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Is Competitive Video Gaming a Sport?

3dny.thecgs.com — With the NFL, NBA and MLB all fixtures of our culture, could Video Games be the next big thing?

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  • CaptainNoPants, on 11/02/2007, -12/+159If NASCAR is a sport, competitive spitting could be a sport.
    • carpespasm, on 10/30/2007, -8/+29i'm not a huge fan of it, but it is physically taxing to do. The cars get upwards of 120F, on many tracks you're constantly having to coordinate between the wheel, clutch, gas, brake, and gear shift. You're only on your butt because you have to use all your appendages to control something.
      • sbgunn, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2I hear that argument trotted out a lot. It always makes me think of it as, at best, some sort of uncomfortable endurance test. I can put some people in a steam room, have them jump on one foot while rubbing their stomachs and patting their heads. Does sport = discomfort + coordination test? I don't think so, but I do love arguing about it.
      • FloppyLlamaDigg, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1"you're constantly having to coordinate between the wheel, clutch, gas, brake, and gear shift."

        I do that on my way to work every day.
    • ozid, on 11/01/2007, -6/+14Sport: An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

      Video Game playing = not a sport.

      Nascar = I didn't think it was a sport until I got a ride along in one of my friends short track stock cars. (Basically nascars but mandated that there is a radio in the car, although it doesn't have to have speakers or work at all, two seats, etc). He was only driving at 150mph at the fastest, and it exhausted me being in the car. It's like 120 degrees in those things. The steering wheel is set up so a 90 degree turn turns the wheels completely. And without power steering, that is a very hard thing to do. Even while your moving.

      I don't necessarily like watching Nascar, but I sitting in that car for 30 laps was harder than any game I've ever played. Literally.
      • Rahodeb, on 11/01/2007, -6/+2Tell that to my thumb
      • SanTe, on 10/30/2007, -3/+7"Video Game playing = not a sport."

        Oh yeah? Let's see you break the marathon record on the original 1983 arcade game "Star Wars" ( http://tinyurl.com/yvsc6r ). No pause button, no save game states, no eating, no sleeping, no sitting on your ass on a comfy couch, no breaks of any kind, just seven seconds between levels to regroup before the next onslaught. See you in 54 hours, if you live.

        If ***** *golf* of all things qualifies, then video gaming certainly can. No physical exertion my ass...
        • Zzone, on 10/30/2007, -2/+4Lets see you try and talk to a girl.
        • pooper, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4You're talking about an endurance test. I could type for 50 hours straight, it doesn't make me an athlete, nor does it make typing a sport.
          • SanTe, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4"You're talking about an endurance test."

            Thanks. I'll remember that the next time marathon runners call themselves athletes.

            "Running isn't a sport because anyone can do it. Anything we can *all* do can't be a sport. I can run; you can run. My mother can run. You don't see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated do you?" -- George Carlin
        • ozid, on 10/30/2007, -3/+2Oh wow. There's a difference between Mental and Physical Exertion.

          They are never going to make a game about specific people playing video games. Oh wait EA is developing. F4t41TY 09 right now
          • SanTe, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2"Oh wow. There's a difference between Mental and Physical Exertion."

            You don't say. Wow, I had no idea. Perhaps you missed the "No pause button, no save game states, no eating, no sleeping, no sitting on your ass on a comfy couch, no breaks of any kind, just seven seconds between levels to regroup before the next onslaught. See you in 54 hours" part of my comment.

            Many video game competitions do have real physical exertion. I think more people have died playing Berzerk (two) than have died competing in half of the Olympic events in existence.
        • Yrnn, on 10/30/2007, -1/+154 hours? Are you mad? Try playing real sports like football, hockey, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, rugby, water polo, or even figure skating, volleyball, badminton, tennis, etc etc etc for even a 10th of that time in the same way you described, then come back and tell me that video games require "physical exertion".
        • zeroEDGE, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Exactly, if Golf is a sport, video games can be a sport. Problem is, all people see in video games are button pressing and staring at a TV screen. They fail to realize that video games that are used in competitive gaming actually requires strategies and game planning if you really want to win. Which is why I believe that no one in America will ever take gaming serious enough to get enough sponsors for competitive gaming to be realized as a sport.
      • kohbo, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2If you had any reason in you than you'd realize that physical exertion doesn't only mean your muscles. Many competition require an intesnse amount of mental attunement to your environment and can very stressful on the body. It is a challenge among each gamer to be quicker and smarter than the next.
        • ozid, on 10/30/2007, -2/+1The Force isn't real, man. You can't change things just by thinking about it intensely. Just like you can't exercise because you really think hard about it.

