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Video Games Won't Be Part of the Paris Olympics (fortune.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tough-luck dept.

The Olympic Games regularly add new events, but officials aren't quite ready to embrace eSports. From a report: This weekend, the International Olympic Committee met for the 7th Olympic Summit, where competitive video gaming was among the topics of discussion. The verdict? It's still "premature" to discuss including them in the Olympic games. That's bound to be disappointing to supporters, who had hoped for a breakthrough in the 2024 Paris games. Tony Estanguet, co-president of the Paris Olympic committee, is a proponent of bringing video games to the Olympics.

144 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. Good ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    OK, sure ... video games, er, ''eSports" is a skill.

    But, seriously, let's not start pretending like this is on the same level as the lifetime of commitment that actual Olympic athletes have put in to get where they are.

    I'm sorry the little nerdlings won't get to compete in the Olympics, but in no way do I think playing a video game is on par with the actual athletes competing in the Olympics.

    This is dumb in my opinion. I refuse to consider pro gamers as 'athletes'

    1. Re:Good ... by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

      You should look into Korean gaming competition like StarCraft for example. Those guys takes it way more seriously than your "average" pro athlete. They make athletes look like amateurs in terms of commitment.

    2. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      You should look into Korean gaming competition like StarCraft for example. Those guys takes it way more seriously than your "average" pro athlete. They make athletes look like amateurs in terms of commitment.

      They may take it seriously. They may be very skilled and talented. It still isn't a sport though. Somethings like Poker, Board games, Video Games, Golf, Darts, etc... as talented as you might be to do them and even as dedicated as may need to be- they just don't belong in an atheltics competition.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    3. Re:Good ... by NFN_NLN · · Score: 1

      By that same logic applying make-up should be an olympic sport.

    4. Re:Good ... by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      In terms of athleticism how is eSports different then from many of the Shooting sports.

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    5. Re:Good ... by lgw · · Score: 1

      It's an e-sport, not a sport. That's why we have the 2 different words. The Olympics can add anything they like, there's no "sport-only" rule. They broke with tradition when they went beyond the decathlon - it's all just arbitrary competitions.
      .

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    6. Re:Good ... by geekmux · · Score: 1

      OK, sure ... video games, er, ''eSports" is a skill.

      But, seriously, let's not start pretending like this is on the same level as the lifetime of commitment that actual Olympic athletes have put in to get where they are.

      Of all things, you question commitment here? You couldn't be more wrong.

      I don't give a shit what your skill is, when you've worked hard enough to master something and are considered one of the best in the entire world to compete at the Olympic level, I'd say you sure as hell demonstrated commitment. You certainly wouldn't question the commitment level of a well-respected history professor simply because they didn't bench press their own body weight while earning three PhDs.

    7. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      It's an e-sport, not a sport. That's why we have the 2 different words. The Olympics can add anything they like, there's no "sport-only" rule. They broke with tradition when they went beyond the decathlon - it's all just arbitrary competitions. .

      There is still generally a convention that almost all Olympic sports involve some form of athleticism. Olympics isn't really about "sport" either, there are some sports involved, but it is "Athletics" (and obviously most sports involve some athletics). They obviously can do whatever they want- they can even add basket weaving if they so chose.

      But adding non-athletic games would dilute the brand and probably have a consumer backlash.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    8. Re:Good ... by lgw · · Score: 1, Insightful

      There is still generally a convention that almost all Olympic sports involve some form of athleticism.

      So? There are already non-athletic events, and were more in the past. Meh, it's a business and will calculate what will draw the biggest paying crowd, and highest TV licensing rights. Clearly e-sports aren't there yet.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    9. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      In terms of athleticism how is eSports different then from many of the Shooting sports.

      Honestly, other than the ones where they ski across country first, or combine with athletic endeavours, Shooting isn't athletic and probably would be better out and not in the Olympics. It is historically part of the modern Olympics though and certain groups would probably protest if there were a movement to remove it. Shooting was probably first included by association with athletic endeavours. In the 1800's there were probably few people for whom shooting involved going to the gun range or resting in a deer stand waiting for a deer to pass. It frequently involved a military occupation and athletic association.

      If shooting wasn't historically part of the Olympics and they tried to add it new today, I'd probably be against it like I am Video Games.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    10. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      So... should History be an Olympic Sport? :)

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    11. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      So? There are already non-athletic events, and were more in the past. Meh, it's a business and will calculate what will draw the biggest paying crowd, and highest TV licensing rights. Clearly e-sports aren't there yet.

      There are some, yeah, and most have historical connection going way back when that non-athletic endeavour was frequently linked with either the military (and by virtue an athletic lifestyle) or linked with some other athletic lifestyle.

      There's also some in the Winter Olympics that I think are there because they had to pad the Winter Olympics to have enough events at one point and now they've stuck as traditional events.

      I'd be very happy if they split the non-athletic sports into a different event. Heck, they could put video games in that split off too.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    12. Re:Good ... by lgw · · Score: 2

      The Olympics were originally directly tied to skills a warrior would use on the battlefield. As you note, some of the non-athletic events are tied to that. Of course, the future battlefield will be dominated by video games skills, so it's just a matter of time,

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    13. Re:Good ... by nukenerd · · Score: 1

      They obviously can do whatever they want- they can even add basket weaving if they so chose.

      But adding non-athletic games would dilute the brand and probably have a consumer backlash.

      Well they do have Synchronised Swimming, which (among other things) stops me from taking the Olympics seriously. In fact I just checked Wikipedia about it and they have recently re-named it "Artistic Swimming". So Art is now in the Olympics, explicitly.

