I imagine that my opinion that non-athletic “sports” don’t belong in the Olympics isn’t going to be popular given the other replies Edit: Not as unpopular as I thought. Also fixed a typo
I imagine that my opinion that non-athletic “sports” don’t belong in the Olympics isn’t going to be popular given the other replies
Edit: Not as unpopular as I thought. Also fixed a typo
There are already various events included where the "athletic" aspect is a bit questionable, such as shooting, curling, and golf. They require precise physical coordination, but so do...
There are already various events included where the "athletic" aspect is a bit questionable, such as shooting, curling, and golf. They require precise physical coordination, but so do action-oriented video games.
Point taken but it’s still a hard sell for me. But hey, they dropped Greco-Roman wrestling from the last summer games so who knows which way is up anymore?
Point taken but it’s still a hard sell for me. But hey, they dropped Greco-Roman wrestling from the last summer games so who knows which way is up anymore?
You may be interested in How esports competitors prepare, mentally and physically. Though not necessarily athletic in the more traditional sense, it is surprisingly demanding. Should it belong in...
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely not the dream “sit at home all day and play games” that many likely think it is. I definitely agree that the violence is a non-issue for me.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely not the dream “sit at home all day and play games” that many likely think it is.
I definitely agree that the violence is a non-issue for me.
I follow the Overwatch League very closely, and it is shocking how mentally and physically challenging it is for many of them. There is way more physical training than I ever expected, and the...
I follow the Overwatch League very closely, and it is shocking how mentally and physically challenging it is for many of them. There is way more physical training than I ever expected, and the mental strain has led many players to retire from the OWL and return to streaming full time. The constant hours of practice and the non-stop games during the season put a real toll on many players. Honestly, it's amazing that so many of them have adapted as well as they have.
What kind of physical training is there now? I briefly did a stint of professional fps gameplay a bit over a decade ago back when the scene was much smaller than it was today, and almost no one...
What kind of physical training is there now? I briefly did a stint of professional fps gameplay a bit over a decade ago back when the scene was much smaller than it was today, and almost no one was doing physical training back then - it was just practice non-stop during waking hours.
Here's two articles on the physical training in the OWL. I'm not sure about the physical training for other esports. I imagine that esports that are less formal and that do not have an official...
Here's twoarticles on the physical training in the OWL. I'm not sure about the physical training for other esports. I imagine that esports that are less formal and that do not have an official league would include less physical training.
Thanks for the links! Yeah I'm sure the amount changes depending on the league, but I'm curious to see what the top competitors in the leagues with real $$$ are doing.
Thanks for the links!
Yeah I'm sure the amount changes depending on the league, but I'm curious to see what the top competitors in the leagues with real $$$ are doing.
Definitely not a sit at home and lazy about lol. I actually changed to a desk job around the time DOTA2 got super big and they started interviewing players and coaches. I remember one player...
Definitely not a sit at home and lazy about lol. I actually changed to a desk job around the time DOTA2 got super big and they started interviewing players and coaches. I remember one player discussing the hand and finger exercises he did and started doing them too. Made a huge difference for me. They had a huge workout and nutrient routine that I tried to copy a bit until I was too lazy :P
I would argue a better reason not to include esports in the Olympics is due to the fact that every game is owned by a company which can dictate stipulations over the broadcast and participation....
I would argue a better reason not to include esports in the Olympics is due to the fact that every game is owned by a company which can dictate stipulations over the broadcast and participation. No other Olympic sport has that problem. Perhaps if the games in question were public domain and thus not subject to the whims of a corporation it would be more viable.
This is currently why I don't particularly care about esports for now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Starcraft 2, CS:GO, and Overwatch as much as any other young, "nerdy", white male in the...
This is currently why I don't particularly care about esports for now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Starcraft 2, CS:GO, and Overwatch as much as any other young, "nerdy", white male in the US does. However, in 10 years, is Starcraft still gonna be around? Is the average kid in a less-than-developed nation able to play Rocket League after school?
