Should E-sports Be Considered a Sport?

I know video games are really popular these days and have been for quite some time and that’s ok, but personally, I don’t get it. I grew up in a different generation and, whilst we had access to early video games, not so many kids played them. I think we had an Atari console when I was young, but it was only fun for a little while. My brother and I were more interested in playing outside. That may be an Australian thing, or at least a big part of our culture. I’m sure modern computer games are far superior to the games I played as a kid. I think kids should be encouraged to enjoy whatever they like, but with technology come some problems.

There are good points and bad points to modern technology. Obviously, some good points are: easy access to information, and the speed at which we can get that information. As far as entertainment goes, well the list is extensive. Music, video, movies and games have all benefited from modern technology, but there is a cost. I think it has made society lazier, in general. You don’t see kids playing outside as much compared to when I was a kid. Society is getting fat. I think part of this is due to games on devices such as Nintendo DS and smart phones.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about e-sports or the community surrounding it, but I have seen some Youtube videos showing the extraordinary amounts of money some of these gamers are making. I was shocked to see how popular these players are. I still don’t really understand the allure of watching someone play a game rather than playing yourself. But then, what do I know. Some of my colleagues and friends play games, and that’s cool. For me though, that’s for kids and it seems like a waste of time.

As for a computer game, that is definitely not a sport. There’s no physical action involved apart from moving your thumbs and fingers, at least not that I can see. I’m not suggesting there’s no skill involved but I don’t think it can be called a sport. Maybe my ideas are old fashioned but, to me, a sport requires some form of body movement more than just using your hands. Maybe you disagree, and I respect that. We, as children, were encouraged to get outside and play. Running or kicking a soccer ball or doing something at the beach was very important. These things were what most kids did in my day (argh, I sound old writing this). This was how we grew up. It was a healthy lifestyle too, which I think was a good thing.

I don’t think e-sports are going anywhere anytime soon. As a matter of fact, regardless of my opinion, they’re going to become more and more popular. The industry is huge and generates a huge income. Why it does still baffles me though. Luckily, my opinion doesn’t matter to the gaming industry.

Peter

Vocabulary

console (n) - a small electronic device for playing computerized video games
extensive (adj) - covering or affecting a large area
extraordinary (adj) - very unusual or remarkable
allure (n) - the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating
regardless (adv) - without regard or consideration for
baffle (v) - totally bewilder, confuse or perplex.