Gaming - World Sport?

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:42 pm

I've been thinking.

Computer and Gaming in general is everyday gaining more and more recognition as a competitive sport. With it's own heroes and champions in each game.

Of course there is a lot of controversy against games and gaming in general, but why is it that Gaming is not truly recognized as a global competitive sport?

Now, im sure that we all have local Gaming championships.

Then, we have our more recognized gaming championships, such as the GNGWC for example.

However, do you think we should have one big global competitive championship? Something which will be more widely recognized and accepted as a competitive sport. Now, im not saying that gamers should be paid thousands or like millions of dollars like on an anual sallary, i think just the title and respect/recognition is payment enough for the Average Joe gamer. Of course along with the big check for winning ^^.

There are those who say that we already have a global gaming championship. Such as the World Cyber Games
or the newer, less known Championship Gaming Series

Still, how well known and recognised are these two? I mean, they are not very well advertised, or broadcast.
So i ask you:

With all this steam that Gaming is building up, what do you predict for it in the upcoming year and beyond? Do you think we would one day come to a "Gaming Olympics" per say?

/discuss

Locketart · Post by **Locketart** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:45 pm

Singers, actors, pro football players are already overpaid but that's because of demand. There's not really a demand for watching pro gamers. Personally I did like watching the CEVO-P finals between verge and enervate. It's just the lack of demand that gamers fail to gain recognition.

Jabo · Post by **Jabo** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:24 pm

Its not a real sport because of bots and hackers. If there wouldn't be any, then I think it would be a sport maybe in 2008

P.S Yay, now paintball is a sport in argentina.. anyways its quite expensive :S... 50$ each

Colb · Post by **Colb** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:45 pm

There's already the CPL (Cyberathlete Professional League) that takes place in the summer and winter in Dallas. And there's also the WCG that is known to some as the olympics of gaming due to all of the teams that participate are representing their country like the real olympics.

It's not an athletic sport, no. But if they can show The World Series of Poker, then why not Counter-Strike championships?

the.unseen. · Post by **the.unseen.** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:14 am

You left the most important sites off.
http://www.gamebattles.com/
http://www.mlgpro.com

Nuklear · Post by **Nuklear** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:41 am

Serious sport? No.
Sport? Yes. Just as much as poker is one (lol @ that notion).

PiiNoY · Post by **PiiNoY** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:13 am

Not serious sport such as football or basketball but i guess you can catogize.

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:32 am

Well, when you guys say "Not the same as Football or Basketball"

What exactly do you guys mean?

N yeah, if poker (lol) is considered a sport, then why shouldn't gaming be? I mean, it's much more competative.

@Jabo,
Well, think about it. When playing in Competitions, it would be live. Not like over the net. Thus completely eliminating the Hackers or Bots. With rules, and adjudicators.

@Colb, the CPL is more of a National thing isnt it?? N yea i did say that the WCG is like the most definitive and well knows Championships, but i don't think it's exactly at the "The International Gaming League" level?

Colb · Post by **Colb** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:38 am

The CPL is actually a league that makes a world tour. It's been renamed the CPL World Tour. It starts in Dallas and ends in Dallas but makes stops in Australia, England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, etc... along the way. It's considered the professional gaming league as a majority of the players earn salaries based on their contracts with the team owner....just like our pro sports have been for years. I've attended CPL once in Dallas as a player, and about 10 times as a spectator.

The World Gaming Championships is considered the main stage for international competition. It is very much like the Olympics. The best players from each country form and make a team to represent their country in the competition. You do not have your usual team names that you see in most gaming competitions. Like the Olympics it is Country vs. Country. China vs USA. Sweden vs Africa. Turkey vs Hungary. Brazil vs Mexico. It's quite a show... I have not had the chance to see the WGC live, but it's been televised on G4 in the past.

Yue_Fei · Post by **Yue_Fei** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:38 am

No it should not be a sport, if it is a sport there will be a mass decline in all other sports, and that 90% youth will say, I play game for a club.
More and more people giving up time for gaming and this is happening now but currently people know that they shouldn't but soon they will have their gaming addiction justified because it is a sport.

Colb · Post by **Colb** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:42 am

Yue_Fei wrote:No it should not be a sport, if it is a sport there will be a mass decline in all other sports, and that 90% youth will say, I play game for a club.
More and more people giving up time for gaming and this is happening now but currently people know that they shouldn't but soon they will have their gaming addiction justified because it is a sport.

