Video games aren’t sports
December 12, 2013
Video gaming is something anyone at any age level can do and requires very little physical activity and therefore should not be considered a sport.
Sports like football, baseball and basketball are real sports. They require a lot of physical training and energy to do.
Even Grandma Lilly in the movie “Grandma’s Boy” can play video games!
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to play a video game; all you need is two hands, sometimes one depending on what game console you’re using.
The main reason it is even a sport is because of the game “League of Legends.”
According to Tech News World. com, e-sports require the same level of training and specialization as regular sports.
People don’t need to run across 50 yards or dribble a ball to play a video game.
All you need to know is how to work the controller. In order to be an athlete, you need to be in top physical shape and have some type of athletic ability.
Anyone can learn how to play video games, no matter what age or physical capability he has.
It’s doubtful we’ll ever see video gaming in the Olympics. Yes, video games are popular in this modern day but does that mean it deserves to be called a sport?
We have professional football players, basketball players and baseball players. People like Michael Jordan, Payton Manning and Babe Ruth are all looked up to and admired by sports fanatics for their specific talents and skills in their respected sports.
A guy who does nothing but eat and play video games all day at home as someone that would be considered a sports role model is unfathomable. That’s not exactly a profession that parents would encourage their kids to get into.
Just because it has the word “game” in it doesn’t mean it should be considered a sport.
You can play video games from almost anywhere. Other sports require you to physically be in the same room as your opponent(s) when competing.
The bottom line is how lazy is our society becoming where we make sitting at a computer and twiddling our thumbs while we eat chips all day a sport?
sad kid • Jan 13, 2022 at 8:34 am
I think they are because what if you are playing VR that makes you move around and what about the Wii
Alison • Nov 5, 2021 at 1:39 pm
You are supposed to gain from sports whether it’s physical or mental. Nothing good is earned from gaming.Gaming does not require an exercise for your brain or body; instead, they train their fingers to movements on their screen. “Should video games be considered a sport,” written by T. Rangaraju and A. Rudolph. “ Video games are not as active, and they aren’t healthy which defeats the whole purpose of sports in the first place. That’s why we believe video games are not a sport. The virtual world of video games will never exist like events and competitions that happen in the real world.”
It is not healthy to stare at a screen all day. While other sports require you to move around or sit for a bit, training for esports is very unhealthy. You stay in a chair all day and you eat in that chair. This practice can also cause you mental unhealthiness. Players training for esport are stressed, fearful and can sometimes get angry after a while. Some players don’t interact with other people because they are training 24/7. According to Linking Esports to health risks and benefits: Current knowledge and future research needs written by multiple people, “The digital gaming characteristics of Esports make it easy to identify potential adverse health effects that may result from the sustained and stressful training and fierce competition encountered by high-level Esports game players…Some commonly identified negative health outcomes documented to date include stress, sleep disturbances, vision problems, musculoskeletal pain, overuse injuries, metabolic disorders or weight gain, and other behavioral problems (i.e., addiction, violence, aggression). For example, a recent survey showed that college students who spent a significant amount of daily time (from 5.5 h to 10.0 h) in front of screens playing Esports suffered from eye fatigue as well as neck, back, wrist, and hand pains.”
Last, athletes that compete in this are not very good role models. Watching a person who does nothing but play all day is the type of person you would want to be.
On a website called Talon Marks the author, Lauren Gandara claims, “We have professional football players, basketball players and baseball players. People like Michael Jordan, Payton Manning and Babe Ruth are all looked up to and admired by sports fanatics for their specific talents and skills in their respected sports. A guy who does nothing but eat and play video games all day at home as someone that would be considered a sports role model is unfathomable. That’s not exactly a profession that parents would encourage their kids to get into. Just because it has the word “game” in it doesn’t mean it should be considered a sport.”
Just a Sophomore • Sep 15, 2021 at 9:29 am
This was such a bad written story or whatever you want to call it even I can do something better. I consider video games as a sport and could right something better even though it is against my idea😂😂
brayden • May 4, 2022 at 9:33 am
do it then
shmigo • Jul 23, 2021 at 4:15 am
You’re tryna tell me that darts, which is an Olympic sport requires more physical strength, than gaming. Ok buddy, do some research before slamming gaming. Any professional gamer could have wrote an article better than this.
