UK Government comes up with its own e-sport tournament, tied to the 2016 Olympics

[DuckDodgers]

 

Ahh, what wrong could happen when a government wants to govern more? On the chopping block this time is the booming e-sport competition arena, and as anything new and popular, the vultures of the state want to get their claws on the fresh meat. The most convenient "attack vector" of choice is the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio later this year, organized by the shining example of high moral and incorruptibility -- the IOC.

 

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So you want to get into e-sports, but you're worried that the myriad existing popular competitions can't match the grandeur and incorruptible respectability of something like the Olympic games. The UK government has a potential solution, today announcing the eGames as "an international gaming tournament where national pride is the prize."

 

That pride is apparently the only prize... the announcement makes it clear that "the eGames will be a medal only competition, with no prize money, but the opportunity to take home gold for your country." That might be a hard sell in a space that routinely attracts competitors with prize pools that can easily surpass $18 million, but it does line up with the lack of international prize money for Olympic athletes (local Olympic committees often give cash to gold medal winners, though).

 

The new eGames will be looking to bask in some reflected glory from the upcoming Rio Olympic Games, hosting its first competition as a two-day "pop up" in Rio during the Summer Olympics in August. Any nation will be welcome to field an "eTeam" (their term, not ours) in the eGames, but so far only four countries are confirmed as participants: Britain, Canada, Brazil, and the US.

 

Source 1: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/04/uk-government-sets-up-an-international-olympics-of-esports/

Source 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/06/egames-esports-rio-2016-olympics/

[Rob.S]

that's great!

[Citadelen]

This could either be really good or a complete flop.

[matrix07012]

This will be the first time I will watch Olympics.

[ZetZet]

uh, what game are they playing?

[iUSEMAC]

The days are not far away when the Olympics will be conducted just for the E-sports.

[alexyy]

It's a shame rio is gonna be a complete disaster. 

[Lethal Seraph]

Remember 7-1.

[l_zheng101]

This will either be super cool or super dumb.

[zacRupnow]

The Olympics is not for 'Sports' it is strictly for Athletes. Esports competitors are NOT athletes.

[Admiral Naismith]

15 minutes ago, zacRupnow said:

The Olympics is not for 'Sports' it is strictly for Athletes. Esports competitors are NOT athletes.

Times change, so do organized events. Though I do agree that the current state of E-sports still needs a few years to develop before governments start getting involved to a serious copacity.

 

Then again there are scholarships for esports right now.

[zacRupnow]

1 hour ago, Admiral Naismith said:

Times change, so do organized events. Though I do agree that the current state of E-sports still needs a few years to develop before governments start getting involved to a serious copacity.

 

Then again there are scholarships for esports right now.

I don't care about the state of the Esports organization or the 'real sports' arguments. I'm stating the static unchangeable by time fact that the Olympics is strictly for athletic events, and the fact that Esports competitors are not athletes. Esports may someday be athletic (Tron disc duel in VR comes to mind, also the movie Gamer), but it is not today. Esports competitors may also be athletes in their non-esports time, but they are not athletes for Esports.

 

Having an equally large Esports event to be along side the Olympics is fine, but Esports should not be in the Olympics until competitive video games become athletic.

[rhyseyness]

5 hours ago, zacRupnow said:

I don't care about the state of the Esports organization or the 'real sports' arguments. I'm stating the static unchangeable by time fact that the Olympics is strictly for athletic events, and the fact that Esports competitors are not athletes. Esports may someday be athletic (Tron disc duel in VR comes to mind, also the movie Gamer), but it is not today. Esports competitors may also be athletes in their non-esports time, but they are not athletes for Esports.

 

Having an equally large Esports event to be along side the Olympics is fine, but Esports should not be in the Olympics until competitive video games become athletic.

Can't agree with this enough.

Someone who's good at counter strike cannot be considered an Olypian

[Castdeath97]

21 hours ago, iUSEMAC said:

The days are not far away when the Olympics will be conducted just for the E-sports.

Again with this argument? What defines an "Actual sport"?

[Rune]

Remember when poetry and art used to be in the olympics?

Athletes only my ass. Mental strength should be counted as well. Good on the UK.

[iUSEMAC]

1 hour ago, Castdeath97 said:

Again with this argument? What defines an "Actual sport"?

Anything except playing video games. 

[That Norwegian Guy]

I'd totally represent Norway in an olympic Rocket League tournament even if all I got was a flight to the beach and a shot at a shiny piece of metal.

 

But good games never make it to "big" esports, so I'm not holding my breath

[Castdeath97]

1 hour ago, iUSEMAC said:

Anything except playing video games. 

So even a keyboard mashing competition is considered sports according to you? 

[iUSEMAC]

35 minutes ago, Castdeath97 said:

So even a keyboard mashing competition is considered sports according to you? 

Look, I'm not bashing video game competitions but I consider football, basketball, tennis, Racing etc all as 'Sports' (Recreational Activities) it's just my point of view. I don't think playing video games is a sport and it's more like competition rather than sports.

[Serin]

5 minutes ago, iUSEMAC said:

Look, I'm not bashing video game competitions but I consider football, basketball, tennis, Racing etc all as 'Sports' (Recreational Activities) it's just my point of view. I don't think playing video games is a sport and it's more like competition rather than sports.

Difference between competition and sport?

[Castdeath97]

9 minutes ago, iUSEMAC said:

Look, I'm not bashing video game competitions but I consider football, basketball, tennis, Racing etc all as 'Sports' (Recreational Activities) it's just my point of view. I don't think playing video games is a sport and it's more like competition rather than sports.

What makes a chess game a mind sport while video game are limited to being a "competition"? I'm still not convicened. 

[iUSEMAC]

16 minutes ago, Castdeath97 said:

What makes a chess game a mind sport while video game are limited to being a "competition"? I'm still not convicened. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

[Castdeath97]

12 minutes ago, iUSEMAC said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

Still can't find what makes a Esports video not a sport but chess is considered one.

 

Going by the Council of Europe definition that is referenced in the article:

 

"Sport (UK) or sports (US) are all forms of usually competitive physical activity or games which,[1] through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators."

 

Yes it references the physical activity portion but doesn't enforce it (which is why chess is a sport). It has the enjoyment, skill set and entertainment for the audience. 

 

More importantly the article even considers electronic sports to be a "recent development", as per the history section.

 

Edit: You should have instead linked this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESports#Games

it does a better job at highlighting the arguments against and for Esports. The arguments against reflect the same "Esports is not a "true sport" and the jokingly attitude", which is just not enough proof in my opinion.

[iUSEMAC]

25 minutes ago, Serin said:

Difference between competition and sport?

I meant contests, like video game contests for a cash prize or a trophy.

[iUSEMAC]

1 minute ago, Castdeath97 said:

Still can't find what makes a Esports video not a sport but chess is considered one.

 

Going by the Council of Europe definition that is referenced in the article:

 

"Sport (UK) or sports (US) are all forms of usually competitive physical activity or games which,[1] through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators."

 

Yes it references the physical activity portion but doesn't enforce it (which is why chess is a sport). It has the enjoyment, skill set and entertainment for the audience. 

 

More importantly the article even considers electronic sports to be a "recent development", as per the history section.

I just don't consider them as sports and it's my own perspective like you don't consider Chess as sports.