Should Video Games be a Sport?
May 17, 2019
In September 2018 a famous gamer named Ninja was featured on the cover the famous sports magazine ESPN. This event sparked the controversial question: should video games be considered a sport?
Even though large online organizations have already coined the term “esports” for competitive gaming, many people still disagree with this. But in this reporter’s opinion, yes, video games should be considered a sport. Just like any athlete who plays any other sport, pro-gamers spend most of everyday training. Whether it is an individual skill or team synergy, pro-gamers are always practicing something.
One of the most basic aspects of a sport is competition, and video games are definitely competitive. One of the most popular video games currently has about 250 million players, making gaming way more competitive than most other sports. Gaming also requires lots of strategy to be successful. Extensive preparation is required at the high levels of gaming just like pro sports. Teams will analyze the tactics of the other team to try and gain an advantage, just like football teams will watch film on their upcoming opponents.
Another aspect that is closely related with sports is athletic ability. Although it may not be obvious, gaming requires a certain skill set, just like any other sport. High levels of coordination are required to be successful at gaming. It may sound easy to push buttons on a controller, but pushing the right combination of buttons at the right time, sometimes simultaneously with a teammate, is not always as easy as it sounds. Very fast reaction times are also required. Lots of times being quicker than your opponent is the difference between a win and a loss. Being able to quickly analyze certain situations and reacting faster than your opponent is key in most games.
Teamwork is another large aspect of sports that video games exhibit. In traditional sports, many people have favorite teams they follow, and the same can be said about video games. A majority of games are team-based, making teamwork a large aspect of gaming. Having the right team is just as important in video games as in any other team-based sport. Typically, each player will have their own specialized skill set to contribute to making their team better. Having the right combination of skills on a team is key for being successful. Communication is another large aspect of teamwork while gaming. If you can not quickly and precisely communicate with teammates then they could easily make a costly mistake.
Entertainment is a huge sports staple as well. Sports should be both fun to play and fun to watch, and video games easily qualify for both. Many people worldwide play video games every day for the sole purpose of fun and entertainment. Some people enjoy just hanging out with friends to play video games for fun. Video games are no different than any other sport in this aspect.
There is no reason why video games should not be considered a sport. Video games exhibit almost every aspect that is closely related to traditional sports, therefore, they are a sport.
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Ben Gerace • Apr 6, 2022 at 1:10 pm
Video games are fun and should be a sport
urijah valley • Mar 10, 2022 at 10:47 am
games should be a sport in my opinion
Hiiiiiii • Mar 4, 2022 at 10:58 am
I think that video games should be a sport.
Joe is cool • Jan 7, 2022 at 11:36 am
they should
joseph • May 21, 2021 at 10:42 am
I believe video games should be a sport.
James Charles • Mar 17, 2021 at 8:07 am
gaming should not be a sport 🙂
Billy Madison • Mar 17, 2021 at 8:05 am
Video games should not be a sport because they require no physical activity, all you need to do is recline back in you chair open a soda and a bag of chips, and move your thumb.
Lilliana Burnton • Feb 22, 2021 at 1:23 pm
I think video games shouldn’t be considered a sport because it will not help you in life and it is very addictive for some people and it will not help you going forward in life.
Antonio Florws • Jan 28, 2021 at 11:43 am
Ok, I think video games should be a sport because think of how many people actually enjoy it tons of people play and watch, ever since I’ve played a game I think it just really opens me to more than just real-life sports I mean I love soccer and all but just the fact of winning a game of call of duty or Fortnite just makes me feel good and so does soccer so what’s really the difference. Video games are fun so why not add them as a sport maybe more people would tune into the whole sport and would actually enjoy watching something. I rest my case
blake • Jan 26, 2021 at 12:14 pm
i think video games should be a sport
Christopher Gonzalez • Oct 12, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Before I make my statement I just want to say, I love playing video games. I think video games should be a sport. For starters, almost every single person that plays video games, especially fast paced games that deal with survival, have gotten at least a 24% better average of reflexes than before they started playing video games. Second, being really good at certain video games takes a lot of time and practice, just like sports like football, soccer, baseball, hockey, etc. Also just something extra, you can make many friends while playing video games and some of those friendships can be really good things to have apart from friendships in real life. Thanks for reading my statement and have a good day.
Ben Gerace • Apr 6, 2022 at 1:11 pm
That is actually true
Kirra McCay • May 7, 2020 at 10:21 am
I don’t think video games should be considered a sport because your on a screen and that can damage your eye sight. In real sports you’re running and getting exercise to burn calories.
ty gunner hovis • May 6, 2020 at 1:30 pm
I think gaming should be a sport because I have been playing ever since I could remember video games are a way to get people out of reality and get away from their world a little but.
Aliya • May 5, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Gaming is sport u training ur mind ur body giving ur hands and body strength
unkowm • May 5, 2020 at 1:46 pm
I still don’t think gaming should be required a sport because sports all require physical movement in your body not just fingers.
Landon Childers • May 4, 2020 at 5:50 pm
i think that video games should be a sport because, i play a game as a semi-pro and iv seen first hand how hard and competitive the competition can be sometimes. also if you are good enough at a game you can go pro ann sign with a esports organization and get a contract with money.also if you do well enough in a tournament you might be able to win a ton of money
anonymous • May 4, 2020 at 11:36 am
i play a game called overwatch and they have live tournaments for pro state teams and stuff like that i have even thought of trying out.
Nichole Akins • May 4, 2020 at 10:44 am
No video games should not be a sport because they don’t make you better in life. Video games don’t make you smarter in school and they don’t help you get a job or a good college. Video games are not helping the world become a better place. Yes video games are fun but they aren’t helping you out in the real world. Sports will help you get into a good college and sports are keeping you very athletic and video games isn’t very healthy at all. Starring at a screen all day could hurt your eyes and cause problems.
Boy • May 4, 2022 at 3:32 pm
You are very wrong, engineers can learn from games by playing them. We take from engineers and they help us build roads, sometimes other games. Run Data. A Data Engineer makes 155,500 Dollars a year using computers…….
Carnell Davidson • May 2, 2020 at 2:20 pm
video games should not be a sport cause sports are meant to be a physical activity