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Hadn't heard this before reading a news story yesterday, but apparently the IOC are seriously considering including gaming in the Olympics!
Personally, I don't think it qualifies but am open to other points of view. Last time I remember anything like this was when they wanted to include BMX and there was a big argument about it not being a sport.
So, what does STW think? Is Sonic at the Olympics going to make the Olympics?
If shooting and horse dancing are allowed, then so should gaming.
Though I would rather the Olympics were about physical endeavour, not hand eye coordination.
and, Shirley, it would be track and field, not mario or sonic?
Nope, silly idea 🤣
As a video gaming fan I'd just let to say I think it's a brilliant idea as it requires great skills, reflexes, hours upon hours of practice to be world class. No, not really it's a stupid idea.
Darts and snooker as well then?
Personally I'd rather see actual sports like squash get into the Olympics first.
Be a great money spinner though, as folk will want to buy the game so they can test themselves against the ‘athletes’
It better reflects how many nippers spend their free time today. It is more accessible to them when compared with paddling a canoe with 8 of your Uni mates on a great big lake or chasing a motorbike around an expensive bicycle riding stadium on expensive bikes or horsey dancing. So it gets the thumbs up from me.
There is an argument for simulation games, and you have to say “why not” to some of those.. but then there aren’t many simulation games in the Olympics.
Ski Jumping, Luge, Biathlon etc.
you'd have to make it TV friendly. there are loads of sports that meet the qualifying criteria but don't get in because they aren't going to generate viewing figures. Whilst ridiculous numbers of people watch people playing games on youtube - as I understand it the appeal is often the inane drivel they talk rather than the gameplay itself?
Though I would rather the Olympics were about physical endeavour, not hand eye coordination.
Someone's never tried dressage...
you’d have to make it TV friendly. there are loads of sports that meet the qualifying criteria but don’t get in because they aren’t going to generate viewing figures. Whilst ridiculous numbers of people watch people playing games on youtube – as I understand it the appeal is often the inane drivel they talk rather than the gameplay itself?
Some sources are predicting an audience of 600 million by 2020. I wonder how that compares to some of the more obscure "sports" already included in the games?
Someone’s never tried dressage…
No doubt horsey dancing is tricky to master but how accessible is dressage to young people across the globe compared to computer games?
What games would they play? Fifa? GTA ?
Thought I saw an article saying they weren't going to be included?
Edit: article here https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-09-04-esport-killer-games-arent-right-for-olympics-yet-says-ioc
There's games with a huge amount of skill involved in competitive play, spectator counts and prize pools are growing fast. I don't think any tournaments have successfully made the jump to broadcast TV, but that's maybe more due to TV being less relevant than online streams for most of the audience.
I'm not sure I'd want to see gaming included at the Olympics, though there is precedent for non physical sport there. I don't think they make good spectator sports without a degree of understanding of the game, without that it's difficult to distinguish a skilled player from an average one.
Archery, shooting, curling and other sports that don't rely on fitness are already in the games so it's hard to reject on some spurious definition of the word "sport".
My objection is more to do with the games themselves: Given that they are developed by and belong to private companies, who gets to choose which games are Olympic? What happens in 4 years' time when the previous game is obsolete, but the new version is widely regarded to be crap?
crappy idea - the only value of doing it is sponsorship, product placement, etc.
why not have RC car racing or drone racing? similar skills.
or speed eating Maccy D's - relevant to our nation of child biffers.
Don't these stories come around periodically as a way of self promotion by the sports and the IOC don't bother refuting. I think the last one was pole dancing.
If you can compete at the highest level whilst wearing flip flops then it shouldn't be in the Olympics.
No gaming would never make good viewing.
I'm a gamer but think it's a crap idea.
1). What games would you have? there are lots of eSports games out there, far too many to represent in a single tournament. Audiences are mostly people who play the games to (I don't really appreciate the skill of gamers in games I know nothing about). A manufacturer of a game not selected would have a justified grievance and lose out on a lot of sales - this doesn't really apply in other sports where they all have multiple manufacturers providing the equipment.
2). It doesn't really fit in with the whole Olympics thing - although agree events like horse dancing has blurred this a bit
3). eSports teams are mostly commercial and it's far more of an issue to create a temporary National team than it is with say road cycling. They'd need to practice for months to gel and that wouldn't be possible with their commercial obligations. There's not many solo games with a big eSports following.
My objection is more to do with the games themselves: Given that they are developed by and belong to private companies, who gets to choose which games are Olympic? What happens in 4 years’ time when the previous game is obsolete, but the new version is widely regarded to be crap?
This is an interesting point. Maybe the IOC will develop their own exclusive titles. Think about it, they would make millions, maybe billions in revenue if they held the copyright to the only games allowed in the Olympics.
Scrap all the physical athletes. Have gaming versions of all the sports instead.
Would give a chance to the spotty, square-eyed nerds of the world and not just those blessed with actual sporting talent. Makes complete sense.
And I still wouldn't make it to the Olympics!
Plenty of Single Suppliers of equipment to the IOC.
Laser (Performance Sailboats)
49er (Neil Pryde)
RSX (Neil Pryde)
Other sports.. Yadda yadda..
They are commercial enterprises that supply FOC to the IOC (in most cases, unless the participants bring thier own)
The 4yr cycle is interesting as software tends to be changed/upgraded every year .
Only one game would have the appropriate level of difficulty, whilst also tieing in nicely with other Olympic events:
The 4yr cycle is interesting as software tends to be changed/upgraded every year
Popular eSports games tend to stick around in the same format for a long time, actually. See Counter Strike, League of Legends, Starcraft.
I don't think the supply of the software would be the issue so much as the control of the format and the rules. Imagine if football was owned by a company who could change the rules at will, and tell the players to either adapt or find a new sport.
If you can compete at the highest level whilst wearing flip flops then it shouldn’t be in the Olympics.
My own definition (to qualify as a "proper" sport) is that you need to change your shoes to compete, but I might steal the flip flops bit.
Well, I was pretty good at Daley Thompson's Decathlon back in the day, so I might stand a good chance of getting a gold medal.