FireWaterBurn

I'm not even sure how some of these strengthen your argument that gaming is a sport. Gaming has sponsorship and fans who don't play the game. How does these things help qualify gaming as a sport?

Urban brought up a good point about games not using all the real human attributes. And I laughed thinking about my guy in Call Of Duty running around the map and pulling up lame with a hammy injury.

I'm not sure much more discussion be had on my opinion that gaming doesn't require nearly enough physical activity to be called a sport. There are plenty of hobbies and occupations that involve competition and the same level of physical activity as gaming, and I'm not ready to consider things like writing newspaper columns a sporting event.

Guybrush

Do you consider snooker a sport? Or throwing darts?

Neither are very physical and require much fitness from the contestants.

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FireWaterBurn

I don't consider them sports, and that goes for pool/billiards as well. Same with things like poker.

Guybrush

As far as I know, the rest of the world generally considers snooker to be a sport.

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FireWaterBurn

As far as I know they do too. A lot of people consider darts a sport as well, and less people would consider something like poker a sport, but I don't.

GuitarBizarre

You're basically saying "What I think is right, the rest of the world is wrong, including many recognised official sources such as the olympic committee". (Said committee recognises many low impact or low exertion sports, as sports, including curling and snooker)

Just because you think something doesn't mean that is the case. You have to be able to present your rationale and make points to support it.

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GuitarBizarre

Thanks man. I'm not sure I'd call it war, really. I don't want to beat down anyones opinion on this, despite the fact I feel like some people are trying to do that to mine. I'd have no issues with people disliking starcraft as a sport, to me that would be the same as finding someone doesn't enjoy any of my other hobbies, like Mountain Biking, or Snooker.

But as Mrd00d said, people seem to be taking this as me trying to equate eSports with physical sports. More than a few people have tried to imply that I'm making some sort of case for eSports to replace traditional sports.

I think its obvious I'm not arguing that, and really he summed up my position very well saying that all I'm asking for is "To agree that SINCE sports like golf, darts, snooker, chess are recognized as... well, sports, that on the professional level, these kind of games can be.".

But really, a lot of the discussion so far has been more mockery than logical discussion, so it keeps being brought up that you can't compare eSports professionals with traditional sporting athletes because their profession doesn't result in extreme physical conditioning and doesn't form part of a traditionally healthy lifestyle.

But of course, I've not once argued for that. Even the eSports associations haven't argued for that. KeSPA, the Korean eSports Association, MANDATES seperate, contractually obligatory physical fitness training for its players because it KNOWS that Starcraft won't keep a man thin and fit. Johann "Fata1ty" Wendel is on record as saying that he puts running and fitness training into his daily schedule outside of playing the game. He feels it gives him an edge that his body isn't protesting his lifestyle and he can focus better ingame.

But as we've discussed, there are plenty of recognised and worldwide sports that have the same issue to greater or lesser degrees, and it clearly doesn't define what a sport is, that being in peak physical fitness should be an innate result of top level competition.

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FireWaterBurn

That'd be wrong. I'm actually saying "Hey, my name is FWB and here's an answer to the question I was asked."

Again, I'm not sure why this thread even exists if you want to go by dictionary definitions and the opinions of the Olympic committee. I've already told you, the physical activity in gaming isn't close to the level it needs to be to be considered a sport.

Here's one problem with your physical activity argument. You said about wrist and shoulder injuries, and were using those injuries to strengthen your argument for gaming as a sport. What you are doing is only arguing for the top .1% of gamers in the world. You are talking about competitive gaming and not just gaming in general. And I don't think you can say "Well, this guy is playing a sport, and this other guy is just playing a game, even though they are playing the exact same thing with the exact same rules and controls. But since once guy is a lot better and practices more and has a sponsor, he's playing a sport."

That's basically what you are saying I think. If I go outside and play a pickup basketball game at the park, I'm still playing a sport. I don't need to be Kobe Bryant for my game to be considered a sport.

Also, like I said, half of your reasons for considering gaming a sport don't even make sense. Sponsorship, having fans, etc. You say you aren't trying to equate real sports with gaming, but you are using the reasons of sponsorship and fans to compare with real sports. Independently, have a sponsor has absolutely nothing to do with being a sport.

GuitarBizarre

Please, go back and read the rest of the thread. Its quite painfully obvious you haven't read even half of it.

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FireWaterBurn

I am satisfied with the level to which I've read this thread.