So, interestingly, the original StarCraft didn't have such restrictions over broadcast and participation, which is why it stuck around for so long. SC2 was designed to specifically restrict it. In...
So, interestingly, the original StarCraft didn't have such restrictions over broadcast and participation, which is why it stuck around for so long. SC2 was designed to specifically restrict it.
In 10 years, StarCraft really might still be kicking around as a result of not being restricted by Blizzard .
I mean, I kinda agree with not wanting excessively violent or bloody displays in the Olympics, it's supposed to be a unifying event for everyone, including those that find it distasteful. But...
I mean, I kinda agree with not wanting excessively violent or bloody displays in the Olympics, it's supposed to be a unifying event for everyone, including those that find it distasteful. But that's not a good argument vs games like Rocket League though; it's literally just like playing soccer but in a video game, and it's perfectly acceptable for all ages and audiences.
What is a good argument, and frankly what I don't like about esports, is that it allows a private person or company to profit off the advertising and exposure that results from it. I'm not comfortable with a company like Blizzard being the sole provider of for example Starcraft 2, as they will retain exclusive control over a game that, like the other sports, is supposed to be freely accessible for everyone. If we're going to start having esports as a sport in the Olympics, I think it should be a requirement that any game used is open source, available for free, and not owned by any one company or team. On that condition, and without the violence, I think esports would make a fine addition to the Olympics and hopefully help connect the younger of us to a spirit of good and clean international competition.
I agree fully -- I think Bach's actual quote has been editorialized a little too heavily (by the BBC of course, not throwing shade at @Catt). He says: ... and then the article's author brought up...
I agree fully -- I think Bach's actual quote has been editorialized a little too heavily (by the BBC of course, not throwing shade at @Catt). He says:
"If you have egames [hah] where it's about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values," he said at the Asian Games. [...] "Of course every combat sport has its origins in a real fight among people. But sport is the civilized expression about this."
... and then the article's author brought up the Madden killings. None of Bach's quotes are incompatible with esports in the Olympics -- all he implies is that he thinks things like CSGO or PUBG aren't a good fit for the Olympics when it comes to ethos, and that Olympic events with mortal origins (fencing, target shooting, equestrian things) have tried to abstract away the distasteful bits where guts start flying around.
I could certainly appreciate someone's viewpoint that a CSGO match is less violent than a physical fencing match, but I guess it comes down to image.
I do agree with the BBC editorializing his comments a bit much. Honestly, they focused quite a bit on the violence aspect, which I honestly think "blood existing" is too far. However, I would say...
I do agree with the BBC editorializing his comments a bit much. Honestly, they focused quite a bit on the violence aspect, which I honestly think "blood existing" is too far. However, I would say playing a "war game" with distinct ethnicities being portrayed as terrorists verse liberators, does not fit welcome with the idea of the Olympics.
I agree with disallowing games with excessive violence, but I don't believe the ones name are that. You make a really good point of the exclusive nature of the games though. I agree with it in the...
I agree with disallowing games with excessive violence, but I don't believe the ones name are that.
You make a really good point of the exclusive nature of the games though. I agree with it in the ideal, but not sure if that's really possible pragmatically. Games are expensive to develop and maintain.
That's a good point, but don't forget that many countries hosting the Olympics build enormous stadiums and elaborate displays that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I think there's enough room...
That's a good point, but don't forget that many countries hosting the Olympics build enormous stadiums and elaborate displays that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I think there's enough room in the budget for a dev team if they look hard enough :) and I think a solid esports entry would significantly increase enthusiasm and attention from younger people who currently don't really participate in the Olympics as much. And if the game is open source, don't forget that any member of the public can contribute as well, which would help defray some of the dev costs; plus, they wouldn't have to make the game with any real story or bother with super sophisticated graphics, so it won't cost as much as a AAA title or anything.
