those of you that will say it, no WASD and moving a mouse aren't physical.

[SirRoderick]

No they aren't sports, they are E-sports.

 

Very different but in no way inferiour. And I'll take SCII over football any day myself.

[Nineshadow]

It depends on how you define a sport.

But yes,they are.Chess is a sport too.

[madknight3]

Whether or not you want to give them the title "sports", I think they are very valid competitions and that the players are very skilled. People who look down on them are just ignorant in my opinion.

[Osmium]

Honestly who cares? Sport is a word (a classification to be specific) so who cares whether or not esports are sports or not?

 

Edit: That guy in the video has no idea what he is talking about. I think calling professional gamers fat slobs is a LOT more offensive than calling them athletes. They train themselves in games as much as any athlete trains himself in a sport. And although I don't consider pro gamers athletes I certainly respect the time and effort they put into doing what they do. Personally I would call esports a sport for the reason @XzisT states but I would not call the gamers athletes because athlete implies physicality.

[YeroJero]

The same way poker and chess isn't physical? We've been through this thousands of times. Physicality does not define a sport but the meaning and support behind it.

[SirRoderick]

It depends on how you define a sport.

But yes,they are.Chess is a sport too.

Well you say that, but physical exertion IS actually part of the official definition of a sport, hence the term E-sports retaining the competitive side while still distancing itself somewhat from the term. Which is a good thing, they are very, very different things. People that try to gain recognition for E-sports by equating it to "real" sports are going about it the wrong way entirely. You should focus on the fact that it IS different and play towards the strengths.

[Nineshadow]

Well you say that, but physical exertion IS actually part of the official definition of a sport, hence the term E-sports retaining the competitive side while still distancing itself somewhat from the term. Which is a good thing, they are very, very different things. People that try to gain recognition for E-sports by equating it to "real" sports are going about it the wrong way entirely. You should focus on the fact that it IS different and play towards the strengths.

A sport is a game played with other people,a game which follows some rules,is competitive,etc.

[SirRoderick]

A sport is a game played with other people,a game which follows some rules,etc.

Well no, that's just called a game.

 

A sport is officially.

 

 

sport

spɔːt/

noun

noun: sport; plural noun: sports

1. 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; More

   pastime

   "he takes part in a variety of sports"

   • Brit.

     an occasion on which people compete in various athletic activities.

     "I won the 200 metres in the school sports"
   • success or pleasure derived from an activity such as hunting or fishing.

     "I have heard there is good sport to be had in Buttermere"
   • dated

     entertainment; fun.

     "it was considered great sport to catch him out"
   • archaic

     a source of amusement or entertainment.

     "I do not wish to show myself the sport of a man like Wildeve"
2. 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!"

 

Please note that I never said this is a bad thing. E-sports doesn't NEED to be recognised as a sport, it needs to advance on it's own merits, which are plentiful. You'll be hard pressed to find someone more optimistic about E-sport's future than me on these forums.

[Osmium]

Well no, that's just called a game.

Please note that I never said this is a bad thing. E-sports doesn't NEED to be recognised as a sport, it needs to advance on it's own merits, which are plentiful. You'll be hard pressed to find someone more optimistic about E-sport's future than me on these forums.

Well I know you got that from a dictionary but I still disagree with it. People still call chess as a sport so I don't see why they can't make a second exception to the rule. Although I do agree with your statement that they don't need to be recognized as a sport I still think they should as long as chess or other stuff get the special treatment.

[SirRoderick]

Well I know you got that from a dictionary but I still disagree with it. People still call chess as a sport so I don't see why they can't make a second exception to the rule. Although I do agree with your statement that they don't need to be recognized as a sport I still think they should as long as chess or other stuff get the special treatment.

See that's the one valid point to make. Getting your organisation recognised legally as a sport or your players as athletes isn't about getting them on some sort of pedestal. It's about tax regulations and visa. Getting Korean SCII players in and out of the US is not simple without an athlete's visum for example.

 

That said I don't think that's really what the discussion is about, it's more about public recognition isn't it?

[Nineshadow]

Well no, that's just called a game.

My bad.A sport is a competitive game.

Let's look closer,I found this in a dictionary:

sport

noun

1.

an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

What does athletic mean?

 

Athletic

1.

physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports: an athletic child.

2.

of, like, or befitting an athlete.

3.

of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic sports; athletic training.

 

Hmm,agility,what does that mean?

agility

1.

the power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness: exercises demanding agility.

2.

the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; intellectual acuity.

 

the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; intellectual acuity.