Brayden • May 14, 2021 at 8:11 am
Video games should not be considered a sport because real sports take place in the real world while video games take place in a made-up world. These so-called athletes and their so-called sports are able to take money away from real athletes and real sports in college. Semi-professional video gaming nerds have no right to take not just money, but opportunities away from true, hardworking, and dedicated athletes.
Name (required) • May 7, 2021 at 10:05 am
Chris Polm, again, the definition states that it requires physical activity, not how much is required. Chess is a sport, but you don’t use your entire body for chess.
Someone • Mar 30, 2022 at 12:24 pm
You use more body activity in chess than gaming on a controller or keyboard and mouse.
Epic Games • May 6, 2021 at 9:40 am
games are a sport you move your fingers and it helps your muscle in your fingers and helps you focus and strgitgis
Coach Crushednut • Apr 26, 2021 at 10:26 am
Video games are absolutely not a sport. You put these soft twitch streamers out on a very physically demanding sport like table tennis, they will simply not compete. They will run out of gas because all they do is sit down and be a bitch. Get up and play a real sport. Foh. If you play esports you suck penis for a living
jack mehoff • Apr 26, 2021 at 10:21 am
He dribbles past one defender, takes on the next, goes to goal… and scores! Now I know what you’re thinking, that I just described a soccer match, but no I’m talking about E-sports Fifa. Some people believe that video games are a sport. Others disagree and believe that basketball, football, soccer, etc. are real sports. This argument has been going on for a long time. But while video games are fun and competitive, they should not be viewed as a traditional sport.
To begin with, a sport is identified as a physical activity that requires skill. One cite stated,”To be a professional E-sports gamer all you have to know is how to work the controller. But to be a professional athlete you have to be in top physical shape and have athletic ability.”(Gandara np) In addition parents don’t want their kids to look up to someone who sits at a screen all day and does nothing but eat chips.
Also, physical activity helps lower anxiety and stress and supports overall health. One study showed that gamers that have more than 4 hours a day struggle with vision, headaches, and sleep. One poll asked people that go to the gym,”Why do you go to the gym?”(Statista/Why people work out ) Almost half of the participants said that it makes them feel refreshed and productive. The other half said it keeps them in good shape. Now gaming may take laser focus and the ability to stay calm under pressure, but even people that play sports with their busy schedule could still go pro in gaming.
Additionally can an activity that’s primarily from your chair really count as a sport? For example, “playing NBA 2k20 will never get your heart pumping like a run around the track.”(Starecheski np) Someone may look at a streamer and see them having fun and playing with friends, but they don’t think of it as a sport. Getting the game winning kill may be awesome, but it doesn’t take much skill. Winning the game for your team will get you noticed and you will feel good at the same time.
Now E-sports may have many fans, but so does the voice. Are you considering that a sport? Gaming is now partaking in clubs at schools. Now think of a chess club at your school or the school spelling bee. Do you see that as a sport? Gaming goes right along with all of those clubs and takes part in no athleticism and people still call it a sport.
Video games are a fun way to get away from reality and have fun with friends, but while they may be fun and take skill they aren’t a sport. Sports take athletic ability and most gamers are obese. Playing a sport means you can be healthy and have fun with friends. Now do you think gaming is a sport?
Kimberly • Apr 14, 2021 at 2:51 pm
I hate you
Chris Polm • Mar 25, 2021 at 9:41 am
They actually aren’t a sport because they only use there hands like baseball a full body activity basketball full body activity same with any real sports
dgbusvd • Mar 10, 2021 at 10:24 am
Don’t read the article if you’re just going to talk trash about the author. She spoke her mind. And people are lazy that play video games. They aren’t a sport and people who say they are should get their fcts right.
Aleks Jones • Feb 1, 2021 at 8:05 am
“Anyone can learn how to play video games, no matter what age or physical capability he has.”. This is the same for sports, literally anyone can learn how to play a sport. Only a small percent of the very committed children will end up in the big leagues for sports. Only a small percent of the very committed children will end up in the big leagues for gaming.
