John Romero: Esports will be bigger than traditional sports

Being in the virtual space as a spectator is a big factor.

[kevnb]

maybe world wide.

[ziggurcat]

playing video games isn't a sport...

[GamesMaster1982]

Thank you. But i guess to most of these nerd's it's the closest thing to sport they will ever do. Don't get me wrong i love Gaming with a passion, but in this internet age the world has gone nut's.

[rainslacker]

The best term for it would be a competition. Sports can be competitions, but not all sports are competitions, and not all competitions are sports.

E-Sports just sounds flashier than "people playing games competitively".

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Calm down old man, Thats why its called "E-sports" and not "sports" nobody is saying its a traditional sport.

[ZeroX9876]

"Competitive gaming scene will be bigger than traditional sports."
I don't mind the word E-Sport, since it clarifies perfectly that it's not the same definition as the word "Sport".

BUT, I really doubt that the E-Sport scene could ever beat the sport industry in the near future. We're talking about centuries of physical sport competitions VS the e-sport scene which is actually just beginning.

[GamesMaster1982]

I get it it is a huge thing nowadays. But to me personally it is not a sport and never will be.

[Cyro]

Yes, that's why it's called eSports. It should be consider it's own thing.

[AnubisG]

Right, but they call the players/participants "athletes"......

[AnubisG]

I've been saying this for the longest time. It's not a sport. Neither is chess....

[Cyro]

But why do you care so much? I don't get how some people are offended. I honestly couldn't give a shit if it was called a sport or not.

[AnubisG]

It's ok for people to express their opinions on the topic at hand here. Like it or not, that is what this comment section is for. Why do you care if I care or not?

[Cyro]

Well I was honestly hoping someone would elaborate why. But I guess that's too much work.

[AnubisG]

I said why I wrote what I did. Because it's my opinion and I stated it here which is perfectly reasonable. Comprehension; it's too much work.

[carreirabr]

And Romero still relevant because...

[cell989]

Because he’s gonna make you his bitch?

[Telxvi]

because Brenda

[DrumBeat]

Until they play the anthem at E-sports and kids start kneeling.

[2pacalypsenow]

Nah...

[Muigi]

Lmao! This will never overtake actual sports.

[kneon]

Well not any time soon, and certainly not because esports will be so incredibly popular, but sports viewership is in decline across many sports. And I think it's a permanent decline in many cases, but we don't know where the bottom is nor how long it will take to get there.

[fluxmulder]

Best hair in game dev

[jaycptza]

No it won't

[diesoft]

John. Remember the last time you made a big prediction? I'm still not your bitch. Maybe leave the predictions to literally anybody else.

[Aaroncls7]

Why are "Esports" titles usually the easiest and most mainstream games?

Classic World of Warcraft pvp and Dark Souls invasions/arenas are examples of games with enough gameplay sophistication to warrant such a moniker. Alas, it is not happening anytime soon.

[diesoft]

Because business is always about the numbers. We can think of great games and matches that'd be fun to watch but if the audience isn't there then it won't matter, sadly. I know it was a rhetorical question but I figure somebody actually would wonder that.

[rainslacker]

Because they want people to watch, and they're more likely to watch if they actually play the game. Harder games tend to be played by less people. WOW pvp may be an exception to this rule though.

Competitive gaming is more of a marketing campaign for the publishers which actually make the games.

[BlackTar187]

Until full body vr comes out and you have to be athletic lol

[Telxvi]

i thought we ran away from sports and straight into the arms of games. now this shit. cant wait to see the first DOTA hooligan riot and reading about some random korean star craft player's diet plan. romero is as full of crap as awlays

[WelkinCole]

Don't agree that e-sports is the same as traditional sports.

Competitive pro gamers are not athletes.

However I agree competitive pro gaming has the potential to be bigger traditional sports.

Think about it. Almost anyone can be a competitive pro gamer. Not many people can be an athlete

[rainslacker]

If it becomes big or not is really about viewership and engagements. I can't see E-Sports ever getting to the size of something like Soccer and football(US). Major sports have hundreds of millions of fans, not just in top tier things like the NFL, but even in the collegiate field, and going all the way back to the kiddies who play these sports when their seasons come.

I think ESports can certainly be popular, and it appears that it's growing in viewership, but I can't see the day when you have super bowl viewership numbers for any esport. There isn't a single game out there that gets that many people playing it, much less watching someone else play it.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Gonbe a competitive pro gamer then, if you win a major you become a millionaire. They are called athletes mainly they get all the benefits athletes get when travelling for competition. Visas ect.

[Subzero100x]

"Esports will be bigger than traditional sports"

LOl i think he means real sports, and no that will never happen.

[TheOttomatic91]

Eh sorry I don't agree with this one on you john.

[CrimsonWing69]

No it won't.

Look, I love gaming, but that's all it is "gaming".

Can it be competitive? Absolutely. Is it a sport... not really. I don't see any physical exertion other than pushing buttons.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

People care less and less about normal sports every year. For one in China ( largest world market) Esports already long surpassed traditional sports in popularity. Esports will never surrpass soccer. But every other sport is just a matter of time. LOL finals pulling in more viewership than NBA playoffs.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Its always the hardcore sports fans woth the beer gut, buffalo wild wing stains on their jerseys, and team bumper stickers on their cars that try to define esports.