          Video Games aren't sports. You aren't athletic because you play video games all the time. And nobody will get 100 million dollar contracts for being the best at Halo 14.
        • Cerebral, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1@ozid
          You can't say nobody will ever get a 100million dollar contract for video games because if you understood WHY those people get those contracts you would see that it is possible one day that someone could get a contract like that. It's all about the market. Hell eventually you could have City type teams like you do in the NFL etc. and they could draw in huge numbers to arenas to watch CS matches etc. Hell it may be more profitable to do something like that considering you could have a different type of game per day and people would come.
          It's not there yet as it is in the infant stages of being a big sport but hell look at Korea, they love Starcraft and that game is 10 years old!
      • kohbo, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0*double post*
      • Dundasbro, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Wii Boxing much? That can be draining physically.
    • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -1/+5To say racing is crap is plain wrong and does require you to be in physical shape while on the other hand I did never get the point of NASCAR specifically. This is why I prefer F1 racing because the tracks are not just plain ovals and you can visibly see the amount of skill involved in navigating the course.
      • stellarceltic, on 10/30/2007, -2/+1Yeah... Tony Stewart must be on one hell of a workout regimen...
        • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -2/+3Why don't you try it bonehead? I can't help you if you are too stupid to realize what's involved in driving at 200mph+. It does require endurance.
      • Cerebral, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I don't know about your F1 comment as from anything I've heard it's actually the opposite. I've always heard that in F1 the "race" is more of a formality and that generally it's only if something goes WRONG that places change(not that it doesn't happen but you get my picture) whereas in Nascar since every car is typically almost identical it's more up to the drivers to make things happen for themselves by driving good lines etc.
    • Rahodeb, on 10/30/2007, -5/+1A better comparision is that if curling is a sport, then video games can be. And don't anybody go on about how hard brooming is.
      • Cerebral, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Not cool... curling is the only thing I watch from the Winter Olympics.
    • zeroEDGE, on 10/30/2007, -2/+10If ESPN aired a spelling bee competition and equipped it with commentators and floor reporters.... I don't see the problem with competitive gaming.
      • pooper, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3That's not the point. Just because ESPN airs it, doesn't make it a sport. Hell, they've aired dominoes and Scrabble championships.
      • woofers07, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2spelling bee's not the half of it. i've seen effing scrabble tournaments with commentators calculating possible word choices.
    • donkeySays, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3Competitive spitting might actually be a sport in Japan.
  • imjimmylin, on 10/30/2007, -23/+6I agree with CaptainNoPants
    • sockpuppets, on 10/31/2007, -3/+21Then use the reply button, Forrest.
    • floridiot2, on 10/31/2007, -3/+8I agree with sockpuppets.
    • tatltat, on 10/30/2007, -2/+6I agree with floridiot2.
    • supermanred, on 10/31/2007, -3/+2I disagree with imjimmylin and I have used the red thumbsy downy button thing and replied in the proper spot by clicking reply to his statement.
    • bagboyrebel, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3I agree with floridiot2 but disagree with tatltat.
  • bflander, on 10/30/2007, -18/+4i believe anything with the spirit of competition and a culture that follows whatever genre it may be, is definitely a sport.
    • sockpuppets, on 10/30/2007, -1/+16Then gangbangs are about to become an olympic event.
    • Nyaos, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Does that make bulletball a sport?
      • duddles, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I can't believe you remembered that one! Nice work.
    • mizzrym, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1No it makes it a competition. I believe to be a "sport", it must require physical activity of at least a moderate amount, simply by definition.
  • dolven, on 10/30/2007, -15/+2I agree with the article.. I think that this has a definite future..
    • KibibyteBrain, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Playing video games is not a sport. That doesn't make it it any worse...or better. Its just not one. Sports test physical abilities, and video games do not.
      • supermanred, on 10/30/2007, -2/+1...except Guitar Hero. My fingers are killing me.
    • supermanred, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2Yeah, in Nerdselvania.

