Part I
Introduction
A Brief History
When the first video game was invented by William Higinbotham, it was a scientific exhibit at a government lab open house, designed to convey that the work being done at this lab was relevant to society. It consisted of an analog computer, a 5” cathode ray tube display (otherwise known as an oscilloscope), the kind that was used in radars of the day, and several resistors, capacitors, relays, and transistors. It was the predecessor to Pong, a popular video game created by Atari in 1972. Higinbotham called it Tennis for Two, but did not believe it to be significantly remarkable, and did not patent it. After Magnavox bought the patent for the first videogame from the Sanders Association, Higinbotham was called to testify in court against Magnavox’s claim (which was that they made the first videogame). However, the outcome of the suit is unclear, as it was settled privately. Soon Atari became a main contender, and Nintendo stormed the industry around the 1980s. Videogames were becoming an unignorable market, and now, in 2020, the industry is worth almost 160 billion dollars. In comparison, that’s over 150% of the entire agricultural production industry.
Video Games Today
Today, Minecraft (by Mojang Studios), Fortnite (by Epic Games), and Grand Theft Auto (by Rockstar North and Rockstar Games) only name a few of the 1,181,019 and counting video games today. Despite countless studies showing that violent video games cause psychological distress and impress the wrong message on young children, games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Doom, and Overwatch still dominate the market.
Censored or Banned Video Games
Games containing shooting are banned in Venezuela, those with excessive violence are banned in Brazil, China either censors or removes all material that “hurts China’s dignity or interests”, controversial video games are sometimes, though rarely banned in Japan, and videogames with excessively high levels of violence are banned in South Korea, though freedom of expression laws make this rule hard to enforce. Games with offensive sexual interaction are banned in New Zealand (though, again, free expression laws do interfere with these rules), and although most video games banned in Malaysia do contain anti-Muslim content, violent or sexually offensive videogames are also banned. Singapore and the United Kingdom sometimes enforce censorship on similar bases, and Germany strictly bans video games that promote Nazi violence and practice. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ban video games that show nudity or sexual intercourse. Iran and Pakistan ban video games that show the respective countries in a negative light, and any sexually inappropriate content or violence is also not allowed.
Psychological Effects
While video games do pose a significant entertainment purpose, and from a different standpoint, they could have a certain appeal. However, multiple studies conducted by the US National Institute of Health and Medicine, or more specifically the NIH (which can be found here), andSports the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (a summary can be found here) show that violent video games containing drug abuse, excessive violence, shooting, bloody and gory scenes, and sexual or pornographic images affect child aggressions and psychologically fuel violence in a negative way. Although it seems like there would be plenty of video games that don’t fit in to this category, 20% of the top 40 best selling games of all time, and 50% of the top 10 video games sold in 2020 (by revenue) all contain some sort of violence, and this list doesn’t even include video games with sexual intercourse, pornography, and drug abuse.
An Opinion
Although many people would disagree with me, it is my opinion that videogames are a dangerous, ignorant distraction and waste of time. It doesn’t help finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination anywhere near a fraction of the amount it helps to exercise, as noted by the AAP and AACAP article in the above paragraph. Staring at a screen for hours on end damages or degenerate retina cells. Sitting still for that long causes age-related problems like muscular degeneration and arthritis speed up (Effects of Blue Light). To sustain the concentration needed to play a video game for even half an hour, you need to eat high levels of fats and sugar. That can damage your pancreas, raise your blood sugar, and degrade your health (Paper By the NIH). Sitting still for long periods of time is linked to health problems like obesity and abnormal cholesterol levels (Effects of Sitting Too Long (Mayo Clinic)).
Our Question
Breaking it Down
Our question appears to be simple: Should video games be considered a sport? However, an in depth look reveals that our question is not as simple as it looks. The first issue arises with our definition of a “sport.” Is a sport some form of exercise? Or is it just a form of entertainment? Is a sport defined by the participants, or the viewers. Does a sport have to be in teams, or can they be played alone?
Question 1
Our last question is easy to answer by looking at an example: tennis. Tennis is played 1 versus 1. But can it be played against yourself? Some video games, like Minecraft, are simply open ended, sometimes even without a goal. Open world video games (like Legend of Zelda) often have “quests”, but rarely have a singular goal, and so score keeping would be hard. However, we could define a sport as “an activity with a single goal or multiple goals”.
Question 2
In this case, the next question could also be answered. Because we now know our “sport” has a goal, we know that the most important element would be participants, and that viewers would be a part of the entire picture, but the “sport” could be played without them. So is a sport some form of exercise, or just a type of entertainment? This actually sparks another question: what is exercise? Although the first definition in the Lexico dictionary (Oxford) is an “activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness”, which video games are not, the second definition: “A process or activity carried out for a specific purpose, especially one concerned with a specified area or skill” could include video games. Although to include video games would require us to call gaming a “skill”, we can make that assumption (though a bit naively).
Our Final Question
Our final question is: Should we consider video games an activity with a goal, played by participants, that requires skill? Answering this question will be easier now that we have a clearer question, but the key word in this question is “should.” Yes, a video game conforms to our standards of a “sport,” but would it be ethically sound to support extensive viewing of a screen, sitting still for extended periods of time, and impressing violent and improper character on young adults’ minds?
