Olympic eSports Events Could Be Becoming a Reality Making Some Question Why
In today’s culture, the Olympic games are multiple events which take place all over the world as a multi-national event. It’s a place where the athleticially best of each participating country can represent their culture with pride and show off why they deserve to be there. So what does the Olympics have to do with eSports?
The definition of “sport” has changed drastically over the years. In today’s culture, video games have been played competitively and are considered a sport, whether everyone agrees or not. Here in the West, eSports gets a lot of criticism for not being a “real” sport, but on the Eastern side of the world – they’re taken very seriously. So much so that the Asian Olympic Council will be adding Olympic eSports events to the 2022 Asian Games. The question now is, should it be done? Better yet, can it be done?
The 2022 Olympic games is still a ways off but will serve as somewhat of a test to see if the inclusion of Olympic eSports events can be realized. The Asian Olympic Council really wants to bring people around to the idea that the inclusion of eSports can be a reality. This year, at the Asian and Indoor Martial Arts Games, FIFA 2017, an undisclosed MOBA, and an unspecified RTS will be played competitively as something of a teaser for what’s to come. The 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia will host an eSports demonstration event, as well. This will all lead up to the 2022 Asian games and the inclusion of Olympic eSports events.
It’s hard to tell how exactly eSports will fare on an Olympic stage. Games are owned by companies, something that is not seen with sports like distance running, snowboarding/skiing, or ice hockey. There are sponsors for each, sure, but they don’t own the sport and there are no copyright issues or conflicting interests to work through. The next question will be is there enough interest in this as an Olympic sport? Things like skateboarding, snowboarding, and climbing were all very popular sports that show off athletic skill that it would have been just strange for them not to be in the Olympics. Maybe that will be the case for eSports as well, whatever the case may be – fans and players alike will need to wait a little longer to see how it all plays out.
While the Asian Olympic Council may consider eSports as an Olympic event, we’ll have to wait and see if the International Olympic Committee agrees. Maybe someday we’ll see players in Olympic eSports events alongside the likes of Jamie Anderson or Usain Bolt. What do you think of the inclusion of eSports in the Olympics? Do they have a place in the Olympics at all? Let us know in the comments below and as always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.
Chris Calles1560 Posts
Known as "Stash" or Yippee Calles. He's a student of everything, avid adrenaline junkie, and creator of random things. When he's not delving into a game, book, or movie - He's out teaching himself new things or taking part in some pretty epic adventures. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.