Edward • Dec 23, 2020 at 8:35 am
I think they are not a sport
Name is required • Dec 8, 2020 at 10:14 am
“Requires very little physical activity.” The definition of sport doesn’t define how much physical activity is required, just that it needs physical activity, so this point is irrelevant.
anonymouse • Dec 4, 2020 at 1:13 pm
I completely disagree with this
jonathan valdez • Oct 21, 2020 at 10:46 am
Jonathan Valdez
14 Oct 2020
Lauren Gandara
Chief Editor
11110 Alondra Blvd
Norwalk, CA 90650
Dear Gandara Lauren,
Should playing video games professionally be considered a sport? Playing video games professionally is a sport now a days. Playing video games is considered a sport because it involves the same fundamentals as any other sport such as football, soccer, and basketball. Professional video gamers practice their skills many hours a day. Pro gamers compete in tournaments against other professional teams for money. Additionally, professional gamers dedicate their lives to games, to improve their skills and overall performance in their field. I believe that professional gamers (E-gamers) should be considered as a real sport worldwide. This is important because E-gamers do not get the credit they deserve for the time they put into their job as most people think it is not a real job.
I believe that many professional gamers have rigorous practicing schedules. E-gamers practice an average of seven to nine hours per day every day, whereas a professional NFL player puts in an average of five hours per day. Many of the gamers practice so much because they want to get better at a given game to be able to compete for huge tournaments with big prize pools. The average pro gamer spends about 7-9 hours a day practicing according to Vejvad and Dan, “The average practice time per day for a professional gamer will be around 7-9 hours. This includes team practice, strategy talk, team building and anything else on their daily routine.” This further proves that pro players have rigorous schedules that last all day long. Many pro gamers not only use the 7-9 hours of strictly playing, but they also include meetings with the team, replaying clips, and going to the gym. Another example in which a pro team shows off their daily schedule, According to Vejvad and Dan “7AM: Gym and breakfast, 8AM: 3-4 hours of solo queue, 11AM: Start scrim preparation with team. This is when things start to get serious among the team environment, 1PM-11PM: Scrim time, 11PM: 1-2-hour break to decompress from the day.” Professional gamers have a set schedule, but also in the schedule they include going to the gym or eating because it is important to stay in shape while playing long hours every day. In other words, this proves my argument that professional gamers should be considered a sport worldwide because they train all day long every day to improve their skill set to be able to compete with the best of the best. In conclusion, Pro gamers have a rigorous daily schedule that lasts all day long from waking up to going to bed, while as in other sports it is a lot shorter day.
I believe that professional gaming is a sport because they compete for money just like any other sport. In the past year, a game called Fornite held a world cup tournament where a 16-year-old kid named Kyle Giersdorf won a grand prize of 3 million dollars. Over 40 million people attempted to make it to finals of the tournament, where only 100 solos made it and 50 duos. Epic games creator of Fornite held a World cup and had a 100-million-dollar prize pool according to Matt Perez, “Epic Games dived headfirst into esports when it announced $100 million in prizes for its opening tournament run for Fornite.” This proves my argument that professional gamers should be considered a sport because they play in huge prize pools just like any other professional sport team. E-gamers are competitive with games being able to last hours at a time, and in competition with millions of people. According to a Michigan state journalist Jared Ramsey he states, “League of Legends is the most played game on PC, with over 100 million active players in 2020. League is extremely popular internationally, and that popularity carries over to the competitive side as well.” In 2020 league or legends had a tournament with a prize pool of 9 million dollars, and the average amount of viewers were 250 thousand. The peak of viewers at a given time was 3.9 million. In conclusion, playing games as a professional is not easy because you have to earn your spot amongst millions of other people, and once you make it being the best of the best then you get to compete for millions of dollars against people worldwide.