It's a little late for it to not be considered a type of sport. Sorry

You make a great point though about it being justified. Fortunately though, that is what parents are for. I don't think we'll see a decline in real athletics though. Gaming will never be half as popular as something like football or basketball.... so I don't think we gotta worry about that lol.

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:50 am

Colb wrote:
Yue_Fei wrote:No it should not be a sport, if it is a sport there will be a mass decline in all other sports, and that 90% youth will say, I play game for a club.
More and more people giving up time for gaming and this is happening now but currently people know that they shouldn't but soon they will have their gaming addiction justified because it is a sport.

It's a little late for it to not be considered a type of sport. Sorry You make a great point though about it being justified. Fortunately though, that is what parents are for. I don't think we'll see a decline in real athletics though. Gaming will never be half as popular as something like football or basketball.... so I don't think we gotta worry about that lol.

Well Said

XemnasXD · Post by **XemnasXD** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:52 am

only in Korea...

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:45 am

Why Only In Korea?

Itonami · Post by **Itonami** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:55 am

90% of MMORPG games released atm are Korean-made.

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:22 am

Yeah,

There is no doubt that the majority of MMORPGs are Korean, but im talking about not just MMORPGs.

Sylhana · Post by **Sylhana** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:24 am

Many games have international tournaments, Magic the gathering is no exception. I almost tried turning pro xD, but didnt had the time to go all the way. The game has a large cult following though, and a significant international audience. If you do make it big in this, you get recognize in the community, have the fame, and well cash prizes too I guess

.

TwelveEleven · Post by **TwelveEleven** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:38 pm

yes it is! now where do I sign up?

Crumpets · Post by **Crumpets** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:47 pm

Gaming is just a fun thign to do. Fair enough some peopel do it competitivly and earn a few thousand bucks or so.

But w/e if it does .. I wish it had been when I had P.E. in school. I could of been playing CS:S in the gymnasium in stead of doing summersalts.

urtoasty · Post by **urtoasty** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:39 pm

more and more people are getting into gaming because its fun and they can meet new people that way. I notice that were i live (north dakota) more and more people play them and by the time they are around 36 years old they are still playing them, so future generations will grow up playing games at a constant.

the.unseen. · Post by **the.unseen.** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:13 pm

Key-J wrote:Why Only In Korea?

All I am going to say is StarCraft.

Key-J · Post by **Key-J** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:56 pm

the.unseen. wrote:
Key-J wrote:Why Only In Korea?
All I am going to say is StarCraft.

Yeah, i know that Starcraft is a HUGE thing in Korea, i saw last years finals, when that Korean guys won. The guy who they treat like a rock star.

But once again, i say. Think globally

TwelveEleven · Post by **TwelveEleven** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:26 pm

Key-J wrote:
the.unseen. wrote:
Key-J wrote:Why Only In Korea?
All I am going to say is StarCraft.

Yeah, i know that Starcraft is a HUGE thing in Korea, i saw last years finals, when that Korean guys won. The guy who they treat like a rock star.

But once again, i say. Think globally

We do need better organised world championships, and pre championships which let the winner join up to the next round etc. Local -> province -> country -> world championships

[SD]Black_Snow · Post by **[SD]Black_Snow** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:40 pm

i attend the i seires which is amazing a great community of gamers and spectaters alike

if you have sky theres a gaming channel Xleague tv <<>>> or the webbie is http://www.xleague.tv

in europe the gaming scene is growing but in certain places in the U.S and places such as korea (forms of gaming is the national sports XD) its a big big thing

Colb · Post by **Colb** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 5:33 pm

TwelveEleven wrote:
Key-J wrote:
the.unseen. wrote:
Key-J wrote:Why Only In Korea?
All I am going to say is StarCraft.

Yeah, i know that Starcraft is a HUGE thing in Korea, i saw last years finals, when that Korean guys won. The guy who they treat like a rock star.

But once again, i say. Think globally

We do need better organised world championships, and pre championships which let the winner join up to the next round etc. Local -> province -> country -> world championships

Better organized? You should research it a little bit. There's all sorts of qualifiers online, then regional qualifiers, etc. It's pretty huge and very organized like any professional sport. There's a reason its a multi-million dollar business.