      Unfortunately, Nerdselvania doesn't exist.
    • Asianwaste, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I like video games... but competitive video games are as much a sport as bowling is...
  • mstzbootman, on 10/30/2007, -14/+5I REALLY digg this article because it's very original and nobody has ever looked at gaming this way...
  • DaveGeffon, on 11/02/2007, -2/+50It was as I downed my 40th hotdog at the Nathan's hotdog eating contest that I knew anything could be a sport.

    ( I'm currently training for the World Rubix Cube Championship )
    • shinythingy, on 10/30/2007, -6/+5You're so cool
      • DaveGeffon, on 10/30/2007, -3/+12I know
        • h3llscaper, on 10/30/2007, -3/+1Do you touch yourself knowing that you are the current World Rubix Cube champion? And if you do, do you time yourself?
    • ByronT, on 10/30/2007, -1/+6Hey, you're moto! (It's sad that I still remember all the big names from Counter-Strike... and their real names)
    • TOAST98761, on 10/30/2007, -1/+0i thought trevor schmidt holds the hotdog eating record?
    • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1You bring up a good point actually that the article failed to mention. I saw a whole documentary on Discovery about the world of competitive eating and how some people really take it seriously!
  • vhell, on 10/30/2007, -9/+4Eight years ago there wasn't a single poker game on cable TV, now when I channel surf through the 20's I run into 4 or 5 games. Gaming will be on TV, it's a matter of time.


    PS YOU'RE GOING DOWN MOTO IN RUBIX CUBE
    • brycelb, on 10/30/2007, -2/+4Wrong. The WSOP has been on ESPN for about two decades.
    • r0b0, on 10/30/2007, -1/+3And I've seen MLG on TV.

      I wouldn't call it a *sport* just as I don't call poker a sport. In my opinion, sports need to be physically taxing, we need a better name than sport for things like competitive gaming which are mentally taxing.
    • bingobongony, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2Being on TV doesn't make poker a sport.
    • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1When I was in Hong Kong I saw a quake match on TV. I think it was actually a british show though.
    • Rahodeb, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I'd rather see gaming events that I can log onto online and drive the camera myself. I find that the games I've seen played on tv are boring because of the standard attempt at tv coverage. If I'm watching counterstrike, I want to be able to view it as if I'm in spectator mode.
    • skinjester, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0I've played games using my tv as a monitor for decades. oh you mean broadcast TV. Pretty unlikely IMO, unless the game was designed for spectator involvement in the first place. This point was made clear to me at a Magic basketball game I got talked into. While I have minimal interest in the sport itself, couldn't believe how entertaining the event was. Never a dull moment. In between plays or whatever they're called, the cheerleaders fired shirts from a gun(!) into the crowd or did dance numbers. There were several contests that spectators competed in, and there was what seemed like a never ending stream of "professional" entertainers doing fun things like roller skate break dancing. Drank heavily that night, but only because I was having so much fun. A lot more fun than expected and I'd do it again if I got more free tickets.

      Simply don't see the same thing happening with the current state of videogames. On the contrary, I do see televised sports adopting many conventions of in-game graphics used in videogames
  • sapphiRee, on 10/30/2007, -4/+3i agree with:
    d.) all of the above
  • atomicpoet, on 10/31/2007, -0/+24If lawn bowling and chess can be sports, I don't see why competitive gaming can't be. Afterall, you have to have strong thumb muscles to game properly.
    • jaytea90, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1index finger not thumb?!
    • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2You need 2 functional hands with all fingers intact. It's not just one strong finger so your sarcastic remark doesn't make sense at all.
    • pooper, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3Who the ***** says lawn bowling Chess is a sport?
  • DarkSamus, on 10/30/2007, -5/+14of course it's a sport, one day there will be a gamerbowl XL. NY Donkey Kongs FTW
    • jon30041, on 10/30/2007, -1/+3Bring it! Chicago Sonics are goin ALL THE WAY BABY!
  • mustang460, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4anything where two or more people can compete has the potential of becoming a sport in my opinion.
    but gaming has a pretty large hurdle to pass to become anything like football/baseball/ ect

    which is variety, there are many dozens of games at any given time, which are replaced with sequels/new titles on a regular basis, limiting the competitive communities overall size per game
    for esports to get really mainstream, a single game needs to shine in each genre to last for many years, and keep a huge community of players/fans(shining example being korea and starcraft)