I believe that making it to being the best of the best is extremely hard. Making it to the top is extremely competitive. There are about 2.4 billion people that play video games worldwide. Although there are billions of people playing worldwide there is only about 40 million people playing competitively to get to the top 500. According to Nestor Gilbert “there were 2.47 billion gamers in the world by the end of 2019. Growth has been steady with an average of 5.9% year-on-year (yoy) increase. 2020 figures are forecasted to reach 2.6 billion gamers that will earn the global games market an estimated $165 billion.” This is very important because it is forecasted to increase in 200 million players within a year. The video game industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that will only keep going with time. As a result of the increase of player year over year it will continuously become more and more difficult to get to being the best of the best. In other sports it can be highly competitive, but that is nothing in comparison to the video game industry were there tens if not hundreds of millions of people competing. In conclusion, to get into being the best of the best or the top 500 it will be very difficult, which in turn it means it should be considered a sport worldwide because it is extremely difficult and the average joe wont be good enough to compete professionally.
I believe that a common misconception about video games is that anyone can play them professionally at any age. This is a misconception because if you give a controller to a 5-year-old kid, they are not going perform well enough to play professionally. I agree that anyone can pick up a controller and play a game but not everyone can do it at a level of a pro gamer. It takes a lot to be a pro gamer for example, time, dedication, fast reaction times etc. According to Mujahadi Rupani “To be a gamer, one needs to have a good hand to eye coordination, excellent reflexes and a comprehensive knowledge of the game. These skills can be honed through rigorous training and daily practice. A professional gamer spends at least 12 hours of his day practicing and improving his skills.” This quote is important because in every sport you need to have certain skills to perform at the top. Not everyone can play games professionally because it requires so much and kids for example will not be able to do it because of school. An article written states that, “To become a pro gamer and really make a career out of it, you’ll need to hone your skills in one game. Only the very best, most exceptional players will become pro gamers and earn money by winning competitions” (STEELSERIES). Not everyone can play competitively therefore it is untrue that anyone can play them professionally. In conclusion, it is a misconception that anyone can play games because it takes certain skills to become the best therefore only a few make it like in any other pro sports.
I believe that pro gaming is physically demanding on one’s body. It is physically demanding because you must be sitting down for several hours per day every day. If your sitting down for long hours a day you must make sure you stay in shape because to compete with the best. Another reason why it is demanding is because it takes a lot of constant repetitive training on your hands, so they wont start to hurt or cramp over long periods of time in gaming sessions. You also need to exercise regularly because it can cause strains in your back if you are sitting all day long. You also need to drink water regularly because you are always using up your bodies water when gaming for long periods time with no breaks. An article written states that “The most obvious symptom of dehydration is thirst, but other symptoms include Muscle cramps, headaches, and feeling dizzy/lightheaded” (Esports Healthcare). This is important because if players become dehydrated then they will not perform at their best. Dehydrations causes a lot of symptoms but the most important one is muscle cramps because when they occur it would cause them to lose a match and or worse lose a tournament. In conclusion, pro gaming is physically demanding because it will take a strain on your body if not properly addressed and managed by taking the proper care of your body.
In conclusion, I believe video games should be considered sports worldwide because no credit is given to the pro gamers, they do not get credit for how they got to the top and all the challenges/hurdles they had to go through to be at the top. Pro gamers have rigorous practicing schedules that take up the entire day which include working out and practicing multiple hours a day. Just like any other pro sports team you either compete or earn money, once pro gamers make it to the top, they compete in tournaments for money which can go into the millions of dollars. Pro gaming is extremely hard to get into because there is over 2.4 billion people playing video games worldwide and over 40 million people trying to compete with others so they can be the best of the best or top 500. I agreed that anyone can pick up a controller and play video games but not anyone that picks up the controller can make it to being a pro gamer and compete amongst the best. Lastly, pro gaming is physically demanding on one’s body because you need to stay in shape to compete amongst the best and also it is important to stay hydrated because it can cause muscle cramps and or dizziness which can alter your performance in the outcome of a competitive match. I win the argument that professional gaming should be considered a sport worldwide because of all it entails of being a pro gamer, and it how competitive it is getting to be the best of the best and remaining being the best of the best.
Works Cited
“Gamer guide to hydration: how much water should you drink?” Esports Healthcare
“How to become a professional gamer.” STEELSERIES
Nestor, Gilbert. “Number of gamers worldwide 2020: Demographics, statistics, and predictions.”