      My own sport interest is cycle racing, and it would get on fine without the Olympics : it has its own traditions and classic events. Meanwhile the Olympics has become more about showbiz and political posturing, which Synchronised, sorry Artistic Swimming sums up very well indeed.

    14. Re:Good ... by nukenerd · · Score: 2

      By that same logic applying make-up should be an olympic sport.

      For men or women?

      I did hear it suggested that setting up colour schemes, wallpaper and fonts in WIndows should be in it. Or Bash prompts in Linux.

    15. Re:Good ... by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      There is still generally a convention that almost all Olympic sports involve some form of athleticism.

      Like target shooting? Or curling?

    16. Re:Good ... by ichimunki · · Score: 2
      Some of the differences seem sort of arbitrary here... why wouldn't darts be an olympic sport when things like archery or javelin throwing are? Why not golf? I mean, they have beach volleyball and "artistic" swimming in there, after all.

      But I agree, eSports don't belong in the Olympics. Too nebulous and the games themselves change too often to be worth it... not to mention that the games themselves are franchises of for-profit companies. That's way too different from all of the existing games where the fundamental game itself is public domain.

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    17. Re:Good ... by ichimunki · · Score: 1

      Correcting myself. It turns out golf IS an Olympic sport.

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    18. Re:Good ... by DickBreath · · Score: 3, Funny

      Application of Make Up should have separate men's and women's events in order to keep the competition more fair. Men have more upper body strength and might apply more lipstick at a faster rate than women do. Quantity applied would be the metric for success in the men's competition.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    19. Re: Good ... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Hey now! Esports participants are often highly correlated with success at the Beer Can Lifting competitions.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    20. Re:Good ... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > how is eSports different then from many of the Shooting sports

      eSports: is a member of the team that makes 911 swatting call
      Shooting Sports: is a member of the team that rides in the Swat truck to answer the 911 swatting call

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    21. Re:Good ... by Presence+Eternal · · Score: 2

      What made me decide esports were true sports was seeing that they are every bit as corrupt and despicable as regular pro sports, and in all the same ways. It was actually seeing the filth that permeates esports which made me lose my disrespect of amateur sports players. I still think regular sports are boring, but I realized I had been unfair to them in the past. I was looking at the scum that had floated to the top of the professional leagues, management, and fanbase, and then tarring local softball teams with the same brush.

    22. Re: Good ... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Yes, running very fast can be an olympic sport.

      Provided we limit the top speed to prevent anyone from being left behind. No child left behind. Everyone deserves a trophy for participation. The fastest runners won't feel that their talent, training and hard work has been devalued by entitled people.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    23. Re:Good ... by myth24601 · · Score: 1

      At the very least, once you require electricity in order for the sport to work, any 'game' that uses only the mind (board games, card games) should never be included in the Olympics. While Darts and Golf are 'games', they require some level of physical skill in order to compete at the top level (Darts shoudln't be in because it is boring, maybe if they played with spears as darts with a giant dart board across a field) (golf because it is on TV too much as it is).
      .

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    24. Re:Good ... by jpaine619 · · Score: 1

      or a female gymnast whom is only 13 and by age of 15 too "old" not exactly much of a lifetime there. some aspects of the olypics are pretty sick

      Where is this happening? Oh, it's not? So, you're just making shit up? Yeah, you are..

    25. Re:Good ... by AvitarX · · Score: 1

      I agree, if eSports are to be an Olympic event, there needs to be some F/OSS software game that the Olympic committee maintains and tweaks the rules to.

      It seems wrong to have a specific companies trademarks involved in the actual event, and also likely puts them at the mercy of a third party on if they're even allowed to broadcast events and what not.

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    26. Re:Good ... by munch117 · · Score: 1

      The precise rule goes like this: Any game where organised competitions are held is a sport. Any sport qualifies, provided it obeys the prime directive:

      Do not make jocks look stupid.

      That's why chess, go and shogi are out, and anything else is in. It doesn't matter that the skills for, say, water polo, are also arcane and difficult: As long as the spectators can pretend that they know what's going on and pretend that they could have done the same themselves if they'd only bothered, all is well.

    27. Re:Good ... by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      You should look into Korean gaming competition like StarCraft for example. Those guys takes it way more seriously than your "average" pro athlete. They make athletes look like amateurs in terms of commitment.

      They may take it seriously. They may be very skilled and talented. It still isn't a sport though.

      How about running around in circles? That's an event, right? What's your bar for "sport"? Lack of talent and skill?

      Somethings like Poker, Board games, Video Games, Golf, Darts, etc... as talented as you might be to do them and even as dedicated as may need to be- they just don't belong in an atheltics competition.

      The olympics isn't an athletics competition; there's artistic swimming, FCOL!

      --
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    28. Re:Good ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      From 1912 to 1948, Olympic medals were awarded in architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. They were halted not because organizers believed that art competitions were inconsistent with the Olympic purpose -- Pierre DeCoubertain, the father of the modern Olympics, specifically fought to include them -- but because it was recognzied that nearly all the participating artists were "professionals," thus contradicting the Olympic's requirements that all competitors be amatuers.

    29. Re:Good ... by Solandri · · Score: 1

      Shooting was probably first included by association with athletic endeavours. In the 1800's there were probably few people for whom shooting involved going to the gun range or resting in a deer stand waiting for a deer to pass. It frequently involved a military occupation and athletic association.

      Er no, in the 1700s and 1800s, shooting was the primary means by which you put meat on the table for your family. The reason the U.S. figured it could get away with a militia instead of a standing army was because pretty much every able-bodied male of fighting age already owned a musket or rifle for hunting. It's only natural that it would develop into a competitive sport where people tried to figure out who was the best shot.