    also, games need to be much more interesting to watch by non gamers, most sponsorship is coming in from companies pushing the latest hardware, but that only lasts for a short time(your not getting a starcraft player to buy an 8800gts/c2d extreme)
    • gwenny, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1LOL You must not play World of Warcraft. Arena competition is the big thing now. There's also Fury, which my son spent several weeks training for and competing in.
  • KnockoutNerd, on 10/30/2007, -2/+3 I always viewed a sport as more physical activity then using only fingers but CaptainNOpants said it best "If NASCAR is a sport, competitive spitting could be a sport".
    • brycelb, on 10/30/2007, -2/+4Driving a car at 200 mph takes a little more than fingers to accomplish.
      • Torpov, on 10/30/2007, -1/+1That's right, you need feet to get to that 200mph and to stop.
    • jon30041, on 10/30/2007, -1/+1If competitive spitting were a sport, I'm actually fairly sure that most NASCAR drivers would be in the playoffs pretty consistently.
      • Rahodeb, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0Competitive spitting is a sport. There are cherry and watermelon seed spitting contests at many small town festivals.
    • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2I'm sorry but you're an idiot. I dare you to actually race in even NASCAR. There was a case in F1 when the winner collapsed due to exhaustion. Have you ever even went 200mph and knowing that even a slight mistake can be lethal? I dislike NASCAR specifically but it's a failed analogy.
  • amrush4th, on 10/30/2007, -2/+11Sure why not, I mean jerking it could be a sport if you set some rules "OK, can I rub one out while my wife goes to the bathroom. on my mark get set.."
    • Okari, on 10/30/2007, -0/+12Everyone wins in that game.
    • TruthKid, on 10/30/2007, -2/+0Would you be upset to find out that I am actually in the bathroom 4 out of 5 times fornicating with your wife with the goal of nutting before you successfully jerk off unknowingly outside?
  • jeimus, on 10/30/2007, -0/+6If someone has lost an eye, then its a sport
    • BlueSkyfish, on 10/30/2007, -1/+4Does a plasma TV count?
    • D3koy, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Well, it's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye...so any day now...
  • itsthebrod, on 11/03/2007, -3/+26There are sports, and then there are competitions. Football, baseball, soccer, and other physical activities with people directly competeting with each other = sports. Eating contests, video games, NASCAR, chess, etc. = competitions.
    • bingobongony, on 11/01/2007, -0/+4NASCAR is a physical activity with people directly competing against each other.
      • skinjester, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0and cars. The real human skillz++ belong to the pit crew
        • bingobongony, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2Yeah...you try driving a car at 180 MPH for hours. You wouldn't last 5 minutes.

          It never fails...whenever someone berates a sport for being easy to do, or that it is all the equipment or something, it is only because that person is COMPLETELY ignorant of what it takes to do that sport.

          It is like people mocking bowling, but if anyone tried to live the life of a professional bowler for one week they would have their arm packed in ice for a month. Or people mocking dart players thinking it is like when they once got a bullseye at the bar!
          • Aciesethon, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1You trying playing against SlayerS Boxer in starcraft. You wouldn't last 5 minutes.

            Look at the Korean gaming circuit before you preach about ignorance of other sports.
    • TruthKid, on 10/30/2007, -2/+0Exactly, I'm glad someone said it. Owning a business is competitive, so would that be a sport? No. All you chuckle heads saying competition = sport probably didn't have fathers who played catch with you.
      • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Bad analogy again. Business is not a game per se. Sports is a game that requires physical activity. While the other examples may not be considered a sport it is still a game.
  • whatthefu, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1How about the general populace defines "sport" clearly? Are there different levels of "sports," or is all competition considered to be a sport? There's that age-old argument of cheerleading being a sport. They compete, but most of cheerleading doesn't fit the accepted general guideline of what is and isn't a sport. So does gaming?
    • DaveGeffon, on 10/30/2007, -2/+0That's a good question, but shouldn't certain guidelines clearly define what a sport is -- synchronized swimming is a sport in the Olympics and I'd say Cheerleading is a bit more strenuous version of that.
      • thewfirestarter, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0I always had that argument back in high school with the cheerleaders. I held that cheerleading was not a sport because it was created for the sole purpose of motivating players and crowds of "real" sport. Sure, they compete against other cheer squads, but that's only for points, and there is no interaction with the other teams.