FinanceOnline.
Perez, Matt. “‘Fortnite’ World cup: By the Numbers” Forbes Accessed July 26, 2019.
Ramsey, Jared. “Top 10 esports games of 2020: biggest prizes & Viewership.” Lineups,
Accessed June 25.
Rupani, Mujahid. “How you can make a career in gaming?” Entrepreneur, Accessed Dec. 15,
2018.
Vejvad, and Dan. “A glimpse into a professional gamer’s daily routine.” Claim to fame
Entertainment.
Gabriela Quiñones • Sep 30, 2020 at 5:16 am
Ok. Its your point of view but to play chess you dont need pshysical strenghth and is still consider a sport because you use the brain. Same as gamimg there some tacticals games that you need to use strategy so you can win. I really think it should be consider a sport same as cheearleading.
Gavin • Sep 1, 2020 at 3:25 pm
VIDEO GAMES ARENT A SPORT IT IS NOT RIGHT PLAY THEM AT HOME
AK • Aug 12, 2020 at 3:35 am
Video games are a sport by the way, they involve good muscle memory, quick thinking, and strategy, not everyone can play video games. I know this because I have seen this in person with some people and people like you. Not to mention there are competitive video game competitions that require skill and strategy to win the grand prize or money. Based on your argument I bet you haven’t even played a video game or are actually good at any video games. If your argument were a spice it would be flour.
By the way, you didn’t even include virtual gaming in your argument, that’s a physical activity.
brendon_speedj477 • May 29, 2020 at 11:12 am
I think that because streamers already exist and make money, then why does video gaming need to be a sport? Video games are respected in many ways and honestly I don’t even like sports, but because people can make money off playing video games on youtube, twitch or other streaming services they don’t need to also be sports.
Dorian • May 12, 2020 at 7:22 am
Video games make you think quickly because you have to make a lot of quick decisions. like in Fortnite if there are people all around you have to think of the best place to edit a building so you can survive. And overwatch is a very fast place game so if you already have a strategy you still need to think a lot.
Siegmeyer of Catarina • May 2, 2020 at 1:20 am
we all gonna forget about how buff tyler1 is and he plays video games while eating … guess so lol
Austin • Apr 17, 2020 at 10:00 am
I’m not even in college and I could probably defend this topic well.
Austin • Apr 17, 2020 at 9:59 am
Video games actually do have strategy and plans. For example, in Overwatch you need to use your abilities wisely and effectively, in CoD Warzone you need to strategize a plan to stay alive, in Minecraft you need to effectively plan how many resources you need, in Fortnite you need to remember what weapons are effective in different scenarios, and in MOBAs, strategy is the key to winning. To further my point, this is the definition of career on Google: an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress. People who play video games for a living do get paid. You also need sharp reflexes in a fast paced FPS game like Overwatch, because in 2 seconds the point can be taken from the other team, and your team can win. You actually need skill to get good at a game. Video gaming isn’t just some thing that you can get good at overnight. Like other sports, gaming requires lots of hard practice and dedication to climb to the top if the leaderboard. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my paragraph that I made off the spot. I will be using this article in an essay for sure.
Ben Pline • Mar 29, 2020 at 6:54 pm
Then Why is Chess a Sport?
Channng • Mar 27, 2020 at 10:26 am
Video games actually do have arena battles, special events, and there own Olympics so partially I have to disagree, but this information is actually helping me with my project, hopefully my teacher clicks this link. LOL
chloe • Mar 5, 2020 at 10:34 am
I believe video games should not be sports
Chloe • Mar 5, 2020 at 10:31 am
Ya´ll out of your freckin minds.
Chloe Louissaint • Mar 4, 2020 at 10:56 am
Video games arent sports.
Person • Feb 25, 2020 at 7:00 am
Y’all are all out of your. Inds
Harry Seldon • Dec 7, 2019 at 12:59 pm
You know you don’t just play a video game and automatically earn money, that’s not how it works you actually have to have skills and train for events. Whilst yes it’s not a physical sport like football or basketball but it’s a mental sport and studies have shown that esports players suffer from the same pressure as athletic sport players.
