Gaming as a sport (Please read the discussion and respond)

Poll: Gaming as a sport? (answer after reading both arguements

Yes
4.76%
1
No
95.24%
20
Total: 100% 21 vote(s)
(Oct. 03, 2009  9:53 AM)SK Wrote: No. Just no. No shower after you're done = no sport (I don't consider chess a sport lol)

Well, I don't know about you, but I shower before and after every tournament I go to. That many people in one or two rooms....ugh...
frog that's not really the point
pressing buttons requires no physical exertion unless you're the most out of shape person in the universe
sports involve getting off your carp and moving your body, gaming is the antithesis of this
it seriously breeds slothfulness and obesity and all that other fun stuff that's plaguing society, so stop trying to justify your dumb hobby by trying to make it out to be something it really isn't
it's hardly better than the kids that think bey is a sport
and don't bring up competitive ddr it really doesn't count
(Oct. 03, 2009  6:33 AM)Roan Wrote: This thread... Holy carp. I read through it all and I still don't think I can respond properly.

Um... Let's just start with this. As someone who was previously a very hardcore gamer (I ran my own gaming blog and podcast, if you'll remember lol), I don't consider video games a sport. They are games, and I think there is a very distinct differentiation between a "game" and a "sport". There is nothing wrong with either of them, and they are labeled differently for a reason -- they aren't the same thing, and they shouldn't be treated as the same thing.

I think what has people so confused about this is the fact that "professional gaming" now exists. People play video games as their way of living, similar to those individuals who play sports for a living. There are various similarities between the two groups of people and the activities in which they participate to make money, but there are also vast differences.

Sports players spend a lot of time and energy training for various events, as do professional gamers. Sports players tend to be on a team and play against other teams, as do professional gamers. But that's about where the similarities end and the differences begin. Sports players use a pretty even amount of both mental and physical skill in their craft, sometimes tending more toward the physical side, while gamers are using a much more uneven amount, with more mental skill being used.

Anyone who tries to say that video games can be a physical activity is lying both to themselves and everyone else -- it really isn't. Unless of course we're talking about a WiiFit tournament or something like that which, to my knowledge anyway, doesn't exist. (And let's hope it stays that way lol)

Anyway, my real point here is that games and sports are separate entities because they are different, and games will never be considered a "sport" because they lack a lot of the inherent qualities that make a sport a sport in the first place.

Best reply in the thread. Smile
(Oct. 03, 2009  11:13 AM)Giga Wrote: Best reply in the thread. Smile

His and Ommy's. I can't say whos really.
(Oct. 03, 2009  10:41 AM)AnnieDuck Wrote: frag that's not really the point
pressing buttons requires no physical exertion unless you're the most out of shape person in the universe
sports involve getting off your carp and moving your body, gaming is the antithesis of this
it seriously breeds slothfulness and obesity and all that other fun stuff that's plaguing society, so stop trying to justify your dumb hobby by trying to make it out to be something it really isn't
it's hardly better than the kids that think bey is a sport
and don't bring up competitive ddr it really doesn't count

Fixed
it isnt...

imo, those couch potatoes that are so lazy to do some sports start arguing on that what they are doing by sitting all day is a sport... no offence to anyone, am a big video gamer. but i never felt its a sport... unless we are talking about some of the wii games. ex: wii sports, wii fit... Grin Tongue_out
Wut!?

How can you even think of gaming as being a sport? Speechless This is completely ridiculous.

Game =/= Sport
I won't acknowledge gaming as a sport. Sure it has some elements of sports with the dexterity and everything, but the preparation that goes into being good in a sport and being good in a game are on totally different scopes. In sports, we put a lot of painstaking time in weight rooms and on the athletic field to prepare ourselves for upcoming competition. We put our bodies on the line every single day for months on end in order to just "feel" we are ready both physically and mentally for what's ahead of us. How does that differ from gaming? There is zero risk when it comes to gaming. You don't have to worry about injuring a body part so severely it needs surgery and you don't have to do things like mentally prepare yourself, "psyche yourself up" if you will, before going to the weight room because you know you have heavy lifting to do that day. All the gamer really has to do is sit on the couch and cut on the console.
Lmao how can games become a sport i sit down to play most of my wii games
Fragbait, I'm sure you can recognize the decent posts in this thread, and if you want to keep it open you're going to have to start replying to them. As it stands right now, there's A LOT of badly parroted arguments from your opposition, and little of worth coming from your side.