        I would say synchronized swimming is a grey area. While its sole purpose is competition (and not cheering another team), it's a borderline call, since its just a performance that's just rated against other teams. You could call dancing a sport by that definition, or anything that involves rated movement (pantomimes, jugglers, and clowns could equally be judged and scored, and I hardly think we'd call those "sport").

        Anyways...the cheerleaders always got really defensive when I told them they weren't a sports team.
    • Rahodeb, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0The bigger question is, who cares what you call it? Do people want to watch it?
    • Dundasbro, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1It could be defined like art is defined. It is a sport if someone calls it a sport, if someone thinks hanging clothes up is a sport, who is to say that isn't true? (Though I wouldn't consider it a sport)
  • sockpuppets, on 10/31/2007, -1/+27What's with all these new accounts commenting and digging this up? I smell spam.
  • 89vision, on 10/30/2007, -0/+6It's as much as a sport as poker is.
  • thebraineater, on 11/03/2007, -5/+30no
  • 12345Falcon, on 10/30/2007, -4/+18NO
  • Durthalion, on 10/30/2007, -11/+4YES
    1million for a halo 3 tournament
    http://www.thecpl.com/
    its a sport
    • cnot3, on 10/30/2007, -0/+13Cash prizes doesn't make it a sport. Bingo is a sport by your logic.
    • Jertje, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0Halo 3 isn't a videogame, it's a cult.
      • itsthebrod, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Well then it has the most delicious Kool-Aid of all time.
  • Metl, on 10/30/2007, -1/+7Complexity gaming... the professional gaming team that's widely known because of its Counter Strike Source squad early last year proved to the United States Government that Video Gaming was a legitimate sport when they drafted zet from Sweden on a special visa. So... Its been done already, people just haven't come to accept it yet. =D
    • DaveGeffon, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Yea, that's a good point. I forgot about it.
    • Skanadian, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Complexity known for CS:S? I think CS1.6 is where most people know them from.
  • ummagummas08, on 10/30/2007, -5/+13No, because watching someone play video games is on about the same level of entertainment as watching paint dry.

    Seriously Boring.
    • joggingmac, on 10/31/2007, -2/+1Agreed except i think you giving it too much credit. Watching paint dry is way more exciting than watching video games.
    • kumorig, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0I believe a link to a crowd, who enjoys watching paint dry, is in it's place here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJkXeVmRYhM I, for one, love eSports!

      Now I'll have to try watching some paint dry. Is it really as good as everyona says? ;D
    • BearinG, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2Lots of sports are boring to watch... hence why some sports are never shown on TV anyway.. doesn't mean they don't have people practicing it..

      I might not call it a sport though.. but technically, Pool (billiards) is a sport...
    • gwenny, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1You are confusing "spectator" with "competitive". Just because no one watches doesn't mean it isn't fun to play. ALTHOUGH, when my spawn were young we often took turns playing things like Zelda, while the rest watched and kibitzed. LOL
  • greekgoat91, on 10/30/2007, -3/+8No, neither is Nascar, fishing, dancing, poker, or spelling bees
    • TruthKid, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3Perhaps you could reconsider on spelling bees?
  • DeFex, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2darts is a sport. so is curling.
    • bingobongony, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Curling takes a lot of skill and endurance.
  • cnot3, on 10/31/2007, -0/+5If video gaming is a sport then I am a great athlete.
  • Genjeta, on 10/31/2007, -0/+10It already happend 10 years ago when Korea founds its soul mate, Starcraft.
    • jon30041, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3But now a younger, prettier, more flexible mistress has come along.

      Starcraft II: The announcement that had all of Korea ***** their pants in unison
    • D3koy, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2Soul mate or Seoul mate?