      I think it's this association with a necessity for life which distinguishes what we now consider sports. The running/swimming/skiing/skating sports are obvious, since you needed to get from place to place. Same with the throwing and lifting sports, since there were no forklifts or cranes to lift or throw things for you when you were building or harvesting. Likewise the fighting sports like fencing since combat was an unavoidable part of life. In fact pretty much all the team sports (soccer, hockey, basketball, etc) are just combat moderated with extensive rules and specific goals which don't involve killing your opponents. And shooting/archery were included because you needed to be able to do those things to feed your family.

      The judged sports like gymnastics, figure skating, diving are kinda borderline. Many people don't consider them real sports, but they have a tenuous connection with activities which were necessities to life - combat fitness, skating, swimming. You'll note that sailing has also always been an Olympic sport even though most of the hard work is done by the wind, and the primary role of the "athlete" is to plot a route through a constantly changing course. It too used to be a requirement for life, but has since lapsed into a recreational activity. (Yes I know the grinders on the larger craft work hard, but all their work is secondary to the ability to predict the wind shifts and plot a course to take advantage of them).

      eSports aren't considered sports by most people since its roots come from entertainment - it was never a necessity for life. For the same reason, we wouldn't consider a piano competition a sport either, even though it requires a level of skill, accuracy, and practice on par with any Olympic sport and has been around for nearly as long. Or for something more reliant on physical strength, arm wrestling isn't really considered a sport by most people. Even though it's definitely physical, it's so abstracted from the necessities for life which relied on arm strength, that most people consider it straight up entertainment rather than a competition.

    30. Re:Good ... by balbeir · · Score: 1

      Hey, I know someone who got a concussion while curling

    31. Re:Good ... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      You forget the bit about selling the most crap products. Reality is, the era of the pseudo celebrity seems to be coming to an end, the sense of meh, just another internet identity, just another blogger, one amongst millions, who cares. Spectator computer gaming seems of really limited value, sort of hanging on to a hold over of existing spectator sports, as if they have value, rather than marketing promoting marketing, selling a sport to sell a other products via that sport and government subsidises to back sport advertising because the sports will back those politicians. So selling to sell, selling sells, once the false beliefs about spectator sports stripped away, there is nothing there of value.

      The age of video games is meant to be about participation not spectating and the whole concept of spectating video games seems totally absurd when you can simply participate and the only thing driving it is saturation marketing, marketing to sell a sport to sell marketing.

      The whole idea of putting that much effort into gaming is extremely hypocritical, game a lot and you are a loser without a life, lazy and worthless, game even more and now you are a gaming super star, WTF?!? ESports, video gaming for the sheeple.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    32. Re:Good ... by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      But, seriously, let's not start pretending like this is on the same level as the lifetime of commitment that actual Olympic athletes have put in to get where they are.

      Being a paid gamer seems more efficient than physical training. Wouldn't that mean gamers are better at making life choices than Olympians?

      I'm sorry the little nerdlings won't get to compete in the Olympics, but in no way do I think playing a video game is on par with the actual athletes competing in the Olympics.

      smells a bit of a No True Scotsman argument. What is an "actual athlete" ? We always run into these pointless discussions when it comes to bowling, golf, chess, figure skating, etc. All we can agree on is that we can add "gaming" to your list of triggers.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    33. Re:Good ... by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 2

      For the same reason, we wouldn't consider a piano competition a sport either, even though it requires a level of skill, accuracy, and practice on par with any Olympic sport and has been around for nearly as long.

      I would definitely pay to see people throw pianos in a competition. In all four categories: spinet upright, studio upright, baby grand, and grand. The distance is when they first hit the ground, and not after they tip over.

    34. Re: Good ... by registrations_suck · · Score: 1

      They should just create a different event, called e-Olympics.

      They can still have medals and nationalism and all the other jazz. Plus, they could hold it in the motherâ(TM)s basement of one of the competitors.

    35. Re:Good ... by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Er no, in the 1700s and 1800s, shooting was the primary means by which you put meat on the table for your family.

      Maybe on the frontiers before settlements took off- but long before the 1700s farming had been the primary way most people got meat and food in established permanent settlements. In fact, in large swathes of the world very few people were even allowed to officially hunt, in Europe, and the areas controlled by Europe (which was most of the world in the 1800s) only the aristocracy was legally allowed to hunt in many areas. In most established areas there probably wouldn't have been enough wild animals near the towns to sustain the population if hunting were the only means of getting meat.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    36. Re: Good ... by AvitarX · · Score: 1

      Exactly,

      The IOC shouldn't have sports that are controlled the way they do, but by a different company.

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    37. Re: Good ... by Provocateur · · Score: 1

      they can even add basket weaving ...me starts performing warmup exercises (refrigerator door pulls, chips in salsa dip marathon, etc.) upon hearing the Olympics news

      --
      WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
  2. Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why the hell would anyone think video games are sporting events?

    1. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by geekmux · · Score: 1

      Why the hell would anyone think video games are sporting events?

      Obviously you haven't actually looked at an Olympic schedule in a few decades. There's plenty of silly shit we include in the Olympics. Video games, no matter how stupid, are the next natural progression.

    2. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by ChromeAeonuim · · Score: 2

      Well, I for one won't be satisfied until the International Olympic Committee finally includes Hungry Hungry Hippos as an official sport. Hey, you've got to push the hippo button fast and at the right time, so that makes it a sport now, and it's time it gets the respect every sport deserves. Hippo champions are athletes too, just as much as the gold medalists who spend thousands of hours training and living a strict exercise & diet regime.