 

So,by that, E-sports,chess and some other stuff are sports too.

[felixbearpig]

It's a sport but it dosent make the players athletes , like they claim they are .

[Legion]

Well I can tell you this now, COD isn't a sport that's for sure. 

Now go measure the calories burnt by Soulkey and Revival in a 2 hour+ game.

Or Taeja and Life when both of their APM's at one point was over 1300 combined.

 

E-Sports aren't a sport in the traditional sense in the same way Email isn't mail in the traditional sense.

If you still have problems with ESports go ask someone in Seoul.

 

I'd be happier for ESports to be recognised better so pro's don't have such a pain with Visa's

[SirRoderick]

My bad.A sport is a competitive game.

Let's look closer,I found this in a dictionary:

sport

noun

1.

an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

What does athletic mean?

 

Athletic

1.

physically active and strong; good at athletics or sports: an athletic child.

2.

of, like, or befitting an athlete.

3.

of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina: athletic sports; athletic training.

 

Hmm,agility,what does that mean?

agility

1.

the power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness: exercises demanding agility.

2.

the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; intellectual acuity.

 

the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly; intellectual acuity.

 

So,by that, E-sports,chess and some other stuff are sports too.

 

You're completely and utterly arguing the wrong point! Stop trying to equate E-sports to physical sports and make a case based on it's own merits for recognition! Are you really so hung up on getting lumped in with football and hockey? Why would you even WANT to?!

 

Totally glossing over the fact that athletic was further defined in the definition as requiring physical prowess or skill so you didn't even MAKE a point correctly. Should have gone for equating skill with e-sports, not the athletic part. :rolleyes:

[Antistatic12]

I would think it is. Why not.

Personally I believe there to be merit behind an addition to the Olympic setup. So there would be Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics and a Digital Olympics, everyone is happy then.

[Nineshadow]

You're completely and utterly arguing the wrong point! Stop trying to equate E-sports to physical sports and make a case based on it's own merits for recognition! Are you really so hung up on getting lumped in with football and hockey? Why would you even WANT to?!

 

Totally glossing over the fact that athletic was further defined in the definition as physical exertion so you didn't even MAKE a point correctly.

I'm saying that it is a sport.Who says they should be considered the same way that football is?They shouldn't.They just fall in a wide domain of different stuff.

[SirRoderick]

I'm saying that it is a sport.Who says they should be considered the same way that football is?They shouldn't.They just fall in a wide domain of different stuff.

Which is exactly what you don't want, you want to stand out from the boring drek.

[VulsaviiK]

To play at the level some of those guys do, it involves a very specific lifestyle - good eating habbits, a regular workout/gym routine, and consistent practice. Some games, and we'll use Starcraft as an example because it's the e-sport which I personally follow, can literally take years for these guys to develop the mechanical skill and strategy to play at a top tier level. I can guarantee that majority of pro-gamers are not overweight or unfit.

 

E-sports isn't some new or emerging thing either - it's been around since the early arena-fps era (When Fatal1ty made a name for himself), and professional Starcraft has been a national sport in Korea since 2003. I hate this idea that because it's not physically all about physical activity, that it shouldn't garner a similar level of respect. It does require practice and training, it is there to be competitive, and people can spectate it.

 

I mean, I've had this argument before. If you want to go down the whole "E-sports isn't physical activity" route of argument, where does that place motorsports. Granted, drivers need to be fit in order to withstand the force being placed upon them while racing, but isn't that like what I was saying earlier that pro-gamers need to be fit to have the lightning quick reaction times and mental capacity to do what they do?

[Lays]

Some consider Chess a sport, some don't.  It's somewhat in the same boat as E-Sports imo.    But for all these people that say "they're just clicking buttons, bla bla" It's more than that.  These people spend THOUSANDS of hours practicing to get to the level they're at.  They're thinking 5, 10, 20 steps ahead of what their opponent is doing. 

 

These people are playing for thousands, if not hundreds of dollars and sponsorships, it's a bit more than just a game at that point, it's their career and livelihood.  The mental toll it takes on them is not really much different from football, soccer, etc.  Their months/years of practice are all on the line whether they perform or not. 

 

 

I'm on the fence about it, although I think it's quite entertaining to watch and very interesting. 

[LogicalDrm]

I mean, I've had this argument before. If you want to go down the whole "E-sports isn't physical activity" route of argument, where does that place motorsports. Granted, drivers need to be fit in order to withstand the force being placed upon them while racing, but isn't that like what I was saying earlier that pro-gamers need to be fit to have the lightning quick reaction times and mental capacity to do what they do?