      Sorry, where there are bad puns around I can't help myself
  • uziko, on 10/30/2007, -3/+2No sports require physical activity, moving your fingers doesn't count.
  • radikul, on 10/30/2007, -7/+2ummmm yes. There is something called the MLG. Major League of Gaming. this should be dugg down for questioning something that is already a reality....noobs.
    • Gndoab, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2cramming feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken
    • bingobongony, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2How does that make it a sport?
    • MewTwo, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1still using the word noob. ummm don't care about what you're saying.
  • Slade605, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Most people watch sports that are, as previously stated, physically challenging. Chances are, if you like video games, you can play them. Not every male over 50 may be in good health for physical contact sports.
  • ch4os1337, on 10/30/2007, -5/+3ever heard of MLG???
  • Hoxie, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2Miriam-Webster says:
    a source of diversion
    a particular activity

    Sounds like gaming fits to those definitions.
    • thewfirestarter, on 10/30/2007, -1/+1I call *****. You spelled the name of a dictionary wrong. Your input is voided on principle.

      Merriam-Webster. Besides, right next to your definition is "b: sexual play" which is also not a sport by traditional thought.
    • stanleyford, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2"Sounds like gaming fits to those definitions." -- So does masturbating, but that's not a sport.
  • saqer, on 10/31/2007, -5/+1Playing games will never be a sport in my book no matter how competitive or popular it gets. Real sports require physical exertion, athleticism and a special skill set not found in your average joe. Anyone can pick up a controller and can play a game and get good at it, but very few can pick up a ball and know how to shoot, kick or throw it.
    • DaveGeffon, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1There's several things mentioned in the comments that are more mentally stimulating than phsyically stimulating such as Chess, Poker and Gaming -- but the strain of such mentally stimulating activities can be felt physically. Would that qualify as a sport then?
    • ch4os1337, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2Im pretty sure trowing a ball is easier then getting level 50 in halo 2
      • saqer, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2don't take my comments at only face value. YOU know exactly what I mean when I say THROW a ball.
      • thewfirestarter, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0Sure. But throwing a ball WELL isn't.
    • zypherbl, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2Not really true, anyone (excluding some handicapped) can pick up a ball and know how to shoot, kick or throw it just as anyone can pick up a controller. It's just that certain people train harder and have characteristics that make them more suited to the task, which is what makes sport. You can argue the same about games: some will have better reflexes, strategic minds, etc. and will train to become better than your average joe.
    • D3koy, on 10/30/2007, -0/+4but I can pick up a ball "and get good at it"... i just choose to pick up a controller/keyboard and "get good at it"...I'm sorry, I just don't see the distinction there...And if it has to require physical activity, can DDR be a sport?
    • itsripitsrip, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1anyone can pick something up and play it.

      it's just being among the top players in the world is where it gets tricky.
  • Ocelot13, on 10/30/2007, -4/+2if poker can be a sport...gaming can too
    • bingobongony, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2OK..Then it isn't, since poker is not a sport.
      • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2Why does espn show poker?
        • Wartz, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2Entertainment and Sports Programming Network

          Notice the first word
  • joggingmac, on 10/30/2007, -5/+2No, because who gives a ***** who the best or better gamer is. All it really shows is who has the least social life.
    • bagboyrebel, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1so spending a lot of time on sports is a good thing but spending a lot of time on video games means no social life? Well it's a good thing you were here to warn me or I might have spent time on something I actually enjoy.
  • rkdotan, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2marksmanship is a sport in the Olympics.
  • D3koy, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1Maybe Video games don't want to be sports, did anyone ever think of the video games' feelings? Why does it matter? Is being a sport some big deal?
  • saqer, on 10/31/2007, -7/+3Gamers live in their own little fantastical world, while REAL athletes live in the REAL world.
  • Cirok, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2its an "eSport"
    • ThEDeMoNKiNg, on 10/30/2007, -1/+1esports? Pfft! What's next, "email"?
  • Mohdoo, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2For people who try to push down gaming as a serious competitive activity...You need to ask yourself a question. Do people play football to run into each other, and throw a ball across a field? Or do they instead, play it for the competitive, self improving, team based enjoyment? It's all about the competition, feeling yourself get better, supporting your team, and feeling great about what you're doing. All of these things are present in gaming as well, it is just presented much differently. I hope that people will have an open mind about "esports". I'm not saying it's here to take over, just that it might add a nice sense of variety :)
    • saqer, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2some activities are more nobler and "honorable" than others. At least playing football gives you the opportunity to get out into the open, breathe in the fresh air and maybe even enhance your circulatory system.
      • bagboyrebel, on 10/30/2007, -2/+2or maybe you are just being an elitist who thinks that activities other people enjoy aren't as good as the ones you like.
        • saqer, on 10/31/2007, -1/+2yes, i am, but only towards games and pointless activities. Mind you, I play video games...but I acknowledge it as only a leisure activity.
      • Wartz, on 10/30/2007, -1/+1or get drunk, get arrested and get pumped up full of steriods
  • elevenwatt, on 10/30/2007, -3/+1In my book, for it to be considered sport, there has to be some kind of risk - conventionally, injury or death. Otherwise it is a competitive game - pro gaming is basically something that was designed more for amusement than for comparison or display of skill or physical ability, but played at a competitive level. Competitive gaming also not a sport because it is played by pasty nerds.
    • TruthKid, on 10/30/2007, -1/+0There are people who have killed themselves over Everquest / WoW
    • bagboyrebel, on 10/30/2007, -0/+2Can you please explain how competitive gaming doesn't take skill?
      • elevenwatt, on 10/30/2007, -0/+0To be clear, in games (including competitive ones), fun is the main point, and the level of competition can vary. In sport, no matter what your t-ball coach may have told you, competition is paramount.
        Skill is implied in both games and sports. I don't know how you got "gamers don't have skill" from what I wrote.
  • smozoma, on 10/30/2007, -3/+1If poker is a sport (as apparently it is by the vast amounts of air time it gets on sports channels), then, sure, video gaming is definitely a sport, too.
  • Mokachaba, on 10/30/2007, -2/+1Is marching band considered a sport then?
  • foobz, on 10/30/2007, -2/+1If extreme ironing is a sport.

