Poll: Do you think Esports should be taken as serious as traditional sports?

[BENZOOKA]

Hell no.

e-Sports aren't sports by any means. They're not physical activities and I think the term used should be something like "competitive gaming".

sport: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.

They shouldn't be taken as seriously.

 

[Verlander]

No, they are much easier to cheat or to bug than normal smports, and are generally not very interesting to watch. I have to be honest, I can't see many people saying yes that aren't people who don't like normal sports

 

[Giuglea]

Hell no.

e-Sports aren't sports by any means. They're not physical activities and I think the term used should be something like "competitive gaming".

sport: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.

then why are chess, darts, and poker considered sports?or nascar)

 

[Giuglea]

No, they are much easier to cheat or to bug than normal smports, and are generally not very interesting to watch. I have to be honest, I can't see many people saying yes that aren't people who don't like normal sports

you cannot cheat in a competition..you obviously never seen an esport competition..and liking esports doesn`t mean you have to hate normal sports..as much as i love starcraft,i go out almost everyday to play basketball..

 

[Frotality]

yes they should; that is to say, traditional sports are taken WAY too seriously and should be downgraded to starcraft tourney level...in fact several degrees lower.

 

[Giuglea]

the SC competitive community is still clean..players aren`t purchased for ridiculous amounts of money and stuff like that...they play it for fun..skill...and to earn their living..that is how sports should be..when i look to the football world it looks like a mafia to me..without mentioning the hooliganic behaviour.

 

[Verlander]

No, they are much easier to cheat or to bug than normal smports, and are generally not very interesting to watch. I have to be honest, I can't see many people saying yes that aren't people who don't like normal sports

you cannot cheat in a competition..you obviously never seen an esport competition..and liking esports doesn`t mean you have to hate normal sports..as much as i love starcraft,i go out almost everyday to play basketball..

If there's a computer involved, it can be hacked and modified. End of. Anyway, my other point still stands, they just aren't an interesting spectator sport. The vast majority don't/won't watch them, which is why there's such a limited selection of sports that have exposure on television and suchlike

 

[ObsessiveSketch]

I can't agree with them garnering the same amount of respect as real sports. For one thing, the human element is what makes physical sports all the more interesting. A quarterback has to find his receiver while keeping aware of the pocket collapsing around him. Once he's thrown the ball, the receiver has to physically challenge his defender, be aware of the ball's position, and manipulate his body in such a way as to catch the ball.

Video games are still too constrained by computations, and the notion of 'statistics'. In several games, actions are a direct result of a computer calculating hit/miss, catch/drop, or crit/nocrit formulas. Of course, there have been bursts of genius that give Esports a fighting argument: <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jen46qkZVNI>New, risky, out-of-the-box strategies;<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJp0t9n8DWk&feature=related>Insane snap-reflex time and micromanagement skills;<a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS5peqApgUA> Honed levels of eye-hand dexterity, and a healthy fanbase to boot.

But until computers can simulate thousands upon thousands of possible outcomes per selectively unique action, sports are still more deserving of respect.

 

[Distorted Stu]

The definition of sport seems to cover games nicely: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sport

 

[Giuglea]

No, they are much easier to cheat or to bug than normal smports, and are generally not very interesting to watch. I have to be honest, I can't see many people saying yes that aren't people who don't like normal sports

you cannot cheat in a competition..you obviously never seen an esport competition..and liking esports doesn`t mean you have to hate normal sports..as much as i love starcraft,i go out almost everyday to play basketball..

If there's a computer involved, it can be hacked and modified. End of. Anyway, my other point still stands, they just aren't an interesting spectator sport. The vast majority don't/won't watch them, which is why there's such a limited selection of sports that have exposure on television and suchlike

in pro gaming competitions players are aloud to bring only their keyboards mouses and headphones..the rest of the computer is provided by the organizer..unless they figured out how to hack a mouse to headshot for them, your point does not stand..and let me give you a good example of people watching starcraft..huskystarcraft `s channel on youtube is and professional sc commentator channel and has 150.000.000 views and growing fast..and that is only one example..machinima has even more views on othe game related shows..

 

[CaptQuakers]

You guys do know that sport doesn't have to be a physical activity right ?

They just need to have a certain amount of skill or competitiveness nothing else.Although I am against the idea,If Darts and Pool can be called sports there is no reason why Starcraft 2 can't.


Any who Esports will never match "Real" sports.You will never get the numbers to even make It viable on a big scale at least like football or American football

 

[Fetzenfisch]

Just in the sense that we should lower our respect for real sports.
They are blown way too high. At least the upper leagues of pros.

 

[Denamic]

Video games are still too constrained by computations, and the notion of 'statistics'. In several games, actions are a direct result of a computer calculating hit/miss, catch/drop, or crit/nocrit formulas.