Henry • Nov 20, 2019 at 9:12 am
Hannah, how does sacrificing your time and energy consider something a sport? Because nowhere ever did anyone say that a sport had to be extremely difficult and energy consuming. What your saying is that because you sacrificed a lot to swim, that makes it a sport, and because other people are smarter than your schedule, then their activity is not a sport, which is bullshit. For one thing, look up the definition of a sport and you will find that getting up at 5 and suffocating/drowning yourself and giving up your social life for that sport is not a part of the definition. For another, you did not explain why video games aren’t sport, or uno, as a matter of fact. A sport requires “physical exertion,” but it does not have to be that much. For example, bowling or golf? How much exertion do they require?
SKSKS • Oct 30, 2019 at 7:46 am
This helped me for a prodject beans
Z • Sep 20, 2019 at 1:24 pm
Video game should be considered a sport. Even if they don’t require any physical activity. A sport is something that is competitive, organized, and with training. Video game can be violent, but this shouldn’t be the reason that it is not considered a sport. A sport do not actually need any physical activity. Something that requires physical activity is an exercise, not a sport. Many people think this way because all the sport they ever seen is baseball, basketball, football, and things like that which requires physical activity. Even playing chess is a type of sport, nobody need to move around to do that, they only need to move their fingers! Emmmm…and why am I even here…I should be doing my homework right now. That’s it!
Nathaniel Zandstra • May 15, 2019 at 8:43 am
I agree with Lauren because if younger kids were to watch their older sibling thats playing professionally and it is a violent game then the little kid is going to think that violence is okay
Hannah • May 13, 2019 at 9:06 am
Okay, so I am a swimmer. The fact that anyone would believe that video games are a sport is an insult to my team and myself. We get up to go practice at five in the morning, swim nonstop, not being able to breathe, for two or three hours. Then after school, we have at least an hour of dry-land, which is weights and strength training. We put in all of these hours and push ourselves until we are almost drowning with need to make it a little farther, push ourselves a little bit harder, chase that line on the bottom of the pool faster and faster, just to drop a millisecond. And feeling the disappointment as you are a hundredth of a second away from your goal, and then to just get up the next day and do it all over again. We train all year round just to be a little faster. We give up social lives and what we want to to, to have fun, to just be faster and beat your best time. Now tell me again, how is video gaming a sport when people just sit on a couch to do a “Sport” that doesn’t require the physical exertion as other real sports do. Let me offer you something. If you want to contest my claim, let me make up a swimming workout that my team ans I would do on an easy day(don’t want to kill you too much), and you go do it and see if you think sitting and playing a game is a sport. Sure, some games require brain power, but next are we going to be writing about how Uno is a sport? NO! Because that is ridiculous! Just like a game on a screen where you just have to use a controller.
Judah • Apr 30, 2019 at 12:39 pm
First of all, to “be able to play video games” you have to know much more than how to hold a controller (assuming you’re a console peasant), you have to understand the objective of the game, how it works, and what vehicle(s) you use to complete the objective (by vehicle I don’t only mean transportation)that doesn’t even include what you need to know to be good at the game. Second, you said anyone can play video games no matter their physical condition or age, while this is mostly true, it also is for any physical sport (besides swimming which requires an ability to swim at least at a mediocre level for it to be safe) for example, grandma Lily is old and she can play video games, but I’m willing to bet she can also play basketball, not well by any means, but she can do as well as she did in the video game. Just because video games aren’t physical that doesn’t mean they can’t be a “sport”. Finally, I believe your arguments have no real justification and you’re stereotyping waaaayyy too much. I will leave you with this:
Sport:
An activity involving physical exertion (fingers moving in intricate ways counts) and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
Henry Cook • Apr 22, 2019 at 12:40 pm
What your saying is that video games aren’t a sport because it isn’t physical, and it took you many paragraphs of weak, repetitive writing to do so. You need to add a counter argument and prove why people who believe video games are sports wrong. You also need actual sources, and please stop using the stereotype of a gamer who just sits in front of his computer and eats. Very rarely is it true. The reason you can’t is because this essay is solely your opinion and there is no real evidence why video games can’t be considered a sport. Very weak essay, lacks most everything.