    3. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

      cause the same people will probably say that Golf is sport rather than a game... lol

    4. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      cause the same people will probably say that Golf is sport rather than a game... lol

      I'd say Golf IS a game not a sport. Obviously it is one that takes years to master and there is a huge amount of skill involved and some hand eye-coordination. I'm not dissing the talent required to golf professionally- but I would classify it as a game not a sport.

      I'd put pool, snookers, darts, archery and croquet in that list too.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    5. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by pgmrdlm · · Score: 1

      From https://www.olympic.org/sports Archery Artistic Swimming Athletics Badminton Basketball Beach Volleyball Boxing Canoe Slalom Canoe Sprint Cycling BMX Cycling Mountain Bike Cycling Road Cycling Track Diving Equestrian/Dressage Equestrian/Eventing Equestrian/Jumping Fencing Football Golf Gymnastics Artistic Gymnastics Rhythmic Handball Hockey Judo Marathon Swimming Modern Pentathlon Rowing Rugby Sailing Shooting Swimming Table Tennis Taekwondo Tennis Trampoline Triathlon Volleyball Water Polo Weightlifting Wrestling Freestyle Wrestling Greco-Roman Winter Sports Alpine Skiing Biathlon Bobsleigh Cross Country Skiing Curling Figure skating Freestyle Skiing Ice Hockey Luge Nordic Combined Short Track Speed Skating Skeleton Ski Jumping Snowboard Speed skating

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    6. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      People think the ability to rapidly stack cups is a sport (at least it isn't an Olympic event yet as far as I know); so the bar is already pretty low.

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    7. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by ichimunki · · Score: 1

      There's lots of games in the Olympics: basketball, hockey, soccer, badminton, tennis, table tennis, and golf even. And it is called the Olympic "Games" after all. Don't ask me how curling is there, but not bowling (except that they already have enough sports for summer and winter is pretty sparse by comparison).

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    8. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Please let's leave out violent video games such as Frogger or Space Invaders.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    9. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

      same direction with you there. I rather see joust getting in and remove all the sports you mentionned. Now I saw joust videos on Youtube and THAT should be an olympic sport. I can actually see the next headlines from it as in someone got some spine injury lol

    10. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by goose-incarnated · · Score: 1

      cause the same people will probably say that Golf is sport rather than a game... lol

      I'd say Golf IS a game not a sport. Obviously it is one that takes years to master and there is a huge amount of skill involved and some hand eye-coordination. I'm not dissing the talent required to golf professionally- but I would classify it as a game not a sport.

      I'd put pool, snookers, darts, archery and croquet in that list too.

      Football, basketball, baseball are all just games too, you know. It seems to me that you're trying to draw an artificial difference between the various games so that you can place the traditional games in a more respectable class than the newer games.

      I see very little difference between professional Starcraft players and professional football players, other than that one of those two is more likely to be useful outside of the game.

      --
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    11. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      I see very little difference between professional Starcraft players and professional football players, other than that one of those two is more likely to be useful outside of the game.

      Which one of those is useful outside of the game?

      I would say athletics is a big separator between football (any of the sports that go by that name) and StarCraft. The difference between, say "darts, golf, and starcraft" and "football, running, and martial arts" is that whereas for either group one needs talent, skill and training to be the very best; the first group has very little to do with athletic ability and is almost purely just about technique. The second group, technique is very important too- but so is physical ability.

      There's a reason chess, scrabble and poker have never made it into the Olympics (despite people trying to get them in multiple times)- it's absurd to include them in an athletics competition- and if poker isn't going to be in the Olympics anytime soon despite trying time and time again, video games won't be either.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    12. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      you're trying to draw an artificial difference between the various games so that you can place the traditional games in a more respectable class than the newer games.

      Things like golf and billiards go back over 100 years they outdate the Olympics. It's got nothing to do with the age of the pastime. If videogames were 100 years old, I still wouldn't want them in. Heck, I would prefer to see Skate Boarding, or BMX riding as part of the Olympics ahead of video games or card games.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    13. Re:Chess and Checkers aren't Olympic Sports by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      What I think makes a pseudo-sport is being dependent on judges as opposed to objective criteria like getting to a line first, putting a bit of dead pig at one end of the field more times, knocking seven shades of shite out of the other player etc.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  3. Physical Activity by nwaack · · Score: 1

    Olympic events require physical activity. Moving your thumbs doesn't count.

    1. Re:Physical Activity by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      They can't rule it out entirely without bringing up the debate as to whether all the stuff that's in there now should continue to be in there, hence the weasel words.

      --
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    2. Re:Physical Activity by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      You could tell that to the Olympic Rifle shooting teams.

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      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Physical Activity by chispito · · Score: 1

      They can't rule it out entirely without bringing up the debate as to whether all the stuff that's in there now should continue to be in there, hence the weasel words.

      The bottom line is, not every competitive activity needs to be in the Olympics. Come up with your own criteria, but just because it's big doesn't mean it needs to be in the Olympics.

      --
      The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
    4. Re:Physical Activity by lgw · · Score: 1

      Olympic events require physical activity. Moving your thumbs doesn't count./quote>

      Why? There's no such rule. It's hard to see much of a difference between e.g. Starcraft and target shooting.

      The Olympics were originally competitions in skill directly tied to a warrior's ability on the battlefield. Seems to me that that's coming full circle.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    5. Re:Physical Activity by geekmux · · Score: 1

      Olympic events require physical activity. Moving your thumbs doesn't count.

      Some would argue that hitting a little white ball around a golf course is hardly a sport either, and yet we champion the shit out of that at the Olympic level.

