Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?
While starting to execute the present assay I thought that video games can’t be considered as a sport. But I have changed my mind while working on this theme. And so that is why I’ll try to prove my ideas under the framework of the present assay.
Nowadays a lot of countries recognized the video games as a sport and they were given the name cybersport. According to the Wikipedia, cybersport is a type of competitive activities and special practice of preparation for competitions on the basis of video games where a yoke provides directly interactions of control objects, providing equal conditions of competitions of the person with the person or commands with a command. The history of cybersport begins since 1997 when it was based by Cyberathlete Professional League which based the first tournament in discipline of Quake. At those times it was considered more entertainment, than sport. Within many years the cybersport developed and nowadays it one of disciplines which is very popular around the world among youth and teenagers. Though this sport isn’t a part of the Olympic Games, the prize funds of these competitions are very big and their rating is practically the same in comparison with the other sports. In confirmation of the words there is a wish to adduce a couple of arguments:
Firstly, when you think about sport only physical efforts, but not mental, comes to my mind. For example, the chess wasn’t considered as a sport within a long period of time. A lot of people think about the chess as a simple entertainment, because there are no muscle loadings within playing this game. Though initially all the members of the game have equal conditions, the skills and abilities in chess and in cybersport, as well as in any other sport, are reached by trainings and here there is an element of competition and detection of the strongest player. So that is why we can consider the chess, as well the cybersport, as a sport. Moreover we can consider the chess (cybersport) as one of the most difficult sport competitions, because both of them bring a focus on mental opportunities alternatively to physical capacities of a person.
Secondly, the recognition of such activities in Russia came not so long ago in comparison with the other countries. From 2001 to 2013 the cybersport was included/excluded from the All-Russian register of sports as it did not correspond to the criteria necessary for listing to this register. But since April 13, 2017 the cybersport has been registered as a sport by RF Ministry of Sport order which stated that the computer sport, alongside with soccer, hockey, basketball and other sports, got an opportunity of holding official national championship. It means that the cybersport develops in a very fast manner under the frameworks of the new technologies. And presently games on which there take place a cyber sports competitions, such as Dota2, CS GO and many others became very popular. .
Thirdly, many people want to participate in this competition, but there are a lot of lions in the path of cybersport, because the general public is not ready to accept such innovation. People think that carrying out the most part of time at the computer leads to a personal degradation. That’s just where I can agree partially, because “too much water drowned the miller.” But on the other hand, spending a lot of time at the computer each person has an opportunity to develop sufficient response and strategic mentality. And it leads to the development of the leadership qualities which facilitate a course of life in general. But if a person abuses this type of activity, then it carries to deterioration of health. In such connection I consider that it can be similized to a sports injury, as well as in soccer, hockey and to volleyball.
Fourthly, though the cybersport has the positive factors, but there are also negative ones. Dope is among them. There is no practically monitoring dope in such type of competitions though it is of great necessity as there are a lot of psychostimulants which accelerate response, concentration, attention to details and mental endurance – very important features for such kind of sports.
The next problem is lying in the fixed games. This problem exists in many sports and within many years. Though the cybersport is not so criminally liable, but, for example, in South Korea where the cybersport is a national sport, you may find yourself in a jail under the frameworks of the national legislation.
The third problem involves an issue when not all players can start developing their dream because the majority of games requires very powerful equipment (powerful video card, earphones, mouse and operating system) and not all players are able to afford it.
And the fourth problem includes the health conditions. The chronic sitting at the computer may lead to hypodynamia or simply physical inactivity. So that is why, the time devoted to movement can be considered as a real part of player’s sporting discipline.
As a result of the present research, I would like to say that when the question of entering the video games in sport competitions is raised there is a set of contradictory judgements which understand this type of activity differently. There are some points of view on this problem. Somebody claims that cybersport is simply wasting time and health deterioration while others consider the cybersport as a way to the glittering future.
By Denis I.Goryachkin student Sakhalin Railway Institute (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)
I, Ovdin Andrey Andreevich, a student of the Sakhalin Institute of Railway Transport in the city of South Sakhalinsk.
