Are eSports a legit sport now?

It seems to me that eSports are bigger than they've ever been. Even I'm starting to watch some of this stuff. Watching people play CS:GO or Smash Bros can be pretty fun and exciting. What about you, SW? Are you into it? Is this a legit sport in your mind?

It doesn’t really matter if it’s a legit sport or not. Dont really want to get into semantics about sport on a gaming forum. The argument for calling it a sport means nothing other than being some effort to legitimize gaming or the competitive hobby.

It’s its own thing and has been a big thing for years now, it's just further growing and developers are making larger efforts in the multiplayer space to provide an infrastructure for competition. It’s legitimate as a hobby. It’s legitimate as an entertainment spectacle. It’s legitimate as a competitive business and unfortunately also an avenue for unregulated gambling.

I rather watch paint dry than watch kids playing games. For me gaming is a hobby i enjoy, as in im the one playing, not watching other people play. I notice we live in a generation of casual games (casual games are the big sellers FIFA COD) and kids like to watch other people play... lmao... well i dont follow trends so i keep doing my thing. If GG gets to doing KZ5 and its good i do clan matches like always but never consider myself an eSport athlete hahaha lol people are so messed up in the head nowadays.

@KillzoneSnake: I want a new Killzone too

It's been a religion in Korea for years.

video games arent a sport

Its a sport. Just like driving a silly car in a circle for 4hours is a sport. Get over it people.

No, it's not a sport because they're playing fucking video games. Next we're gonna be calling D&D a sport. **** off with that noise

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sport

D&D doesnt compete with one another.

@SolidGame_basic:

It's pretty much considered a sport but I could care less about it. Gaming is more of a hands-on experience than a viewing one.

The definition of sport seems to slighly vary depending on the dictionary you look at.

Ultimately, esports require hand eye coordination and physical reflexes that are not very common. You can end up with physical injuries. That have led to arthritis. Practice schedules of 8 hours a day are very grueling. And professional gamers peak at about 24 years of age. Far lower than many traditional sports.

No but they are rather popular

@SolidGame_basic: I was watching the CS tournament which final is in a couple of hours. Really cool stuff. EVO finals were in ESPN too.

Lol nerds

Nah.

We do call SC1 our national tradition, but that's about it.

There is a running joke that you have to beat your fiancee's father in SC1 to get his blessing, but that's just a joke. But there is a very real chance that you might have to let your future brother-in-law win in LoL if you want his support.

No but neither is soccer yet people consider that trash a sport.

I'm not into it and **** no it's not a sport haha

No lol

@KillzoneSnake: esports athlete isn't a term that anyone uses.

This is a tough subject. I watched cornhole on ESPN 2 yesterday. If cornhole is on ESPN 2 then video games absolutely should be.

I'm not calling them athletes though. Sports and games are 2 different things.

Sport can be an ambiguous term. That aside, ESPN certainly seems to think so.

@mems_1224: D&D is far more interesting to be honest.

I had to wonder whether this discussion is approrpriate for System Wars. Why not bring it up in the General Gaming forum that needs more activity?

First reply nailed it.

Chess has competitive leagues and tournaments, would you call it a sport? Does it have to be called a sport? Can't it just be competitive chess? Can't competitive gaming be just that?

I was going to cyber cafes and competing in local tournaments before anything was called an esport, (I won a BF2 tournament back in the day) I did the same thing with my old Socom clan. Never did I think of these things as sports, but just as competitive gaming.

ESPN will air what people will watch. Cornhole / Poker really arent athletic feats but they are on there. So vidya gamin is just fine.

@NathanDrakeSwag: It's called FOOTBALL not soccer.

A legit competition at least, like billiards, poker etc.

No they are not. Chess is not a sport, esports are not a sport. they are a very competitive type of game, but involve no physical ability whatsoever.

Also, with the likes of chess, its an old game. There is one set of rules. It's a classic, it will never get old. Esports are designed on the latest games aren't they? I mean I don't watch them as I'd pretty much rather always play games than watch others like this but I gather they tend to be around newer games. I know there are some that are older like SC2 but let's be honest: they are not timeless. They will get old. No one will be talking about street fighter V in 50 years time, so it's really just testing the skills of people dedicated to one particular game at one point in history. People may get the same thrill from watching their favourites battle on screen but it's no way a sport.

No.

It's about as legitimate a sport as darts, at least to me. Both need high levels of hand eye coordination, loads of dedication and practice but neither demand high levels of physical fitness, although being fit and healthy is an advantage in any walk of life.

It'll never be a recognised sport until sporting bodies accept it as such though.

I consider it a sport, different governments and international sporting organizations are increasingly recognizing it as such too. But it is a topic that probably has more working against its inclusion than for it.

Today they had competitive drone racing

Legit in that they are money makers and will only grow exponentially more lucrative in the future.

Legit in that they are sports? I don't think anyone who is a part of it really cares. They're there own thing now. They used to seek approval by looking for investors and chasing tv, now it's the other way around

TV puts on esports but honestly the people who care are not going to be watching on TV anymore, this makes the networks sad they lost out on an opportunity by turning it away. I think it's hilarious.

Im watching many years now. This shit exploded with games like Lol, cs go etc.

Lol, they don't give a shit. If people watch ESPN will televise it.

Sport? No.

Skilled activity? Yes.

Golf is considered a sport.

The same debate exists over whether competitive board games like Chess and Go are sports.

Debating doesn't really change the fact that Chess is an olympic sport.

sport

/spôrt/

noun

1. 1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

No, esport is not real sport..popular business yes. No won't be watching either...lol..I'd rather play the game then watch people play game. :P

never were,never will be

I agree with this. People always say eSports are not sports because they are not physical. But driving cars is not physical (your body doesn't move much apart from steering) yet we call them "motor sports". Not sure why eSports can't be considered sports.

I'm really not interested at all in watching other people play games. Not even in Youtube videos. That's like watching other people eat.

Just Dance

Which is exactly what is used.

@foxhound_fox said:

Golf is considered a sport.

So's darts, and people play that half cut.

eSports is a legit sport for years. Remember, Poker, Chess and racing are all considered sports as well. I'm just not enjoying other people do sport and the same goes for eSports.