    6. Re:Physical Activity by nwaack · · Score: 1

      Have you ever shot a rifle/pistol/shotgun at a competition level? It's incredibly difficult, physically demanding (in some aspects) and nothing like playing a video game.

    7. Re:Physical Activity by nwaack · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure I'd call golf a sport either, but being able to hit a golf ball 300+ yards does require a whole heck of a lot of physical prowess, especially at the Olympic level.

    8. Re:Physical Activity by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      You care comparing Competitive shooting with casual video games.
      I could do a couple hours of casual target shooting and not really burn that many more calories then I would playing a video game casually.
      The competitive gamers actually push themselves much harder then you would think. I do such things to help relieve stress and relax, but if I miss the target or get fragged by some 14 year old, no big deal. But if I were doing either competivly, I would be doing this over and over again, finding every way to maximize my performance. If I blinked while sipping water while going against someone else who is just as good if not better then me I would loose and if that is your profession, that lost will cost you a lot of money.

      I go to the gym daily, to keep me in shape, because even working at my desk all day, on a stressful day the timelines and quality needs to be on point, I would be warn out completely. Our human brains use a lot of energy, so mental sports will take a lot out of you as well.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    9. Re:Physical Activity by nwaack · · Score: 1

      "Mental sports?" So based on your argument, any desk job that requires strenuous use of one's brain is a sport as well. You can keep trying but you're not going to convince me.

  4. What games? by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The part of eSports that is the biggest problem for the likes of the Olympics is the standardization on what game(s) to play, and how soon will that game be too old to be interesting to watch anymore. Having it every 4 years (or 2 if you want it both summer and winter) usually will mean the game playing would either be out of date, or the athletes will always be playing something where they are not at their peak with. Games that are 8, 12, 16 years old are less on the eSports list.
    However I do think it would be hilarious if these were open internet games, and during the Olympics the Gold metal hopeful gets shot down by some kid camping out and got a lucky shot.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:What games? by FFOMelchior · · Score: 1

      Replying to undo my mod -- misclicked on mod down instead of up. Oops.

    2. Re:What games? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      And this is probably the major reason why Video Gameswill probably never be part of the Olympics. Yeah- they shouldn't because not athletic... etc..etc..etc...

      But ignoring all that; having Video Games as an event means partnering with certain Video Game publishers. Sharing events. Olympics is already disgustingly commercial- but if you start mixing in events based around games by EA, or Ubisoft, or any of the other major publishers and it becomes a commercial and biased minefield.

      Also, whereas many video games are very popular all across the world. There are some only out in Russian or Mandarin that are very popular in those countries and not elsewhere. Do we settle for only the big American and Japanese publishers? Or is this truly inclusive and is the Ivansoft software treated equal? Does "shoot the white devil game" get equal billing with "fortnight"? Who picks, how much bribe money are they allowed to take?

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    3. Re:What games? by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      That's the Patent Office, not the Copyright Office.

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      This space unintentionally left blank.
    4. Re:What games? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      There would have to be an established league and international organisation, so the choice of games is quite limited. CS Go and Street Fighter pretty much.

      The other problem is that it's free advertising for the game maker.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:What games? by ichimunki · · Score: 1
      But when you are playing soccer or beach volleyball or badminton or ping-pong (or any number of other games in the Olympics), you are not competing against the players from 776 BC until the future, you are competing directly against the other teams that are there at that time.

      The biggest problem I have with this idea is that in "e-sports" all of the games are franchises of one company or another. The game itself is not public domain in the way that all traditional sports/games are. Unless the games are open source and managed by a non-profit, choosing any video game would be an instant profit center for one, and only one, company.

      --
      I do not have a signature
    6. Re:What games? by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Anyways, one should never use the word anyways.

      Except in the previous sentence the word 'anyways' can always be removed leaving the meaning intact, more concise, and perhaps even more clear.

      Assuming that your porpoise is trying to communicate more clearly.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    7. Re:What games? by Guybrush_T · · Score: 1

      Exactly this (on top of the previous one). No game is going to last for 1000 years. The concept of WR ... makes little sense either.

      Let's keep video games on their own schedule. Besides, they really don't need to be associated to what the Olympics have become.

    8. Re:What games? by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

      The real reason it wasn't included is that they couldn't make enough money from it yet, either from bribes or TV rights.

    9. Re: What games? by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

      Too late. They already are, and worse.

    10. Re:What games? by Can'tNot · · Score: 1

      There's also the fact that all of these games are proprietary and copyrighted. Though the Olympic committee might like that, since it implies kickbacks... I'm sorry, I meant "corporate sponsorship."

  5. Good by rlp · · Score: 2

    While having a separate 'Video Game Olympics" would make sense and be quite interesting, I don't think video gaming fits into the International Olympics - it is not an athletic event.

    --
    [Insert pithy quote here]
    1. Re:Good by bws111 · · Score: 4, Informative

      True, but up until 1948 the Olympics included architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture categories at various times.

    2. Re:Good by NFN_NLN · · Score: 2

      They also thought smoking was healthy back then... thankfully we learn from past mistakes.

    3. Re:Good by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      True, but up until 1948 the Olympics included architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture categories at various times.

      I'm not sure if that's a joke or for real- I'll have to google. If that were really the case- thank goodness those days are gone.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    4. Re:Good by bws111 · · Score: 2

      I'll make it easy for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    5. Re:Good by bws111 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The founder of the modern Olympics wanted it to be about 'men being educated in mind and body competing in something other than war'. The art competitions were removed not because they 'were not athletic events'. but because they had difficulty finding amateur competitors, as well as the inherent difficulties in judging such works.