Blood in video games is worse than blood in real life when a cyclist gets knocked over, or a runner falls and scrapes their knee or any other injury that happens regularly? For fucks sake if...
Blood in video games is worse than blood in real life when a cyclist gets knocked over, or a runner falls and scrapes their knee or any other injury that happens regularly?
For fucks sake if you're going to make an argument about it being too violent point at video games where shooting and killing your enemy is the primary objective, not because "blood doesn't belong in the Olympics"
To add another example... what about boxing? (Link includes images of boxers in Rio with cuts and blood.) I don't really have an opinion on including video games in the Olympics, but deciding...
To add another example... what about boxing? (Link includes images of boxers in Rio with cuts and blood.)
I don't really have an opinion on including video games in the Olympics, but deciding blood is the distinguishing factor is silly.
I think it's about more than just the sight of blood. I get the feeling its about the intent. The IOC President said "If you have egames where it's about killing somebody, this cannot be brought...
I think it's about more than just the sight of blood. I get the feeling its about the intent. The IOC President said "If you have egames where it's about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values." There's no intent to kill somebody in cycling or running.
I wonder if people would consider objective-based games to be any different than just a straight deathmatch or team deathmatch. It would be interesting to see how public perception would change.
I wonder if people would consider objective-based games to be any different than just a straight deathmatch or team deathmatch. It would be interesting to see how public perception would change.
I understand the argument that video games are not sports. Even though they require skill, practice, concentration, and other traits also required by traditional sports, you cant really argue that...
I understand the argument that video games are not sports. Even though they require skill, practice, concentration, and other traits also required by traditional sports, you cant really argue that video games are active, something that most, if not all, sports are. However, to say no because of violence is kind of ridiculous. are sports like boxing and football not also violent? what about non violent games such as rocket league?
If this was the only criterion, then surely they'd have to allow non-violent games. I'm no expert in computer games (far from it!), but even I know that not all games revolve around killing or...
The President of the International Olympic Committee says esports are too violent to be part of the Olympics.
"If you have egames where it's about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values."
If this was the only criterion, then surely they'd have to allow non-violent games. I'm no expert in computer games (far from it!), but even I know that not all games revolve around killing or attacking people/robots/aliens/whatever. There are car-racing games, and puzzle-solving games, and construction games, and simulation games. My housemate is a fan of games where he builds things like airports or amusement parks, and where he drives buses and trains. I don't see the attraction myself, but there's certainly noone dying in his games!
That said, I've said before here that sitting on your arse in front of a computer doesn't count as sport. The Olympic Games are about sport, and computer games are simply not sports. Not every pastime needs to be included in the Olympics.
There are definitely non-killing games that could be included. And honestly, some of they "killing" games they include are actually strategy games, so it's like saying chess is a killing game...
There are definitely non-killing games that could be included. And honestly, some of they "killing" games they include are actually strategy games, so it's like saying chess is a killing game because you're removing pieces from the board (to me anyway).
Not every pastime needs to be included in the Olympics.
Agreed. Ultimately, I'm they're even entertaining the idea because their viewership is going down, while gaming competitions are go up.
I don't know much about the Olympics, or sports in general, or esports, so pardon my ignorance... but aren't Olympic sports supposed to be standardized for historical record-keeping? Presumably a...
I don't know much about the Olympics, or sports in general, or esports, so pardon my ignorance... but aren't Olympic sports supposed to be standardized for historical record-keeping? Presumably a runner in modern games could be compared against a runner in the same race fifty years ago. Other than minor variations in shoe design/materials, etc. over the years, isn't it essentially the same competition? I think the the other games follow a consistent set of rules so that you could say that year after year, it's still the same game being played. I'm aware that there are always advancements and controversies and the specifics of rules are always being refined, but generally speaking, isn't this the ideal?