 

Thats actually good point. I "read" a book about history of sports last summer and it talked how motorsports are sports. In classical sense of sports they shouldn't be. Its like in esports. Drivers are just controlling the machine that competes.

 

@Osmium, imo football (or american football) are quite boring comparing to esports. They are long games and both really don't have so much action in them. With football (soccer for americans) its more about individual skill and teamplay than playing game itself. In that sense its in same line with esports. Many games can be seen same way. If you took the players away from their game. Lets say get them with some pen and paper and table. Then tell them to play football with them. They can do it. They'll just use their team dynamic and think how they'll act in each situation. So in basics they are the same.

 

What comes to games not being physical. Thats just old way of thinking things. Actually its same as saying esports is highly depending on gear. Welöl, duh! So its motorsport, hockey, golf, tennis, or any game that needs more than player to compete. For that only running or long jumping, swimming etc should be considered as sport. Anyway, esports are physical. On highest level, number of players considered being "fat" is minimal. And most of them would be large sized anyway. If I may take american football here again... well.. you understand my meaning right? Think BO3 series of RTS or MOBA games. If one round takes 20-50 mins, max three of them will need high ability to consentrate and physical fitness to sit through. From interviews of Finnish semi-pros I hear most go jogging or do physical training while still gaming 5h+ per day.

 

Currently way of esports is going for better. DreamHack has become Cultural event, Korean SC2 pros have got athlete visa from US. We are slowly getting there. Most problem for esports is variety of games and lack of international organization to run all or most of them.

[Musikman]

If you define sports as anything that can be physically competitive in nature, than no. E-Sports are not sports. If you define sports as anything that it does in a competitive nature, than yes. E-Sports are sports. It all depends on what definition you are using. 

[VulsaviiK]

What comes to games not being physical. Thats just old way of thinking things. Actually its same as saying esports is highly depending on gear. Welöl, duh! So its motorsport, hockey, golf, tennis, or any game that needs more than player to compete. For that only running or long jumping, swimming etc should be considered as sport. Anyway, esports are physical. On highest level, number of players considered being "fat" is minimal. And most of them would be large sized anyway. If I may take american football here again... well.. you understand my meaning right? Think BO3 series of RTS or MOBA games. If one round takes 20-50 mins, max three of them will need high ability to consentrate and physical fitness to sit through. From interviews of Finnish semi-pros I hear most go jogging or do physical training while still gaming 5h+ per day.

First off, some players train for up to 8 hours a day. Now, as for the best-of-X series, using SC2 as an example (Which you'll see me do a lot in this thread because it's the sport I follow)

 

In SC2 toward the later stages of the finals you see best of 5s to Bo7s. You can definitely tell some players will go for a super-long game straight up, like, an hour plus, just to mess with their opponents head, through them off their game and either wear them out, or put them in a bad mood. On the flip side of that coin, you see someone gamble the first game to go for a high-risk, high-reward build to try and end the first game super-early and punish a player for playing what would usually be a standard game. If you're curious to see something like that, check out the Jaedong vs. Maru set from the WCS World Championship at Blizzcon. Maru at that point in time, opened Command Centre first 75% of the time. Jaedong did a 10 pool first game, and you could see it written all over Marus face that he was crushed by that first game.

 

In regards to the long games, without physical capacity, the mental capacity to sit through an hour long, sometimes longer game, only to lose, just isn't there. In turn, you can see players making really bad decisions that they wouldn't normally make.

 

Bear in mind that particularly in the case of SC2, APM, or Actions per minutes scales off the game timer, 40% faster than normal speed. Top-tier players can average around 300 APM game-time, or 420 APM real-time, or around 7 actions a second. There's a lot of debate as to how important APM actually is, since you can just spam buttons to get a super high average APM over 400 (I'm looking at you LosirA), however to be able to punch in that many commands I think you could argue it goes to show how quickly these guys have to think, considering that the position/motives of a player can change at any time.

 

I went off on a slight tangent here methinks, but this isn't just sitting in front of a computer playing a video-game, and the guy in the video that the OP posted is clearly misinformed. Because something I'd like to add is this -> CoD, and Halo for that fact, both used to have competitive scenes. They declined fairly rapidly because teams thought it was a game, and often abused the other team. Why would anyone offer people like that the chance to represent their brand. No sponsorship = no money = no players. There's also a certain level of professionalism which is to be expected. It's why players like IdrA all of a sudden found themselves in hot water, because telling their opponent to go fuck themselves in the middle of a tournament wasn't something accepted by the community anymore.