    Dominating people via pixels is a sport!
  • saqer, on 10/30/2007, -3/+1Once you raise this issue of sport or not with gamers/gaming and games you are giving the whole gaming "culture" the opportunity to upgrade from a hobby/past-time/recreational/leisure activity to "serious past-time". We keep lowering our standards. At the end of the day it's just going to be a money driven thing.
    • BearinG, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1And money is not involved in pro sports?
  • antiorblkflag9, on 10/30/2007, -0/+3Video games are fun, and it's fun to compete. Why do we spend so much time arguing if something is a sport or not. Who gives a crap? Shut up and pick up a controller, or if you are smart a mouse and keyboard.
    • MewTwo, on 10/30/2007, -1/+2oh here we go... the mother ***** pc gamer has to have his
      • KobraKommander, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I agree: PC vs Console = retarded comparison..who cares that one prefers gaming on a PC vs a console, they are both able to play the same stuff and now you can even play against one another cross platform style so what makes one better than the other? nothing more than personal preference really. I play both PC games and console games and they both rock equally IMHO.
        • antiorblkflag9, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1I honestly play both as well. In fact I play my DS more than my PC. I was just trying to make a joke.
    • BearinG, on 10/30/2007, -0/+1The comment was good until you added PC vs Console... You are doing exacly like these people here arguing if gaming is a sport.. but you argue that smart people use PCs to play games.. very smart indeed
  • kidjay, on 10/30/2007, -0/+11contest of skill != sport.

    there is no athleticism involved in gaming whatsover. ridiculous to even discuss it.


    and i spend time playing games.
    • anw13, on 10/30/2007, -1/+0you're right in saying that gaming has no athleticism in it whatsoever. however, that statement could not be more false if you're talking about pro gaming.
    • anw13, on 10/30/2007, -1/+0the question isnt whether or not gaming is a sport. the article is about whether or not competitive gaming is a sport, and if you knew anything about it, you would realize that it is very physical.
  • kageki, on 10/30/2007, -1/+3I don't really care if gaming is not officially considered a sport. You have a chess fan who argues that chess is not a sport, but no doubt enjoys the game very much. To each his own, but you can't deny that gaming does involve practice and "skill" to be competitive.

    To any bonehead that is gonna reply that it's just a game. Go ahead and face up top players in any FPS like Quake, CS, Unreal, Wolf: ET. You will get your ass handed to you until you actually practice hard at it for a long time.

    Whether it's a sport or not, I just want people to recognize it's not just some Hello Kitty video game. Some of these games can be difficult to master and does require patience, practice and cunning to be good at it.
  • xeno439, on 10/30/2007, -3/+3Gaming is sure as hell a sport here in Korea. Some of these dudes get good $.
  • Vector713, on 10/30/2007, -1/+5No.

    It's just really not.
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