    6. Re:Good by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      I'll make it easy for you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Thanks, yeah, I had already looked. That's actually rather amusing and shows that it was a bit of a mess even then. Award for architecture going to guy who designed the stadium used for that Olympics seems pretty damn biased to me. :)

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    7. Re:Good by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Can you have such an event while removing game companies from the equation? No, because currently these "e-sports" are essentially advertising for games. The participants are good at a very specific game, they don't sit down to a random game they've never seen before. Are there going to be rules about the equipment they use - like a fresh out-of-the-box logitech mouse? (no, sorry, these are all console kids who are promoted particular console brands). Most also seem to be competitive (PvP), so while they may correspond to things like boxing they aren't the same as the big Olympic events like figure skating or track and field. Do they even have e-sports for things that don't fit into the category of combat with other players? Is there an e-sport for text adventures or Tetris?

      Now you get League Of Legends in the Olympics. 5 years down the road this is no longer cool to play and has fallen out of favor, then what? Is it left around for the next one hundred years as an oddity (like rhythmic gymnastics)? What if the servers shut down and you literally can't play the game anymore?

      This stuff is better left to the game or console manufacturers to run on their own without any Olympic attachment, then let them die out on their own over time.

    8. Re:Good by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Well, sculpture would work. You have a hammer, chisel, and a block of marble in front of you and then wait for the whistle to blow before you start.

    9. Re:Good by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      This actually reminds me of another thing that is a barrier to the Olympics - these are supposed to be amateurs and not professionals. That's the reason the got rid of those categories because they thought artists were professionals.

      Sure, basketball screwed this up once they got pro players into the Olympics, but in general I would think that someone who gets paid to do e-sports (accepting prize money or promotional advertising) would not be allowed.

    10. Re:Good by ArylAkamov · · Score: 1

      I'm surprised people are expressing displeasure at the thought of this. I'd like to see these other categories brought back.

    11. Re:Good by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

      Well, sculpture would work. You have a hammer, chisel, and a block of marble in front of you and then wait for the whistle to blow before you start.

      I must admit, that could actually be fun (fascinating might be better word) to watch if they were given a short period of time and had to work quick. Judging would be a hard task, but there again there are already so many subjective events in the Olympics.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  6. It's not a sport by willoughby · · Score: 1

    If you can smoke & drink while you're doing it, it's not a sport.

  7. Next up: competitive hot dog eating by goombah99 · · Score: 2

    Just because you can compete doesn't make it athletic. Until chess is an Olympic sport no way should video games be a sport.

    Video gaming is not esports, it's video competition.

    This is like how so many fields seem to add the word "science" to their name.

    Data science, social science, bioscience ....

    It's literally a participation medal for the esteem impaired.

    You don't need to call it esports to be worthy of respect in its own field.

    Personally I have been waging an effort to use the word engineering. Like bioengineering . Yes same crutch to dress up the very worthy field of biology in the garb of engineering . But my feeling is I'm elevating the word engineering back to where it belongs. Engineering is not science for lightweights.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:Next up: competitive hot dog eating by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Avatar Engineering: (noun) The technical field of study concerned with configuring your avatar prior to the start of game play.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    2. Re:Next up: competitive hot dog eating by goombah99 · · Score: 1

      Demonstration events not really part of the olymics anymore than the artwork and music venues and hot dog stands

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  8. NBC Commentary by Only+Time+Will+Tell · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can only imagine how the commentary around this would go. "Well Jim, it looks like the American team successfully headshotted the French team flag carrier and now appears to be disrespecting their corpse by teabagging it. It's really hard to see that sort of sportsmanship."

  9. Athletes' Village by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 2

    I have a couple of friends who are involved in the behind-the-scenes organizing at the Olympics. One thing they said that I found interesting was apparently the amount of sex and associated hanky-panky that goes on at the Athletes' Village is impressive. Can't remember it was London or Vancouver, but one comment was made that they actually ran out of condoms.

    Makes sense - You put all those uber-fit young people together and stuff is bound to happen - Particularly amongst athletes whose events have completed.

    Would be fascinating to watch if you put "eSports" "athletes" into that mix as well... Nerd heaven.

    1. Re:Athletes' Village by turp182 · · Score: 1

      About 110,000 condoms were distributed during the last Winter Olympics, over 37 per athlete.

      http://time.com/5137272/condom...

      It was a record for the Olympics...

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
    2. Re:Athletes' Village by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      Good point, they should have a Fortnite event at the Olympics instead... a few of the competitors might even succeed in losing their virginity!

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    3. Re:Athletes' Village by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Well you have to also include the coaches, trainers, and other staff.

    4. Re:Athletes' Village by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      The American team wins with an impressive 13.4 seconds sprint, while the French are still in the overall lead after an impressive showing in the mixed doubles competition. The Canadian team was in a strong start but lost points with the judges for lack of style.

  10. also limits on dev's playing? local only mode? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    also limits on dev's playing? the bigger thing needs to be an forced an local network only mode? so that any internet issue can't mess the game up.

  11. curling needs a lot of arm power! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    curling needs a lot of arm power!

    1. Re:curling needs a lot of arm power! by msauve · · Score: 2

      "curling needs a lot of arm power!"

      ... for lifting all that beer.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    2. Re:curling needs a lot of arm power! by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > curling needs a lot of arm power!

      ARM is designed primarily (so far) for low power applications. Which is why it has an advantage over Intel in those types of applications. So Curling might need a lot of Intel power maybe.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    3. Re:curling needs a lot of arm power! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

      intel to hot for the ice go amd!

