Introduction.2-3
Background.3-4
Discussion4-10
Support of E-Sports as Sports.5-7
Opposition to E-Sports as Sports7-8
Responses to Objections.8-9
Conclusion10-11
Work Cited.12
INTRODUCTION
On October 19, 2014, more than 40,000 fans crowded into the sold-out World Cup Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, to watch a highly anticipated final match of a world championship series. The massive audience did not pack into the stadium to watch a concert. They did not come out in droves to witness teams of football players make touchdowns. They did not scream and cheer as men made baskets in a tense basketball game. This was not a traditional sporting event; in fact, it was a new kind of sport that brought these people to cheer on their favored players and teams; this new way of looking at sports has been dubbed E-Sports. This essentially translates to public competitive video and online gaming in a public forum, as explained by Ben Casselman in the 2015 article, “Resistance is Futile: E-Sports is Massive and Growing,” for ESPN. It is hard to imagine that playing in front of a screen would become a spectator sport and performed in an international stadium, but the popularity of this alternative to traditional sports is ever-increasing. However, E-Sports, is already facing a great deal of criticism, one of the greatest debates currently relevant is whether or not E-Sports, or competitive gaming, should be allowed to title itself a “sport.” Some feel that sports require very specific elements, the primary of which is physical activity. When someone thinks sports they automatically think of a baseball diamond, a numbered field or a basketball court. Most people would never see people playing in front of a screen pushing buttons when they imagine answering, what is a sport? While there are many who are speaking out against E-Sports being accepted as an actual sport in the modern era, there are many people who entirely support and believe that it requires many of the same skills sets that other athletes require. They argue that the definition of a sport cannot be a static concept; something that is rigid and does not change; definition of sport is something adapts and changes through time. After reviewing the available information it becomes very clear that E-Sports should be considered a sport because not all sports have to be “physical,” gamers require skill sets that are unique to their sport and finally it is a more all inclusive type of sport.
BACKGROUND
Sports are defined as an activity taken up by human beings, generally with a level of exertion or and skill, or some combination thereof, as was explained by the Regents of the University of California in article “What is a Sport.” Of course, the idea of sports throughout history has change. In the ancient world the idea of sporting events and spectator sports were the kinds of things seen in Greece and Rome, where the citizens were crowd into amphitheatres to watch gladiators battle to the death, watch slaves being torn to shreds by wild animals and watching prisoners be tortured and crucified by a eager audiences. That being said, that looks nothing like the sports we see today. Today, obviously, sports refer to any kind of game or activity that is, somehow physical, a show of speed, strength, endurance. Sometime the sports, like hurdles or track, require one to earn the fastest time, while other sports, like football and basketball requires participants to function well individually and upon a team in order to defeat an opposing team (Casselman 1).
E-Sports, again, can be defined as competitive gaming. These tournaments began in the late 1980s and with the advent of the PC and more advanced gaming by their year 2000 it was already a blooming industry. However, in order to understand why E-Sports should be considered a “sport” it is necessary to understand what exactly defines a competitive gamer. There are many people who own gaming systems and enjoy playing games in their leisure time in order to de-stress, for escape and they generally play on their own attempting to beat the game without interaction from other players. However, competitive players are very different. Competitive players are gamers who dedicate a great deal of their time playing games on teams against opponents, they learn the insides and outs of how to interact in a virtual world in a way that the average player generally does not possess, as explained by Katherine E. Hollis, in an article for the Arizona Law Review in 2015 (827-828). That being said some of these players become so skilled at functioning within games that there performance could be classified as “competitive,” like any other sport. It requires the players to plan their approach and how they will succeed; this is the same in sports like soccer, football and basketball. What is the best offensive moves? What are the best defensive strategies? These are questions E-Sports players and traditional athletes both must ask. Watching these players compete against one another is becoming a popular and lucrative endeavor. E-Sporting events are a new form of sports, one for the modern, technological era.
DISCUSSION
After reviewing the different definitions there is no doubt that E-Sports are different from traditional sports. There are many distinct differences that can be debated and discussed. It is true that E-Sports do not require the players to perform physically in any particular way, while mainstream sport do (Regents of the University of California 1). No one is insinuating that there are not differences. However, despite what the opposition may express to deny E-Sports being defined as a sport, the two formats of sporting do have a few relevant aspects in common. Both mainstream athletes and competitive gamers must learn the ins-and-outs of the games they play in order to develop tactics and strategies. They both must develop problem solving skills and a great deal of practiced interactions with the “tools’ of their sport. It takes a great deal of skill to operate the gaming equipment as surely as it takes hours of practice to make a basket, hit a home-run and throw a ball. Eye-hand coordination, focus and memory are also essential for both athletes and gamers, as detailed in the article by Michael G. Wagner, titled “On the Scientific Relevance of E-Sports” (4).