Overwatch is kinda the latest hotness in the gaming world. Are the esports advocates saying Olympians should continue to play Overwatch in perpetuity? Or would it be a new suite of video games for every Olympic year? If the latter, what metric could we use to compare today's champions with players decades from now? I'm sure the scoring will vary wildly from game to game, in ways not seen in other Olympic events.
I'm not sure...but I honestly don't think so. For one, a lot of new sports have been added over the years, like golf and snowboarding. And how they are scored changes too, such as for figure...
I'm not sure...but I honestly don't think so. For one, a lot of new sports have been added over the years, like golf and snowboarding. And how they are scored changes too, such as for figure skating. And "new" sports like snowboarding, IOC came up with their own scoring, instead of using established systems from existing competitions. I would say that was more than a refinement. And honestly, doping is huge. The performance we see now is definitely more than a shoe improvement.
I've always sort of though the Olympics were more about friendly competition between countries to foster a more global community.
As for how they decide which games will be played each run, I would guess that it's based on category, so it probably wouldn't be a specific game as oppose to PvP or something. Definitely stuff to work out, but it's a matter of if they want to.
I suppose the most realistic possibility would be to have a game designed specifically for Olympics competition and have a major version released every four years, maybe one year after the...
I suppose the most realistic possibility would be to have a game designed specifically for Olympics competition and have a major version released every four years, maybe one year after the previous Olympics. Having it be an open source project would be ideal although having a company manage the project to keep it on track. So the next summer Olympics are in 2020, they release a game in 2021 and immediately start work on the next version, players have two years to compete to the top standing, the top players qualify and join an Olympic team by 2023, the team trains and competes in the 2024 Olympics.
A little additional info here: Paris 2024 Olympics: Esports 'in talks' to be included as demonstration sport. Also this one, that rules out LOL, DOTA2, Starcraft II, Overwatch and others: Olympics...
The blood in Overwatch is almost unnoticeable. You can see a bit of it at the top of this picture, but it doesn't really look too much like blood in my opinion.
The blood in Overwatch is almost unnoticeable. You can see a bit of it at the top of this picture, but it doesn't really look too much like blood in my opinion.
I guess that just goes to show how little violence matters in competitive video games. No one is paying any attention to the graphics, only the mechanics, strategy, teamwork, etc.
I guess that just goes to show how little violence matters in competitive video games. No one is paying any attention to the graphics, only the mechanics, strategy, teamwork, etc.
Late to the game but beyond what other people have said about private corporations owning the rights and profiting from the games, another problem I see is the variability within the games...
Late to the game but beyond what other people have said about private corporations owning the rights and profiting from the games, another problem I see is the variability within the games themselves. One big difference between sports and a lot of esports are the existence of balance patches that can completely change the way the game plays from one day to the next. Many games simply are too complicated and over balanced by the companies running them that make them incomparable to a sport which have clearly defined, simple rules.
I think this is a really good point. Some other Tilderinos have already suggested open-sourced gaming and such, but I believe the complexities of games (that's really increasing in some games)...
Many games simply are too complicated and over balanced by the companies running them that make them incomparable to a sport which have clearly defined, simple rules.
I think this is a really good point. Some other Tilderinos have already suggested open-sourced gaming and such, but I believe the complexities of games (that's really increasing in some games) will really be a hurdle.
Marketing? Game developers want games to be respectable. The IOC wants their corrupt, corporate-sponsored, urban blight producing affront to Zeus to remain relevant. It's a match made in Hell.
Marketing? Game developers want games to be respectable. The IOC wants their corrupt, corporate-sponsored, urban blight producing affront to Zeus to remain relevant. It's a match made in Hell.
I honestly think it's more about cashing in. There's a lot of money in esports. You may be interested in: How esports competitors prepare, mentally and physically.
I honestly think it's more about cashing in. There's a lot of money in esports.