Our Answer
Gathering Information
Fortnite
We can look at popular “E-Sports,” or video games that have been played competitively. One almost instantly recognizable title for gamers is Fortnite, as can be seen in this graph:
(Fortnite is the dark blue graph, which has sustained significant leads over Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (the red graph), Apex Legend (the turquoise graph), and PubG (the purple graph))
Fortnite is easy to keep score, since that feature is built in (How Fortnite Scoring Works). Practice helps increase your performance, which shows that skill is involved, and each “battle’s” goal is to stay alive, much like a tournament for any sport. While it is single player, there are opponents.
League of Legends
League of Legends is an arena based game, meaning it follows a structure similar to Fortnite. It pits players (who control “champions”) against each other in an almost “Street Fighter” like fashion. It can be downloaded for free, but requires money to unlock certain features and “champions.” It does have a goal (to win), and the competitive structure bears a striking resemblance to soccer.
Dota 2
Dota 2 is a type of “capture the flag” game. You have ten defendants, each controls a “hero,” and tries to defend their “ancient,” a base like structure. Almost like one-goal basketball, you earn points for the number of hits you get, and try to storm the base (a goal). Obviously, this bears a resemblance to almost all goal-based sports, like soccer. Although it has a simple nature, the competitive structure is perfect for an electronic sport.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CSGO, is a team versus team game. Two teams, one on defense and one on offense. Yes, it’s exactly basketball. CSGO is simple to keep score, each successful strike is a point, and experience is everything here, which brings skill in. Deceptively simple, CSGO is another example of an inbuilt E-Sport.
StarCraft
This is an adaptation of the game Warcraft II, but has a different skin and backstory, and a slightly different battle format. Up to eight players compete to win an intergalactic war between four different alien races. The format is similar to a game of “capture the flag” with more than two teams.
A Summary of Our Information
Our information gathered all share a common theme. While many video games have a similar format to well known and loved sports and games, the way that they approach the beginning of the game is new. To have a backstory inspires stronger motivation, and although not as good as exercise or outdoor games, in a situation where neither are available, video games may pose a partial alternative to these activities.
Our Final Answer
In a technical view, video games do have the format, motivation, and basis to claim themselves as a sport. However, the moral implications of considering them a sport have to be considered. Johan Sundstein, better known as his alias, N0tail, has a total earning from E-Sports of 6.8 million dollars. He earned 3 million in 2019 alone. Sundstein is only 26 years old. This encouragement and large cashback reward system tempts young, impressionable minds to join the fray, in hopes of getting rewarded. E-Sports can become a gateway to more… taboo video games. They play violent, sexually abusive, drug filled video games that give the wrong message. They are guided into believing that violence does not have severe consequences, that they will be rewarded for breaking the law, they are introduced to sexually inappropriate topics at a young age, and they grow up thinking drugs are cool.
A Comparison (Part II)
Sports
Sports are generally perceived to be some sort of physical activity, where there are often teams, and I cannot, off the top of my head, name a sport without coaches. Professional sports often have sponsorships, and different countries have an unofficial sport. More specifically, sports have a rich and deep culture around them, which has been built for generations. Many children dream of joining the “big boys,” and those who do earn fame and fortune. Also, many teams are based in specific states or cities, and in those places, their legacy is widespread. The prizes for winning the biggest competitions can rise to over 1.3 billion dollars (UEFA).
Credit: Statista
E-Sports
E-Sports originate from (according to the American E-Sports Organization) 1972, when Standford University held an event inviting “players to compete in a game called Spacewar, a space combat game that was first developed in 1962.” South Korea has streamed E-Sports for over 20 years, and has government supported academies for professional gaming. China wasn’t part of the original E-Sports craze, but they are now the leader in number of gamers (600 million people, almost half of China’s entire population), and predictions point to the possibility that they will soon become second, right behind the U.S, in E-Sports sales. The U.S, Germany, and Sweden all provide some great stars (Ninja, KuroKy, s4). Although the culture and history of E-Sports does not extend past a generation, the fan base is enormous. It had an estimated 250 million fans in 2019, and 495 million fans in 2020. By 2021, there are estimates that E-Sports will have more viewers in the U.S than all major league sports (other than the NFL, because America is still America (that’s not a compliment ...)).
Credit: Syracuse University
Comparison
For convenience, we will, from now on, be calling E-Sports: E, and sports: S. Both E and S have teams and nationalities. They also share having coaches, and sponsorships. However, anyone can participate in E, although they would have to practice a lot. There would be no limitations because of a medical problem (excluding neurological issues, or loss of limbs). In S, however, there are many limitations, specifically on physical fitness. E shares with S a large prize pool, with the top 5 E prizes totaling to 495.6 million dollars, and although the top 5 S prizes have a grand total of 3.222 billion dollars, which dwarfs E over 6.5 times, both prize pools are still enormous. The fanbase of E and S is similarly giant. They both have a culture built around them.
Conclusion
E-Sports have a culture, large prize pools, teams, coaches, nationalities, and sponsorships in common with sports. In this viewpoint, even a strong skeptic must admit that E-Sports are a sport. Although I myself am not a giant fan of the idea, all the evidence supports this claim, and while the topic is still debatable, E-Sports are a sport.
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