There are, again, many people who strongly oppose even the suggestion that any kind of video game play should, could or would ever be consider a sport (Casselman 1). At the same time there are many who feel that denying gaming as a sport is simply biased and shortsighted. An effort to cling, what they argue, are outdated definitions of the term “sport.” In fairness there is also a group of people, who are not invested in either argument. At the same time to the two extremes on the issue continue to argue and debate the issue.
Regardless of the controversy surrounding this issue the number of competitive gamers are growing, interested audiences are eagerly attending E-Sporting events and the popularity continues to rise, as detailed in the book, by T.L. Taylor, called “Raising the Stakes : E-Sports and the Professionalization of Computer Gaming (87-88). The supporters of granting E-Sports the legitimized title of an actual sport list three significant reasons why it deserves the acknowledgment to support their view.
Not All Sport Are Physical: One of the greatest arguments against E-Sports being considered as an actual sport is the lack of physical activity that is required. But there are a number of activities that are considered legitimate sports that also do not require a large amount or no real physical activity. Golf, is probably one of the least physically taxing sports that exist in the modern era. Golfers swing their clubs and the, often, walk slowly or jump in a golf cart to catch up to their ball. Target-shooting is considered a sport even though the participant are often stationary when they fire. Finally, the least physical of sports is chess. Chess is a difficult game that require a great deal of attention and focus, but it does not demand movement and is still classified as a sport (Regents of the University of California, 1). None of the activities require a great deal of physicality but do require a specific skill set, as does gaming. Ethically E-Sports, also, deserve the same consideration as other non-physical sports.
Modern Games are Complex: Video and online games that are available today are leaps and bounds more detailed, technical and complex than video games in the past. These games are not just animated characters; they are modeled after real life images and exist within realistic environments and rules of play. The players find themselves in a far more realistic. That being said one can no longer simply push a few buttons to jump, climb or run to a designated goal, it is now necessary to perform complex tasks, to follow detailed maps, and calculate strategies in order to maximize the likelihood of the success; war games, military combat simulations and survival games ask a great deal more from players than in the past. Making it a skill set that not everyone does or will ever have, as with any other sport. This, also, means that the skills needed are earned through practice and play, improving their scores (Wagner 4). Again, this is no different than any other sport. The physicality of sports is only part of what is necessary to the success in whatever game that one plays, be it physical or virtually.
All Inclusive Opportunity: By and large those individuals who possess the athletic skills needed to play a sport competitively or professionally makes up a very small percentile of the general public. Most people, including those that are fans of sports like baseball, football and basketball, are not as great of players as they are fans. Sports participation is very much an elite activity. It limits those who might wish to participate because they are not meeting the physical standards. However, that is very different in E-Sports because the physical build of a person, their height, weight and musculature does not matter. E-Sports allow anyone to participate if they possess the necessary technical and coordination skills (Wagner 4).Too often we see young, intelligent children who are bullied by those who play sports and feel impaired by not meeting those standards. E-Sports allow all kids, teens and young adults an outlet and opportunity to be competitive and team oriented in E-Sports as they might never be in physical sports.
Again, there are a lot of serious sports figures and fans that are wholeheartedly opposed to any kind of video-gaming, on-line action games or not physical activity can ever really be considered a sport (Cassleman 2). They offer three arguments of their own as a means of keeping E-Sports from be considered or labeled an actual, legitimate sport.
Sports are Sports: Those who oppose the consider E-Sports and E-Sporting events see nothing but glorified and grandiose version of a bunch overly awkward kids playing Nintendo in their parent’s basement. Athletes are athletic and that is why they play sports. That is what athletes do. Sports are one of the last physical activities, like baseball and football, which can still encourage children to appreciate exercise and lead active lives. Calling E-Sports an actual sport, is only going to encourage more youths to option for a sedentary lifestyle and not engage in true sports. Regardless of the complexity of the games played, there is still no physical elements encouraged (Wagner 3).