  12. Defination of sport by pgmrdlm · · Score: 1

    sport /spÃrt/ noun noun: sport; plural noun: sports 1. an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

    https://www.google.com/search?...

    --
    Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
    1. Re:Defination of sport by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      "He's got the strongest thumbs around!", said no sportscaster, ever!

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:Defination of sport by ocsibrm · · Score: 1

      I take it you're okay with Dance Dance Revolution being in the next Olympics then.

    3. Re:Defination of sport by pgmrdlm · · Score: 1

      I really don't care what is in the Olympics. I watch the sports I like, and ignore the rest. But I thought I would just add substance to the discussion by providing the definition of a sport. I didn't know if physical activity was included. It defiantly covers golf though.

      --
      Anonymous comments are as pathetic as the anonymous "sources" that contaminate gutless journalism from the New York Time
  13. Are you sure? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Looking at pictures of Paris recently, it sure seems like they'd got some great Call Of Duty LARP'ing going on over there.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  14. Re:Sanity prevails by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    I will know the end is nigh when speed stacking becomes an Olympic Event.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
  15. and one emp will make them useless by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    and one emp will make them useless

    1. Re:and one emp will make them useless by lgw · · Score: 1

      Perhaps so. The air force seems remarkably unconcerned. But the following generation will all be EMP-hardened, and that particular approach will stop working.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    2. Re:and one emp will make them useless by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Back at my military training the instructors basically said that for military equipment EMP is not a problem. Because if you're in the EMP range then you're already dead from the shockwave.

    3. Re:and one emp will make them useless by jpaine619 · · Score: 2

      No they didn't. They absolutely did not say that. The range of an EMP is vastly greater than the range of a shock wave.

      Either you are lying or you are misremembering... or you never had any military training whatsoever.

    4. Re:and one emp will make them useless by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      The keyword here is: "military equipment". It's already designed for EMP.

    5. Re:and one emp will make them useless by lgw · · Score: 1

      Current drones don't really have any EMP hardening. I think it's just a cost control measure. It's makes sense if you're only thinking in terms of asymmetric warfare (which is all we've don'e for decades). I expect the generals will keep optimizing for the last war until the future surprises them.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    6. Re:and one emp will make them useless by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      The current crop of drones is susceptible to electronic warfare anyway. Both US and Russia lost several drones in Syria trying to scout each other's forces. The future drones will probably utilize something like laser relay links and/or autonomous AI.

  16. Re:Pure hypocracy by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    One very good reason to declare esports actual sports would be if Wide World of Sports made a comeback.

    If that happened, and they replaced the skiier racking himself with some noob getting pwned and teabagged for The Agony of Defeat; then I say do it. Do it nao.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
  17. Re:Seriously, it's not a sport. by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

    Is curling what they did for the ice before the invention of the zamboni?

    I swear, that looks like one of the most dreadfully boring events ever imagined.

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    This space unintentionally left blank.
  18. Re:Video games aren't good to watch for non-gamers by nukenerd · · Score: 1

    watching some high-speed FPS or RTS, where any non-player doesn't have a clue what's going on.

    Easy - you have to kill the things on the screen that look like monsters, as fast as you can.

  19. Re:They are all subsets of games.What's your probl by bws111 · · Score: 2

    I was not joking. Also, I did not mean to imply that I think including 'esports' is a good idea. I was just pointing out that, historically, being 'an athletic event' was not a requirement for something to be in the Olympics.

  20. Re:How would you decide which video game? by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Pong.

    It is a sophisticated game, requiring extensive background study to fully grasp all of the nuances of the rules.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  21. Re:You can't, if you want to win! Like with any sp by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Those who can't, become managers.
    Those who can't manage, teach on the subject.
    Those who can't teach, become consultants.
    Those who can't succeed in consulting, run for office.
    Those who can't get elected, become lobbyists.
    The problem is that everyone lower down than "those who can" incorrectly perceive the value hierarchy to be inverted to make themselves feel better.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  22. This is an outrage by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    I'm extremely upset about this. I've been training my entire adult life for the eSports at the Paris Olympics. And I was really looking forward to appearing on the Wheaties box.

    Here's a photo of me training:

    https://goo.gl/images/77oZs4

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  23. Old School Olympians are rolling in their graves by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 1

    It's bad enough we have Olympic Curling, but E-Sports ?
    I know they're desperate for viewers but come on . . . . .

    An Olympic medal in E-Sports is nothing more than a participation trophy from the perspective of the true athletes that compete in the games.
    It's embarrassing. It's akin to walking up to a total stranger and trying to impress them by telling them you're a level XYZ Tree Elf Unicorn Herder in WoW. :|
    ( Pro tip: Other than perhaps the WoW crowd, NO ONE CARES )

    Maybe we can add any of the following as well since we're considering the absurd:

    Olympic Texting
    Olympic Cooking
    Olympic Underwater Basket Weaving
    Olympic Flower Picking
    Olympic Yodeling
    Olympic Hot Dog Eating
    Olympic Debate Club
    Olympic Line Dancing
    Olympic Twerking
    Olympic Internet Trolling

    The point is, there are lots of things many people are really good at and, admittedly, some are more popular than others.
    ( I have never figured out the allure of watching someone ELSE play a video game )

    Trying to compare those activities with Olympic level athletics is just insanity.

  24. Really?!? by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    Bowling is much more of a sport than eGames, and you can do that while smoking and drinking beer!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  25. Re:The Real Reason It Won't Happen by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    Blizzard does run an eSports league for Overwatch, and yes, they all run a standard rig for tournaments, an HP Omen. Looks like they can use their own headphones, but everything else is league-supplied. (No surprise, the Korean team dominates the league.)