Ziad Soufianou • Mar 14, 2019 at 8:34 pm
I think that video games should be considered a sport. And please tell If you want to change your answer because what I’m about to say is really deep.
Look Video Games are sports. No offense but have anyone of you who disagrees with the statement YES THEY ARE ever heard of something called The Wii also If you play with virtual reality and you actually have one of the treadmills that let you move your avatar by walking. That’s quite a workout right there. There is also something called Xbox Kinect. Plus there is proven studies that Video Games actually help with a lot of mental thinking and other things. Don’t believe me search it up. I’m only thirteen and I play games. The games I play are good games like puzzles one of you guys try playing a puzzle. You know what I play ? Worlds hardest Sudoku.
AlienWithAnOpinion • Mar 18, 2022 at 10:56 am
I agree with you on the Wii and the Virtual Reality, but not everyone can afford them or they aren’t spoiled brats that get whatever they want. While pretty much anybody can get on a non-profit sports team, while not everyone can play video games or eSports. Also, saying that video games are a sport because they help with mental thinking is like saying a algebra test is a sport. You use mental thinking, right? Real, contact sports actually get you involved, committed, and motivated. And playing sports, you can build friendships and bonds you never would’ve had. And these friendships can be lifelong and be life changing. Sports can make you fit and benefit your health. While sports make you lazy and fat. This is why video games are not sports.
DATBOI • Nov 13, 2018 at 4:17 pm
The basis for this argument is so garbage that I wont dignify it with my own argument. Just facts. “Anyone can play games.” No not everyone can as a ,matter of fact, play video games on an elite level like say a CS:GO team or LUL OVERWATCH LEAGUE. The idealism of ‘Ya just move your fucking hands.” is so idiotic its almost funny. These Elite players train for hours upon hours constantly just to perfect their own mechanical skills, the amount of mental anguish they go through is almost unbearable. Not to mention mental pressure, because as while a football game is watched by the people in the stands or at home, A competitive ESPORTS game is able to be seen by the entire internet. Which is fucking huge btw. These people sit here “twiddiling thumbs’ as you call it making over 100k per game. While you work your ass off at a 9-5 or a career, for less than that a year LMFAO. How does that make you feel? I think you might just be a little jealous that a “twig” like ninja makes enough money to buy your life 3x over.
Jesse Meier • Nov 9, 2018 at 7:54 am
Where are your references to back up your claims? Where is your counterclaim? What reasoning do you have besides the fact that being a gamer doesn’t require you to run back and forth on a field for 90 minutes kicking a black and white ball? This article is very weak and needs extreme work
your mom • Jun 6, 2018 at 6:27 pm
Well, first of all when you’re playing video games you might pick up on how to actually spell words. Second, you do not just precisely move your hands but you need to know all aspects of the game and have split-second judgments to be as intricate with your gaming as possible. With most eSport games, there is not muscle memory that can be used because the scenarios are always changing. This is why you must have the mental ability to make these calls. For god’s sake, we consider chess a sport and both chess and eSport games take the same mental capacity.
Garrett • Mar 15, 2018 at 4:51 am
Love how my comment got deleted
Garrett • Mar 14, 2018 at 5:03 am
Just trashed on this article for a project, i feel good. Lauren, learn to find evidence, it’ll help you one day. Secondly, don’t call all gamers lazy, lots of us are actually in good shape. Thirdly, go play some video games and see how “easy” they really are.
Anthony Smith • Jan 26, 2018 at 1:48 pm
Alright smart guy, let me see you play against a team of global elites on Counter Strike : Global Offensive and than tell me anyone can play games.
Peirce • Dec 12, 2017 at 11:49 am
I guess you will laugh at me again if i said something abou dark souls?
Whatevee • Dec 2, 2017 at 5:18 am
Hearthstone? HAHAHA.
If you consider that a “sport” then all gambling games should be too. That’s ridiculous.