This essay is dedicated to whether video games are a sport. Firstly, we will consider the meaning of such a concept as “e-sports”. After that we will consider the peculiarities of this phenomenon. In the second part of the essay I’d like to consider the advantages of e-sports. Then we will examine the profitability of this direction and how e-sports can develop in the future. And, finally, we will draw some conclusions regarding e-sports.
So, what is e-sports? If you turn to Wikipedia, then we will learn that e-sports is a game competition using computer technologies, where the computer creates a virtual space within which the competition takes place. It sounds strange, does not it? Competition in the virtual space… Fantasy some! And yet, where in the video game does sport begin?
Indeed, you can play volleyball, for example, for fun, but if you install some rules, the game turns into a competition. E-sport competitions are characterized by a number of features. Firstly, only those games in which the randomness factor does not prevail and where the players are in equal conditions will do. Secondly, competitions take place between athletes. Large tournaments are held in the format LAN (Local area network), where players use the same hardware and software. A player can only use a computer mouse and keyboard from own equipment. Thirdly, the game sets rules only that are the same for everyone and the victory depends only on the skills of the player and his team.
E-sport games are also subdivided into several disciplines, which are divided into categories. First Person shooter (FPS) is a team shooter, where one team performs the task, and the other is hindered. The most popular disciplines in this category are the striptease: Global Offensive and Call of Duty. There is a battle between the armies of players (Real-time strategy (RTS)), where you need to defeat the enemy’s army. Such disciplines are Starcraft 2 and Warcraft 3. Multiplayer online battles arena (MOBA) is a team duel five to five people, where the player must break through and destroy the enemy base. Dota 2 and League of Legends are the examples of such discipline. Games simulators are the games where players control military equipment, and their purpose is to defeat the enemy team. The bright representatives are World of Tanks and World of Warcrafts and such sports games as football, basketball, and hockey of FIFA, NBA, and NHL series.
Now I would like to bless the advantages of e-sports. Usually, a gamer for most people associates with a teenager who plays in the computer all day long and is not interested in anything other than games. But that is not so. Who are these cyber sportsmen and how do they become? Usually, a cyber-athlete is only interested in one game (one discipline). A cyber-athlete today is the successful man leading a good lifestyle. He has a well-developed response, which is 130ms, while an ordinary person has 200ms.
This is enough to react to the blow of the pro boxing boxer! In addition, the cyber-sportsman is able to select quickly the optimal solution in the game sieve. It’s even more like a chess game. In addition, e-sports gives an opportunity to find new friends, to realize themselves in life, as well as to become a star. But as in ordinary sports, the path to fame is not simple. It takes years of hard training before participating in the team. However, this does not affect life badly. A person learns how to organize his life. Training should be for 3-4 hours. Other sports also require long training, but unlike e-sports, there are a number of advantages. It stimulates the learning of English in order to navigate well in game terminology and rules. With proper planning, e-sports can be combined with other activities. E-sports is not traumatic. Getting injured is almost impossible. Moreover, by the end of the sports career, the health of the cyber-sportsman will remain in order, unlike the health of an ordinary sportsman. In addition to it, e-sports allows professional players to earn wages and win big cash prizes. For example, 18-year-old Pakistani Sumail Hassan, who earned $ 1,800,000 in tournament money, was one of the winners of the international competition. The prize fund TY7 will be $ 24-25 million! A lot of money, really? But where does that kind of money come from?
E-sports, as well as traditional sports, is becoming a bright and colorful show that attracts a huge number of people. Therefore, business just can not stay away from this process. Recently, serious business publications are closely following the events in e-sports. Business is interested in contact with the audience. Broadcasted major championships in major disciplines on the largest TV channels – CNN, BBK, and ESPN. The word “e-sports” is increasingly used in the world’s media.
And now imagine how e-sports can develop in the future. At first, due to the availability of e-sports, its globalization will increase. After all, it is enough to have a computer and the Internet for the game, which are already an important component in the 21st century. E-sports has no boundaries. The players of different nationality, countries, age, despite the different languages, the weather can play one game. Therefore, I believe that e-sports can become a large global industry.
In conclusion, I can say that video games are not just “pampering.” This is a competition for real cyber-sportsmen. This is a new modern round in the history of sports.