Also, this is a fairly worthless argument because opinion plays too larger a role than fact. You'll just end up with "NO MY FAVORITE HOBBY IS A SPORT AND YOURS IS NOT"
(Oct. 03, 2009  6:07 PM)fragbait Wrote: http://www.smashboards.com/showpost.php?...stcount=52
As somewhat demonstrated seen here^

If you want to consider video gaming a sport, go right ahead, but right now not many people will take you seriously.
It was a well organized argument I suppose, but this stood out to me:

Quote:Drag racing (both involving cars and boats) are considered sports. I mean, really? What, it's physically taxing because you have to, uh, turn the wheel and get thrashed around a lot if you run into someone?

There are things called G-forces which are incredibly taxing on the body. Going from 0 to 150 mph in a second or 2? That's a ridiculous amount of pressure being exerted on the body so quickly.
I think that guy's argument did a really good job of illustrating the fact that the term 'sport' is widely open to interpretation, and is continuing to become so, which means nearly everything in this thread is subjective opinion.
I'm really enjoying how this thread is going so far.
(Oct. 03, 2009  6:28 PM)Synesthesia Wrote: I think that guy's argument did a really good job of illustrating the fact that the term 'sport' is widely open to interpretation, and is continuing to become so, which means nearly everything in this thread is subjective opinion.

Exactly, and unfortunatly, in situations such as the Smashboards or the WBO, there is no way that we can get an unbias opinion, since we are all members of a competitive gaming group.

Roan, your post and Ommys are some of the best counter arguements I've seen, but the latest link from the SmashBoards that I posted answers a lot of them.
Consider it Positive Evidence if we were doing this High School Debate style.

However, this little experiment of mine has turned out exactly how I thought it would. The definition of what sport is has been to deeply engraved into most people that if it doesn't involve traditional interpretations of sport, a person is convinced that sport can't be anything else.
I'll be writing about this soon, on another site, after a few more responses on the Smashboards version of this arguement. This is not at all a request to close, by all means, keep this open Smile
Well I think that a 'sport' is something that initially would keep you healthy.
Gaming on the other hand does the opposite, if it were to become a sport it would give lazy fat kids and excuse to sit down 'training' and not be active, increasing the number of fat kids that smell of cheese.
And to be honest too much gaming with no exercise is the cause of fat kids smelling of cheese anyways so if it were to become a sport it would just add more. No offence to people that are obesse.
So yeah if it were to become a sport the life expectancy would probably be lowered (alot).
And for that reason i'm out. (Dragons Den style)
Fragbait, next time you meet someone and they ask you what you do for a living, tell them you're a athlete. When they ask what sport tell them video games. Hopefully you'll realize how stupid this whole thread is by looking at their reaction. Just give it up, this thread is a insult to those of us who actually play real sports competetivly
No, it is not.
As you just said:
Quote:The definition of what sport is has been too deeply engraved into most people that if it doesn't involve traditional interpretations of sport, a person is convinced that sport can't be anything else.

And isn't that the truest definition of "sport", what the majority holds to be true.

So as a word's meanings have changed over time, if gaming is to be considered a sport, it will be in the far future.
Your free to call it what you will obviously, but SK put it well.

btw nice argument Roan [for once we are on the same side LMAo]
(Oct. 03, 2009  9:24 PM)Blue Wrote: No, it is not.
As you just said:

And isn't that the truest definition of "sport", what the majority holds to be true.