Peirce • Nov 14, 2017 at 11:56 am
Hand of the gods not hands of chaos. Sorry
Landon • Nov 14, 2017 at 11:51 am
Gameing does not have a lot of physical exertion, but it takes a lot of mind power. You have to be very smart to play some games like magic, hearthstone, hands of chaos, all these take strategy. Now, Call Of Duty, god of war, and overwatch all you are doing is trying to stay alive. Tetris, space invaders, and Pac-Man all take strategy to.
Ashley • Nov 9, 2017 at 1:19 pm
video games should not be considered a sport because all your doing is sitting dow on your couch to bed and using your hand to play .While a sport is something you do outside in fact video games are a HOBBY .Sports have to do with physical and mental extertion .In addition video games has NOTHING to do with athletic ability that is also a kind of sport .
Sky • Nov 12, 2017 at 10:25 pm
Evidence? Also, why don’t you try to download League, or Dota 2 if you really want a challenge, and try to climb to the number 1 position in your region, you will NEVER be able to do it, as you won’t have the physical (dexterity, reflexes) , or mental (positioning, strategy, counter-picks) capabilities to do it.
Girl • Feb 22, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Still it is not a physical activity and that seems kind of stupid you get no reward for moving your thumb which still won’t make any sense but in sports you are fit and healthy and it makes you feel good where as in gaming you sit on your butt all day
Zach • Mar 12, 2018 at 10:04 pm
When I get that final kill in a single-life game of Call of Duty (Search and Destroy), when it is just me and the opponent, and I am able to beat him in a fight of pure skill as the rest of my team is cheering me on, I feel pretty dang good. When I score a goal in Rocket League (basically Rocket-powered Car Soccer, sounds silly but really fun and very competitive) after hours of sitting on the edge of my seat (sometimes sweating, and I even work out almost every day) and after trying drill upon drill of getting a certain move right, and have that give me an advantage and the awesome feeling of scoring, it is rewarding. There are professional teams and players, competing and earning money and donating to charity all over the world. Track & Field, a highly regarded sport recognized in the Olympics, is just putting one foot in front of the other over and over again. That is a very simple motion that almost everyone can do. There are many nuances in the way one moves around the controller to make certain actions happen, just like catching or kicking a ball or swimming. One can move their legs around sitting on their couch, but that does not invalidate it as being a sport. One of the Olympic sports is Shooting. The goal of Shooting is to hit as close to the center of the target, just by moving one’s finger precisely through hand-eye coordination control, better than one’s opponent. The goal of an eSport is to move one’s fingers precisely through hand-eye coordination and control, to beat one’s opponent. I do not see a difference. Now I ask you, “What is the difference between shooting and eSports that separates the two and makes Shooting a sport and eSports not?
Brannon McQuinn • Sep 26, 2017 at 7:40 am
Even though I disagree with you I want to help you out. Speaking from a writing perspective, your argument is weak because it is based on the idea that the only thing that quantifies a sport is physical activity and that professional gamers sit around all day and eat potato chips.
I would recommend that you do some more research and re-write your argument. Those who consider themselves professional gamers keep themselves in good psychical condition because they need to have a clear mind. You are right in thinking that during the actual event of a game there is no physical activity, but there is a lot of mental work involved. I know that may sound strange but the things that separate a professional gamer and Grandma Lily from “Grandma’s Boy” are their ability to strategize and know the intricate details of the game they are playing. Somebody who wishes to become professional must study every part of the game they are playing, everything from the character roster, to the way that the game’s code works.
Again, from a writing perspective, your argument could use some work. I would love to read something that you write after researching a bit more so that you understand the argument from both sides.
I hope this didn’t make you angry and I hope that you take what I have said into consideration. I am writing about this for a college essay, and I thought this might be good practice.
Diego • May 11, 2018 at 12:20 am
I you use the mental strength and ability card than you have say that taking test is a sport because you are using you’re mind and skill and knowledge to do the test. Gaming is not a sport and oh yeah gamers and in extremely good physical condition to move their thumbs that’s why Ninja is a little twig and I have also seen him eat in his streams and myth and other streamers if you think having a strategy to beat virtual and fake characters that don’t not exist try doing it in real life crashing into people and working your ass of how lazy and stupid has out world gotten