Hailed as the world’s foremost sports competition, the World Olympic Games has long been the most awaited international sporting event. With over 200 nations participating in the summer and winter games, the Olympics feature only the best athletes out there.
Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games that originated from Greece back in the 8th century, the modern iteration of the sporting event is held every four years. Representatives from all over the globe compete in 33 different sports scattered in nearly 400 events that recognizes the virtue of sportsmanship and camaraderie.
The world of e-sport is on the rise and the clamor to have these modern games included as part of the Olympics is louder than ever. But should modern video games be included to the long list of spectator sports for the Olympics? Let’s find out by exploring a few points of discussion.
A game of skills
Much like the physical sporting events that are found in the line-up of the Olympic Games, e-sports is also a field that explores competition and teamwork, albeit in a wholly modernized setting. Video games, just like physical sports requires the proper training and skillset to succeed in winning. Truth be told, video games is just as competitive as a simple game of basketball.
A sport is defined as a way to use physical activity and skills to provide entertainment to the participants and the people who watch them. If simple games like chess and bridge are considered to be bona fide sports, then there might come a time where video games are accepted into the norm.
The people want it
More recently, the United States government now recognizes players of League of Legends as professional athletes. People from all over the globe can obtain athlete visas so that they can be allowed to compete in various e-sport events in the United States. The groundbreaking decision was a huge leap for gaming enthusiasts and the developers who want better recognition for their contributions in modern gaming.
People were surprised to hear that League of Legends will become a part of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympics Committee believes that the newest addition to the line-up will reel in a younger set of audience to tune in to the festivities. In an interview with Play4Real.com, the president gave this statement: “The sad part is, youth these days do not have the interest or capability to take up other Olympic sports. By introducing the League of Legends as a sport, we hope to rejuvenate the Olympics and maybe get some more youth interested in other Olympic sports like weightlifting or handball.”
Just the beginning
E-sports doesn’t stop at just League of Legends, the International Olympic Committee is already considering the inclusion of massive online games such as StarCraft II and Counter-Strike to become a part of the Summer Olympics come 2020. There will come a time when poker and card events will be done with the help of online games and casinos. All over the globe, gaming arenas that are specifically built for e-sports are on the rise. In China, the MLG Gaming Arena is set to open in 2015. The arena is equipped with 15,000 seats, almost as huge as Madison Square Garden. Countries like South Korea have a thriving culture in e-sports, where massive venues like the Haeundae Beach and the Busan Bexco Stadium continues to earn money from gaming events.
The time for change has arrived and the Olympics is testament to the future of gaming.