So as a word's meanings have changed over time, if gaming is to be considered a sport, it will be in the far future.
Your free to call it what you will obviously, but SK put it well.

btw nice argument Roan [for once we are on the same side LMAo]
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Sport
Don't see anything about a majority there. Although I can see Definition 2 killing my argument outright, even if there are outdoor tournaments XD
(Oct. 03, 2009  8:41 PM)SK Wrote: Fragbait, next time you meet someone and they ask you what you do for a living, tell them you're a athlete. When they ask what sport tell them video games. Hopefully you'll realize how stupid this whole thread is by looking at their reaction. Just give it up, this thread is a insult to those of us who actually play real sports competetivly

Sorry, but it's far from an insult. People interpreting a word differently is not heresy.

I actually didn't know chess was an official sport at the start of this thread, so I'm pretty sure some of your arguments need a lot of fine tuning now since it's become more apparent that this discussion is far from having any concrete foundation.

(Oct. 03, 2009  9:24 PM)Blue Wrote: And isn't that the truest definition of "sport", what the majority holds to be true.

This can be applied to nearly anything. The majority say the world is flat, so it must be so?

You guys need to stop posting things that amount to "I'm right and you're wrong".
(Oct. 03, 2009  9:31 PM)fragbait Wrote: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Sport
Don't see anything about a majority there. Although I can see Definition 2 killing my argument outright, even if there are outdoor tournaments XD

If you seriously can't think of a better way to argue your point than linking to definitions, don't make topics.

(Oct. 03, 2009  11:03 PM)Synesthesia Wrote: This can be applied to nearly anything. The majority say the world is flat, so it must be so?

No, because that is not subjective.
(Oct. 03, 2009  11:35 PM)Bey Brad Wrote: No, because that is not subjective.

That wasn't the point.

The point was that just because the majority say something is so, does not make it fact, and in this case it's obvious that there are facts that can be thrown around from each side even if the majority disagree with the obvious minority.
(Oct. 03, 2009  6:59 PM)fragbait Wrote: However, this little experiment of mine has turned out exactly how I thought it would.

internet social experiments are dumb as hell
(Oct. 03, 2009  11:43 PM)Synesthesia Wrote: That wasn't the point.

The point was that just because the majority say something is so, does not make it fact, and in this case it's obvious that there are facts that can be thrown around from each side even if the majority disagree with the obvious minority.

In the case of language, actually, it almost certainly does make it a fact. Language is defined by the people who use it. How do you think any word's meaning changes over time?
(Oct. 03, 2009  11:03 PM)Synesthesia Wrote: Sorry, but it's far from an insult. People interpreting a word differently is not heresy.

I actually didn't know chess was an official sport at the start of this thread, so I'm pretty sure some of your arguments need a lot of fine tuning now since it's become more apparent that this discussion is far from having any concrete foundation.



This can be applied to nearly anything. The majority say the world is flat, so it must be so?
Well they used to. The statement world is flat would be a concept or theory, not equivalent to my point.
Sport is defined in the dictionary to reflect how it is used in our language.
So I mean't collectively, we, "majority'. Since most all of us can agree on the common definition [as it matches pretty well in our minds], we can also agree what is not sport.

So yeah for now anyway, I don't classify video games as sport.
(Oct. 03, 2009  11:50 PM)Bey Brad Wrote: In the case of language, actually, it almost certainly does make it a fact. Language is defined by the people who use it. How do you think any word's meaning changes over time?
That's a very good point and I stand corrected.

In the case of this discussion though, there is a minority that has successfully opened up the definition of 'sport' for interpretation as demonstrated by Chess being officially recognized as a one while requiring no physical exertion.
While that person linked to on the Smash Boards may provide a somewhat viable counterargument, there is still so much ignorance in his post that it not only angers me, but really drags down his credibility.

Try going to a Go-kart track (a real one - not a watered down version that you may find at an amusement park). I assure you that after a good 20 laps or so, your legs and arms will be going through spasms. People don't give those guys in the racing circuit enough credit.

Moreover, he seemingly dismisses the other aspects of traditional sport, passing off judgment by saying they are "chauvinistic" and "neanderthal-like." It's incredibly disrespectful.