I imagine that my opinion that non-athletic “sports” don’t belong in the Olympics isn’t going to be popular given the other replies
Edit: Not as unpopular as I thought. Also fixed a typo
There are already various events included where the "athletic" aspect is a bit questionable, such as shooting, curling, and golf. They require precise physical coordination, but so do action-oriented video games.
Point taken but it’s still a hard sell for me. But hey, they dropped Greco-Roman wrestling from the last summer games so who knows which way is up anymore?
You may be interested in How esports competitors prepare, mentally and physically.
Though not necessarily athletic in the more traditional sense, it is surprisingly demanding.
Should it belong in Olympics? meh, I don't have a strong opinion either way. Just think the reason it's not is sort of stupid.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. It’s definitely not the dream “sit at home all day and play games” that many likely think it is.
I definitely agree that the violence is a non-issue for me.
I follow the Overwatch League very closely, and it is shocking how mentally and physically challenging it is for many of them. There is way more physical training than I ever expected, and the mental strain has led many players to retire from the OWL and return to streaming full time. The constant hours of practice and the non-stop games during the season put a real toll on many players. Honestly, it's amazing that so many of them have adapted as well as they have.
What kind of physical training is there now? I briefly did a stint of professional fps gameplay a bit over a decade ago back when the scene was much smaller than it was today, and almost no one was doing physical training back then - it was just practice non-stop during waking hours.
Here's two articles on the physical training in the OWL. I'm not sure about the physical training for other esports. I imagine that esports that are less formal and that do not have an official league would include less physical training.
Thanks for the links!
Yeah I'm sure the amount changes depending on the league, but I'm curious to see what the top competitors in the leagues with real $$$ are doing.
Definitely not a sit at home and lazy about lol. I actually changed to a desk job around the time DOTA2 got super big and they started interviewing players and coaches. I remember one player discussing the hand and finger exercises he did and started doing them too. Made a huge difference for me. They had a huge workout and nutrient routine that I tried to copy a bit until I was too lazy :P
I would argue a better reason not to include esports in the Olympics is due to the fact that every game is owned by a company which can dictate stipulations over the broadcast and participation. No other Olympic sport has that problem. Perhaps if the games in question were public domain and thus not subject to the whims of a corporation it would be more viable.
This is an excellent point which avoids the normal low-hanging fruit. Good call.
Edit: rephrasing
This is currently why I don't particularly care about esports for now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching Starcraft 2, CS:GO, and Overwatch as much as any other young, "nerdy", white male in the US does. However, in 10 years, is Starcraft still gonna be around? Is the average kid in a less-than-developed nation able to play Rocket League after school?
StarCraft has been around for 20 years now. Outlook seems good.
That really wasn't my point. Starcraft might still be around in 10 years, but it will (almost certainly) still be tied to Activision/Blizzard.
So, interestingly, the original StarCraft didn't have such restrictions over broadcast and participation, which is why it stuck around for so long. SC2 was designed to specifically restrict it.
In 10 years, StarCraft really might still be kicking around as a result of not being restricted by Blizzard .
I mean, I kinda agree with not wanting excessively violent or bloody displays in the Olympics, it's supposed to be a unifying event for everyone, including those that find it distasteful. But that's not a good argument vs games like Rocket League though; it's literally just like playing soccer but in a video game, and it's perfectly acceptable for all ages and audiences.
What is a good argument, and frankly what I don't like about esports, is that it allows a private person or company to profit off the advertising and exposure that results from it. I'm not comfortable with a company like Blizzard being the sole provider of for example Starcraft 2, as they will retain exclusive control over a game that, like the other sports, is supposed to be freely accessible for everyone. If we're going to start having esports as a sport in the Olympics, I think it should be a requirement that any game used is open source, available for free, and not owned by any one company or team. On that condition, and without the violence, I think esports would make a fine addition to the Olympics and hopefully help connect the younger of us to a spirit of good and clean international competition.
