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IS ESPORTS A 'REAL SPORT'?
電競是一項真正的體育嗎？
Over the past week, there have been a number of fierce debates surrounding
eSports and its credibility as an authentic “sport”. The idea of pursuing a
career and earning a living from playing video games is one that is currently
unfathomable to certain members of the public, specifically those of older
generations. However, to disregard competitive gaming as a traditional sport
and simply view it as an entertaining pastime is incredibly naïve,
especially when one of the largest annual sporting events, The X Games,
awards competitive gamers with the recognition they deserve.
電競(eSports)究竟算不算是體育(sport)這個議題，一直在起爭議，老一輩人認為電競只
是無聊幼稚的消遣，但遊戲玩家們認為電競應該要像任何體育賽事一樣，被獲得認可。
Understandably, from the perspective of many people, the key to whether or
not competitive gamers should be regarded as official athletes can be found
within the definition of the word ‘sport’ itself. The Oxford English
Dictionary states that a sport is “an activity involving physical exertion
and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others
for entertainment.”
牛津英解字典對體育(sport)的定義
體育是涉及體能與技能，其中包含個人或團隊間競賽的休閒娛樂活動。
Admittedly, within the realm of eSports, the level of physical exertion
amongst competitors is minimal, potentially voiding the phenomenon as a
legitimate sport. However, much like darts, regardless of physical
requirements, the activity still demands a wealth of skill and mental
concentration, while boasting a competitive atmosphere and a loyal following.
Interestingly enough, eSports can also draw some further comparisons from
darts, with the common stereotype of both respective professionals being
overweight, unsocial and lethargic individuals. Yet, according to some sports
psychologists, “cyber athletes” do display incredible mental endurance and
their reaction times are at a level equal to professional sportsmen and
women.
電競相對於其他賽事，雖然體能消耗上屬於較小的，但仍有被歸類於體育賽事的潛力。
跟射飛鏢不太需要消耗大量體能一樣，電競需要高強度的精神集中力與豐富的技巧。
Contrary to popular belief, games such as League of Legends, Starcraft and
Hearthstone are both mentally demanding and astonishingly stressful, with
players having to execute split-second decisions, which may define the
difference between winning and losing. As well as this, several competitive
gamers spend countless hours in front of a screen, perfecting their craft, as
they broadcast their tournaments and training sessions to a live audience.
This continuous amount of pressure can often take its toll on the mind and
body of competitive gamers, therefore many organisations have opted to
appoint professional nutritionists to aid their client’s lifestyle, in order
to ensure they are at the peak of their career.
職業電競選手在聯賽期間的精神承受著驚人的壓力，一場比賽往往需要全心全意投入耗費
數小時才能交出完美表現。所以職業電競選手就像其他體育賽事選手一樣，需要專業化地
管理自己身心上健康，才能隨時維持在最完美的競技狀態。
Last year, we even witnessed professional Call of Duty team, OpTic Gaming,
attend a high performance boot camp hosted by Red Bull at their eSports
studio in California. During their time together, the OpTic Gaming roster
were analysed by sports psychologists, completed several vigorous fitness
regimes and participated in a number of team building exercises.
As well as performing, training and living like professional athletes, in
many cases within the eSports community, the highest calibre of players can
also earn a substantial income from doing what they enjoy. Team Dignitas
owner, Michael “ODEE” O’Dell, states that some players can earn up to
$200,000+ per year through tournament winnings, streaming and lucrative
sponsorship deals.
When debating whether it is plausible for one to earn a career from
professional gaming, Call of Duty veteran, Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, provides a
very strong and appealing case. Haag isn’t your average 22 year old, he
drives a BMW M3, has over 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, attracts
thousands of viewers to his livestreams on a daily basis and boasts a
lucrative sponsorship deal with iconic energy drink company, Red Bull. All
this put together and “Nadeshot” earns over $1 million a year!
As the largest entertainment industry in the world, video games don’t simply
attract a significant amount of players, they also possess an incredibly
loyal following, who are willing to watch the most popular and talented
individuals through platforms such as Twitch and MLG.tv.
In 2013, the League of Legends World Championship amassed a whopping 32
million viewers (with a concurrent peak of 8.5 million), a total larger than
the NBA finals and the MLB World Series final, two of the most iconic
sporting events. As well as this, eSports enthusiasts are also willing travel
across the world to support their favourite teams live, with last year’s LoL
World Championship filling a 40,000 seated football stadium, while our very
own G3 was attended by over 4,000 fans and watched by a further 8 million
people in 25 countries.
With viewing figures that are higher than some soap operas on TV, eSports is
a market that currently holds huge investment potential, with top brands such
as Coca-Cola, American Express and Red Bull already sponsoring organisations,
players and tournaments.
電競可以帶來很多商機$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$！
In my opinion, I view eSports as the sport of a modern generation. Within our
era, we have grown up with YouTube celebrities and competitive gaming as the
norm, while older generations are more comfortable around the typical
characteristics of standard television and entertainment.
eSports will continue to grow at a rate previously unheard of in other sports
industries, therefore I have no doubt that it will be classed as an authentic
sport in the near future. However, for the time being, I do believe eSports
enthusiasts and community members should reframe themselves from pursuing the
vindication from other outlets. In time, they will grow to understand us, but
at the moment we are still technically an anomaly, and that is okay. After
all, we are first people to pioneer this new phenomenon.
Earlier in the week, Director and Co-Founder of Gfinity, Neville Upton,
participated in a discussion on the BBC surrounding the growth of eSports and
whether gaming could be considered as a true sport. Be sure to check out the
documentary below.
電競就是一項因應現代化，而逐步發展成形中的體育賽事。
https://www.gfinity.net/news/details/is-esports-a-real-sport