Is Gaming Becoming a Sport in the United States?

The amount of video game use we see in society today is arguably inescapable. Mobile games such as Candy Crush, Game of War, or Clash of Clans record daily revenues in the millions, and someone is bound to recognize one, if not all, of these game names. This exposure to gaming in everyday light seems to bring in a new and unseen age in gaming, where gaming could be seen as a sport.

Gaming has been competitive since the first two people booted up “Pong” on the Atari 2600. When you think about it, playing soccer and video games isn’t different. The object is always to win the game, but the level of competition and players in the game can vary. I played Call of Duty fairly competitively, but I had no idea how big the competitive gaming industry would grow. The growth in this industry can be traced to several factors. The financial gain in the gaming industry has been incredible. The recent stance that “nerd culture” has taken in the popular media through means such as The Big Bang Theory. The push by people who genuinely enjoy gaming culture and want to see it get a spot in the limelight has brought gaming into everyday life for the general public.

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So what is causing video games to turn into a source of entertainment that people would watch from home like they would football or soccer? The answers might surprise you. In July 2014, “Defense of the Ancients” or DOTA was played by teams worldwide for a community-raised prize pool totaling $10,923,980 U.S. dollars. Groups of five would play against one another and eliminate the competition as they moved toward the grand finals and the ultimate prize of first place. While this was the fourth tournament hosted by the game’s creators, it was the first time it was televised by ESPN 3. ESPN was so pleased by the coverage results they agreed to follow up the next year.

It is wild to think that we might see coverage of video games on Sports Center within the next few years. Unlike ESPN, which only shows you content on competitive gaming during big tournaments, streaming is always available. Twitch TV is the main website that comes to mind. Streaming sites allow content creators to show what is happening live on their computers to audiences who can join the conversation with a chat group function as they watch their favorite streamers/players play live. The potential for growth through an avenue like this is enormous. Just think, you could watch a TV show and chat with fellow fans of the show worldwide with great ease, all while communicating with content creators.

We know what brings gaming into the sports arena, but what keeps it out? Well, it is not time for electronic sports (E-Sports) to become a household name, at least not in the United States. South Korea may be an example of what is to come regarding E-Sports in the United States. Say “StarCraft,” and a Korean will know what you refer to nine times out of ten. The game StarCraft is practically a national pastime of South Korea. The game is featured on cable television and on a few apps offered by Microsoft’s Xbox, which is a direct competitor to the PC gaming market that StarCraft belongs to. Players in Korea are treated like celebrities, signing autographs, taking pictures with fans, and appearing on talk shows from time to time.

Now, if I were to tell this to the average American, more than likely, the response would be along the lines of “Are you serious?” It’s that big of a deal over there?” Yes, eSports in Korea and, to a lesser degree, China and Japan are already booming industries. So why hasn’t gaming become a large industry in the United States, where most games are made? Americans tend to like different games than Asian players do. Americans like fast-paced shooters, such as Call of Duty or Counter-Strike, while Asian players favor strategic games such as StarCraft or DOTA. The problem with shooters is that less strategy is involved. Think of the two genres as an approach to an American football game.

While both genres have a well-defined goal, like in football, the strategic games feature ways to counter-movements other players or how move toward their goal via tech choices or character choices. If the defense sends a blitz in football, you try to counter that blitz by getting the ball to an open receiver or running the ball in the opposite direction of the storm. There is no correct way to approach the defense’s strategy, and the offense can still choose how to approach the situation. The same cannot be said about shooters; there isn’t enough depth in gameplay to give watchers new ideas about applying techniques professionals use in their gameplay.

Professional gaming is on its way to becoming a real sport in the United States. With air times on ESPN and the popularization of gaming in everyday life within five or ten years, we might see a good chunk of people walking around with E-sport team jerseys. Due to gaming trends in the U.S., it will likely take radical gameplay changes to keep viewers watching and get more of the public interested, but it is feasible. It will take dedicated fans of the sport to push gaming further into the public eye, but from what we have seen in the past few years, it’s clear that gaming will be considered a sport shortly.

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Alcohol scholar. Bacon fan. Internetaholic. Beer geek. Thinker. Coffee advocate. Reader. Have a strong interest in consulting about teddy bears in Nigeria. Spent 2001-2004 promoting glue in Pensacola, FL. My current pet project is testing the market for salsa in Las Vegas, NV. In 2008 I was getting to know birdhouses worldwide. Spent 2002-2008 buying and selling easy-bake-ovens in Bethesda, MD. Spent 2002-2009 marketing country music in the financial sector.