I agree fully -- I think Bach's actual quote has been editorialized a little too heavily (by the BBC of course, not throwing shade at @Catt). He says:
... and then the article's author brought up the Madden killings. None of Bach's quotes are incompatible with esports in the Olympics -- all he implies is that he thinks things like CSGO or PUBG aren't a good fit for the Olympics when it comes to ethos, and that Olympic events with mortal origins (fencing, target shooting, equestrian things) have tried to abstract away the distasteful bits where guts start flying around.
I could certainly appreciate someone's viewpoint that a CSGO match is less violent than a physical fencing match, but I guess it comes down to image.
I do agree with the BBC editorializing his comments a bit much. Honestly, they focused quite a bit on the violence aspect, which I honestly think "blood existing" is too far. However, I would say playing a "war game" with distinct ethnicities being portrayed as terrorists verse liberators, does not fit welcome with the idea of the Olympics.
I agree with disallowing games with excessive violence, but I don't believe the ones name are that.
You make a really good point of the exclusive nature of the games though. I agree with it in the ideal, but not sure if that's really possible pragmatically. Games are expensive to develop and maintain.
That's a good point, but don't forget that many countries hosting the Olympics build enormous stadiums and elaborate displays that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I think there's enough room in the budget for a dev team if they look hard enough :) and I think a solid esports entry would significantly increase enthusiasm and attention from younger people who currently don't really participate in the Olympics as much. And if the game is open source, don't forget that any member of the public can contribute as well, which would help defray some of the dev costs; plus, they wouldn't have to make the game with any real story or bother with super sophisticated graphics, so it won't cost as much as a AAA title or anything.
Blood in video games is worse than blood in real life when a cyclist gets knocked over, or a runner falls and scrapes their knee or any other injury that happens regularly?
For fucks sake if you're going to make an argument about it being too violent point at video games where shooting and killing your enemy is the primary objective, not because "blood doesn't belong in the Olympics"
To add another example... what about boxing? (Link includes images of boxers in Rio with cuts and blood.)
I don't really have an opinion on including video games in the Olympics, but deciding blood is the distinguishing factor is silly.
I think it's about more than just the sight of blood. I get the feeling its about the intent. The IOC President said "If you have egames where it's about killing somebody, this cannot be brought into line with our Olympic values." There's no intent to kill somebody in cycling or running.
Someone just needs to reskin esports games to look like paintball and call the goal elimination instead of killing.
Just put paintball into the Olympics then. That would actually be really fun to watch an international paintball competition.
I would definitely watch that!
splatoon?
I wonder if people would consider objective-based games to be any different than just a straight deathmatch or team deathmatch. It would be interesting to see how public perception would change.
Then why are martial arts and boxing part of the Olympics?
Buggered if I know! :)
I know right!
I think there should be some scrutiny on what games to allow, but they seem to have a pretty low bar for unacceptable.
I understand the argument that video games are not sports. Even though they require skill, practice, concentration, and other traits also required by traditional sports, you cant really argue that video games are active, something that most, if not all, sports are. However, to say no because of violence is kind of ridiculous. are sports like boxing and football not also violent? what about non violent games such as rocket league?
If this was the only criterion, then surely they'd have to allow non-violent games. I'm no expert in computer games (far from it!), but even I know that not all games revolve around killing or attacking people/robots/aliens/whatever. There are car-racing games, and puzzle-solving games, and construction games, and simulation games. My housemate is a fan of games where he builds things like airports or amusement parks, and where he drives buses and trains. I don't see the attraction myself, but there's certainly noone dying in his games!
That said, I've said before here that sitting on your arse in front of a computer doesn't count as sport. The Olympic Games are about sport, and computer games are simply not sports. Not every pastime needs to be included in the Olympics.
There are definitely non-killing games that could be included. And honestly, some of they "killing" games they include are actually strategy games, so it's like saying chess is a killing game because you're removing pieces from the board (to me anyway).