Economically Wasteful: Gaming consoles and video games, themselves, are rather expensive and constantly changing, meaning the price never ceases to increase. Sports on the other hand are played essentially the same since the moment they first began being played professionally. Football, basketball and baseball are imbedded in modern culture and have remained so for generations. Gaming does not offer the same consistency and tradition, as detailed in the article, “2016 Global Games Market Report,” by Peter Warman (11). Some feel that calling E-Sports actual sports will never produce the kind of fanfare and monies drawn by traditional sports; in other words regardless of what it is called it a temporary fixation or a fad.
Disrespectful to Athletes: There are many people that feel that calling an E-Sport a sport is the same as calling a competitive gamer and athlete. Many argue that the there are true athletes out there who sacrifice their time and energy. These individuals are dedicated to keeping themselves in shape in order to play their sport, whatever it may be. They may diet, exercise, forego entertainment opportunities to practice and improve. To compare the physical demand and the difficulty of achieving success in the world of sports to someone learning which buttons to press and when while sitting in front of a computer screen in a comfortable, air-conditioned could be insulting and offensive to “true” athletes playing, what they see as, “true” sports, as explained in the 2015 article, “Sponsorship within E-Sports: Examining The Sponsorship Relationship Quality Constructs,” by Xen Chalmet (17).
Those opposed to referring to E-Sports as sports make a concise argument, but all of their arguments and concerns can be countered by those supporting the acceptance of competitive gaming as a legitimate sport option. Traditional sports will always be sports and they should be neither bothered nor concerned by the inclusion of E-Sports in the category of sports.
Room for Everyone: The reality is that E-Sports is new and growing in popularity. However, the players and fans that may come out to a football game, may be a very different demographic from those that might attend a competitive gaming event; and vice versa. There is room for both in the modern era, as explained by Sue Schneider in the 2015 article, “E-Sport Betting: The Intersection of Gaming and Gambling, for Gaming Law Review and Economics.
A Lucrative Industry: It is true that gaming technology changes and advances very quickly, but this does not make gaming less lucrative or less worthy of being called a sport. If anything the ever-changing aspects of E-Sports creates greater challenges for the gamers, forcing them to learn, adapt and become cleverer. According to experts, the monies earned from gamers and the potential of greater gaming events the industry is becoming a multi-billion dollar industry (Warman 13-14). Also, all of this change does not make E-Sports less financially promising than its traditional sport counterparts; it fact it may make it more lucrative and likely a worthwhile investment in the future. The competitive gaming industry has seen 250 million people participated in or watched competitive gaming yearly; this number is growing at approximately 21 percent (Regents of the University of California 2).
Never an Insult to Athletes: The kinds of skills that are required of competitive gamers are the same skills prized in athletes, simply in a different manifestation. Athletes are physical competitors, but there is more to a sport than just the physical abilities and stamina (Schneider 420). It many ways basing whether or not E-Sports is not a sport is to suggest that athletes have less value beyond their physical abilities and competitive gamers intellectual and eye-hand-coordination is less because they may not possess physical prowess.
CONCLUSION
There is no doubt that sports play a huge role in many people’s lives, either because they play sports or watch sports, or both. Sporting activities are great ways to teach people team work, commitment and the ability to be both humble winners and gracious losers. E-Sports can and are teaching the very same lessons just in a different format. In the 21st century people still follow and become excited over sports as surely as they ever have, but there are others who are innovating the definition of competition in this modern era of technology. The jump to competitive gaming as a sport seems to be a very logical evolution. There are competitive gaming venues being booked all over the world and there is even a televised event that aired earlier this year. The popularity is growing as is the movement to see E-Sports acknowledged as an actual sport is also growing. The reality is that E-Sports should not be denied the title of a “sport,” it should be welcomed with open arms, because it is competitive, it is not a threat to traditional sports and it may open up the definition sports to greater and greater alternatives, in sports, E-Sports and whatever new appears in the future.
WORK CITED
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Schneider, Sue. “E-Sport Betting: The Intersection of Gaming and Gambling.” Gaming Law
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Taylor, T.L. “Chapter 3: Professionalizing Players. Raising the Stakes: E-Sports and the
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Warman, Michael G. “On the Scientific Relevance of E-Sports.” Danube University Krems.
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Warden, Peter. “2016 Global Games Market Report.” New Zoo Games. (2016): 1-24.
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