Is eSports a real sport? [Interview] – Shootmania dev weighs in (IncGamers)

IncGamers: Toss up the question of whether eSports is a really a sport at all and you’ll typically get one of two responses; either an absolute no, or a yes coupled with a venomous attack for even implying that it might not be.

Clearly, the answer is not simply. Although, just for the record, I’m firmly (and rightly) on the not-a-sport side.

[Qrphe]

Is chess a sport?

Then, when why should any eSport be a sport then?

I love competitive videogaming (and I'm sure most people on N4G do as well), but c'mon, no amount of competitiveness will make SC2 or LoL a physical activity.

Pic related, look at the guy, such an athelete!

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[Red_Orange_Juice]

No.

[iamironman]

No

[NYC_Gamer]

holding a controller/pressing keys on the kb isn't a sport

[Faelan]

Meh... in my world, sport involves physical activity.

The word game on the other hand, can be both physical and/or mental and can be just as competitive as anything else, sports included. But I guess they want to use a different word to differentiate it from casual Joe Couchpotatoe playing a bit of SC2 during the weekend.

Again, meh - doesn't matter much to me. What's wrong with using, say, pro-gaming instead though? Isn't that what it used to be called? Not fancy enough? Is it because things now have to be eThis and iThat to sound modern?

[Hicken]

See #3: http://dictionary.reference...

sport   [spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA
noun

1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

2. a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.

3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

4. jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously.

5. mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him.

Yeah, eSports is a "real" sport, but it's not an athletic one(unless you're talkin DDR or something). It shouldn't be considered for the Olympics or any such nonsense.

Can we drop this already?

[Faelan]

Heh... problem with definition #3 is that I could technically use that to claim that me playing a bit of Skyrim is a sport LOL. I mean, I play it as a recreational pleasant diversion from everyday RL crap'n'stress, so it fulfills everything in criteria #3. Now every Joe Couchpotatoe with a controller can call himself a sports person even if he can barely get off that couch :)

But yeah, let them call it eSports if that's what they want. It's not going to ruin my day in any way, shape or form.