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  26. Re:Video games aren't good to watch for non-gamers by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    Overwatch is unwatchable because there are 12 players, but they only show you the view of one player at a time, which makes it really hard to grasp everything that is going on. They should probably just show it over the 'net and let you select your own view, kind of like how this year's Macy's parade was streamed in 360 so people with computers could zoom in on whatever they wanted (before they cut to another camera).

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  27. No one owns basketball by tepples · · Score: 2

    The difference isn't even whether it's athletic or not. It's that nobody owns exclusive rights over team handball or basketball or over the dimensions of a regulation court. By contrast, someone owns exclusive rights over StarCraft or Tetris or whatever form of electronic competition one might consider.

    1. Re:No one owns basketball by lgw · · Score: 1

      The IOC already recognizes Starcraft, though. The licensing details have already been worked out between the IOC and Blizzard.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  28. Copyrighted sports by ocsibrm · · Score: 2

    We can go back and forth on the definition of sport all we want, and I'm of the opinion that maybe there's merit in that discussion. That said- My real concern is that no matter what video game(s) was chosen, it would be something entirely owned by one company (or companies). Boxing isn't owned by Pepsi. Discus doesn't get patches every few months from EA that change how spin works to deal with changes in the meta. Nobody is going to release a Fencing 2. All of those are things that can and do happen with video games. To me that makes most of the discussion of including video games in the Olympics meaningless.

    1. Re:Copyrighted sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The fact that the esport games are essentially blackbox systems where the owner can change everything in the system at whim is very questionable. I know you can cheat in olympic sports with equipment and / or drugs but no party involved can change the laws of physics.

    2. Re:Copyrighted sports by mutantSushi · · Score: 1

      And more than that, everything you say is why focusing on it's Olympic status is a red herring and putting cart before the horse.
      E-sports don't need to be in the Olympics first, they can reform and organize themselves to international sporting standards without Olympics.
      They can demonstrate actually having a game not dependent on any one vendor, with fully open free rules for all.
      Even something as sleazy as motor-sports has plausibly independent organization allowing anybody to compete who meets spec.
      E-sports is "anybody can play XYZ's product". Except that isn't actually true.
      Many videogame companies are based in US (or it's minions), which imposes sanctions on more than a few countries.
      Olympics standard is full global competition, meaning Cuba and North Korea and Iran and whoever else the US doesn't like.
      Never mind basic issues like OK, we're doing E-Sports at Olympics, what game will be played for the next 30 years?
      That's just a little too serious for E-Sports proponents, right?
      (French entertainment corp's own major videogame corp's thus see it as venue for commercial promotion)

  29. your underestimate esport commitment by aepervius · · Score: 1

    Knowing all sort of people doing either at a high level you have roughly the same lifetine commitment as some olympic sport (e.g. archery and other similar sports). And frankly you dont need that much body muscle for many either. The only valid reason i see is that it is nigh impossible to agree on any esport due to copyright and similar issues.

    --
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    visit randi.org
  30. Mario and Sonic by tepples · · Score: 1

    Unless the games are open source and managed by a non-profit, choosing any video game would be an instant profit center for one, and only one, company.

    Here's an idea: In any given Games, make the esport the edition of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games from four years ago. That way, it's a work over which the IOC still has some stake.

  31. Replace badminton by Ogive17 · · Score: 1

    Just replace badminton with e-sports. Both rely on hand- eye coordination and twitch reflexes.

    --
    "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    1. Re:Replace badminton by dargaud · · Score: 2

      ...and are pretty unhealthy. Have you seen badminton players ? They have an arm 3 times the size of the other. Even compulsive masturbators are not that asymmetric !

      --
      Non-Linux Penguins ?
  32. Re:How would you decide which video game? by tepples · · Score: 1

    But if Atari declines to participate, the IOC wouldn't legally be able to include Pong.

  33. Aww shucks.. by GrBear · · Score: 2

    Well how about making it part of the special olympics then?

  34. Re:How would you decide which video game? by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Sadly, you're probably right.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  35. No. Just no. by Torodung · · Score: 1

    E-sports as an event would be like NASCAR becoming an Olympic sport. The competition might as well be for number of products shilled, rather than skill at CS:GO.

  36. Too Late! by Gabest · · Score: 1

    There are already eSport events bigger than they could ever make on the Olympics. This ship has sailed.

  37. and how hard will it be to have an local esport on by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    and how hard will it be to have an local esport only server with open code for an 3rd party judge to audit?

  38. Fine bodies everywhere by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    Imma guess the giant condom bowl in the video game dorm won't be going down very fast.

    ( Goes up to a FAF female athlete) "Hey, I'm FAF*, too!"

    * Fat As Fuck

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  39. Re: The Real Reason It Won't Happen by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

    The Koreans are already accustomed to playing on public machines in arcades.

  40. Re: Old School Olympians are rolling in their grav by Cmdln+Daco · · Score: 1

    In WoW level doesn't matter. They all level cap about a week after the new expansion comes out. The endgame these days is about transmog. That is, it's about finding the right costume for your cartoon to wear.

  41. Already too many STUPID events that are not sports by schwit1 · · Score: 1

    Just because there is a physical component does not make it a sport. It is not a sport if ...
    The winner is determined by the subjective viewing of judges
    The activity is totally choreographed ahead of time
    The activity is called a 'performance' or 'artistic expression'

    What you are describing is closer to ballet than a sport.

  42. Whats next... by Trimaz · · Score: 1

    I can't wait until watching a movie becomes the next Olympic sport. It takes real dedication and commitment to site through the Star Wars prequels one after the other.