Agreed. Ultimately, I'm they're even entertaining the idea because their viewership is going down, while gaming competitions are go up.
I don't know much about the Olympics, or sports in general, or esports, so pardon my ignorance... but aren't Olympic sports supposed to be standardized for historical record-keeping? Presumably a runner in modern games could be compared against a runner in the same race fifty years ago. Other than minor variations in shoe design/materials, etc. over the years, isn't it essentially the same competition? I think the the other games follow a consistent set of rules so that you could say that year after year, it's still the same game being played. I'm aware that there are always advancements and controversies and the specifics of rules are always being refined, but generally speaking, isn't this the ideal?
Overwatch is kinda the latest hotness in the gaming world. Are the esports advocates saying Olympians should continue to play Overwatch in perpetuity? Or would it be a new suite of video games for every Olympic year? If the latter, what metric could we use to compare today's champions with players decades from now? I'm sure the scoring will vary wildly from game to game, in ways not seen in other Olympic events.
I'm not sure...but I honestly don't think so. For one, a lot of new sports have been added over the years, like golf and snowboarding. And how they are scored changes too, such as for figure skating. And "new" sports like snowboarding, IOC came up with their own scoring, instead of using established systems from existing competitions. I would say that was more than a refinement. And honestly, doping is huge. The performance we see now is definitely more than a shoe improvement.
I've always sort of though the Olympics were more about friendly competition between countries to foster a more global community.
As for how they decide which games will be played each run, I would guess that it's based on category, so it probably wouldn't be a specific game as oppose to PvP or something. Definitely stuff to work out, but it's a matter of if they want to.
I suppose the most realistic possibility would be to have a game designed specifically for Olympics competition and have a major version released every four years, maybe one year after the previous Olympics. Having it be an open source project would be ideal although having a company manage the project to keep it on track. So the next summer Olympics are in 2020, they release a game in 2021 and immediately start work on the next version, players have two years to compete to the top standing, the top players qualify and join an Olympic team by 2023, the team trains and competes in the 2024 Olympics.
A little additional info here: Paris 2024 Olympics: Esports 'in talks' to be included as demonstration sport.
Also this one, that rules out LOL, DOTA2, Starcraft II, Overwatch and others: Olympics committee rules out ‘killer’ esports games
Don't games like Overwatch usually have an option to turn blood off?
Overwatch doesn't even have any blood.
E: Nevermind.
The blood in Overwatch is almost unnoticeable. You can see a bit of it at the top of this picture, but it doesn't really look too much like blood in my opinion.
Doesn't it have cartoony blood? Though I'm sure it's easy enough to turn it off.
No blood.
Overwatch definitely has blood. It's very mild and only visible up close but there is a red spray up close when shooting enemies.
Just hopped on to confirm and wow, don't know how I missed that. I play OW all the time.
I guess that just goes to show how little violence matters in competitive video games. No one is paying any attention to the graphics, only the mechanics, strategy, teamwork, etc.
Late to the game but beyond what other people have said about private corporations owning the rights and profiting from the games, another problem I see is the variability within the games themselves. One big difference between sports and a lot of esports are the existence of balance patches that can completely change the way the game plays from one day to the next. Many games simply are too complicated and over balanced by the companies running them that make them incomparable to a sport which have clearly defined, simple rules.
I think this is a really good point. Some other Tilderinos have already suggested open-sourced gaming and such, but I believe the complexities of games (that's really increasing in some games) will really be a hurdle.
Marketing? Game developers want games to be respectable. The IOC wants their corrupt, corporate-sponsored, urban blight producing affront to Zeus to remain relevant. It's a match made in Hell.
The IOC? What's that?
IOC is the International Olympic Committee. They make the decisions regarding the Olympic games.
You've never heard of the International Olympic Committee?
I honestly think it's more about cashing in. There's a lot of money in esports.
You may be interested in: How esports competitors prepare, mentally and physically.