In case you haven't noticed, which you apparently haven't, games that are played competitively on a professional level has as few random elements as possible. Take StarCraft for example. No unit ever miss. If it fires its weapon, it will hit. And when it hits, it will do the same amount of damage every hit. A marine with 2 attack upgrades will always do 8 damage minus the armour of the target with every shot.
And there are no critical hits, and every map is mirrored.
In other words, everything comes down to your own tactics and skill as a player.
Nothing is chance.

 

[Lucifron]

No. Just no. Sports usually involve physical skill, a lot of physical skill. E-sports are more along the lines of Chess. A sport in another category.

Why should feats of the mind be regarded as inferior to feats of the body when the former is vastly more important for 99% of the population in western societies?

 

[BENZOOKA]

Hell no.

e-Sports aren't sports by any means. They're not physical activities and I think the term used should be something like "competitive gaming".

sport: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.

then why are chess, darts, and poker considered sports?or nascar)

Well they aren't always. In fact I think Nascar is so silly, I don't even count it as a proper motor sport.

They're just completely different things. And it's a subjective matter what you want to call a sport. Whether the only requirements are "competitive, requires skill" or "physical, competitive, requires skill". Or "scaly, evil, breaths fire".

 

[Thaliur]

Can I modify my answer slightly?

I chose "Yes", but in the sense of "traditional sports should not be taken more seriously than E-Sports".

Also, I want to avoid korean-style seriousness.

 

[Verlander]

No, they are much easier to cheat or to bug than normal smports, and are generally not very interesting to watch. I have to be honest, I can't see many people saying yes that aren't people who don't like normal sports

you cannot cheat in a competition..you obviously never seen an esport competition..and liking esports doesn`t mean you have to hate normal sports..as much as i love starcraft,i go out almost everyday to play basketball..

If there's a computer involved, it can be hacked and modified. End of. Anyway, my other point still stands, they just aren't an interesting spectator sport. The vast majority don't/won't watch them, which is why there's such a limited selection of sports that have exposure on television and suchlike

in pro gaming competitions players are aloud to bring only their keyboards mouses and headphones..the rest of the computer is provided by the organizer..unless they figured out how to hack a mouse to headshot for them, your point does not stand..and let me give you a good example of people watching starcraft..huskystarcraft `s channel on youtube is and professional sc commentator channel and has 150.000.000 views and growing fast..and that is only one example..machinima has even more views on othe game related shows..

Even discounting the countries that don't get youtube, that is such an insignificant number (especially when you consider re-views and curiosity views) Your argument doesn't stand. There is NO chance this will ever get taken as a serious sport, without even considering the perception of games in society. Put is this way- skateboarding and extreme sports have far more people with an invested interest, but the only exposure they get is when they ALL club together and form events like the X Games or Gravity Games. They have a television channel, but it supports all extreme sports, in which many fans have an invested interest. As for the larger sports, there is a notable difference-there is a physical attribute, that games do not require. There is a training that has uses outside of the sport itself. Don't try and throw things like chess at me either-when was the last time you watched chess on ESPN? It's not commonly considered a sport, they're considered "mind sports" and from what I'm understanding, you want games to be recognised at sports.

The games audience is too niche. Of all of the millions of people you can claim play games, very few of them are interested in watching games leagues. Sports however, have people who play, and those who don't, watching and supporting them. There is an emotional connection to real sports, that games just don't get. That, and all you need to be good at games is practice, and no exceptional amount of skill.

And dude.... everything interactive is hackable.

 

[StrangerQ]

E-sports should not be taken as seriously...

But the respect and gloryfying of traditional sports needs to be taken down at least few steps.

To be honest was extremelly irritated when i went to local bar to have drink with mates and i poor soul forgot that "big an' oh so important life depending" game of soccer was coming that evening
(noting that only friend in our jolly group who does sports
[in sense of hobby/following/taking seriously] does ballroom dancing)...
Oh my poor fucking ears and nerves from those *insert insults from headache* bloody yelling and raging soccer fans.
oh damn how i wish i was living in Australia now.

 

[Dooly95]

Yes, to a degree.

I love me Starcraft GSL, but seriously, I can't see it becoming a fan-crazed "sport" like baseball or football is. Or NFL. Not in the near future anyway.

I think as a spectator sport, it's too much like chess, or darts. There's not that much excitement for the viewer, especially if you have no idea what's going on. I suppose the same could be said for any sport, but since they already have a fanbase, and a roaring crowd that gets you in the mood for anything, you can kinda get into the mood for it.

So, in the immediate future, no. But once it gets a fanbase up and running, I can see it take off. Hell, if driving around in circles (Oh NASCAR, why are you so easy) is a sport, I can't see why a computer game can't be.

 

[gunman127]

Physical games are fine for fun, but Sporting as a job pisses me off completely.
When I'm king of the world, being a "professional sportsman" will be a capital offence!
Likewise, esports is retarded as a job, but for the lulz is fine.