E-sports officially recognized as a real Sport

For many in the game industry, the 2018 Asian Games will go down in history as a moment when E-sports officially hit the mainstream.

The popularity of computer games has steadily increased over the years, with huge crowds around the world and top players taking millions of dollars in prize money, but it was not until the Asian Games that E-sports began to approach the recognition of the true sport it craves.

On October 19, 1972, Bruce Baumgart, a student at Stanford University in California, gained a one-year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine after winning a five-person free space war competition. Forty-six years later, on August 26, 2018, Tim OG took home $11 million in prize money at The International 2018 in Vancouver. Esports has made a lot of progress since Baumgart first connected his DEC PDP-1.

Today, millions of viewers are tuning in from all over the world to watch the game competition. The emerging event was especially popular with young viewers, adding it as an exhibition event at the Asian Games by the Asian Olympic Committee (OCA). Skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, paragliding, and climbing were all newly added to the 2018 Asian Games.

At the Asian Games, E-sports may have become an adult on the international stage, but it was in October 2017 that the situation really began to change. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized e-sports as an official sport at the Olympic Summit in October 2017, acknowledging that athletes train and practice for more than 10 hours every day to become professional competition equivalent to traditional sports.

However, the decision to recognize E-sports as a real sport has hardly concluded the debate. Critics argue that it definitely lacks physical elements that are part of the sport, and that the violent nature of many games increases unpopularity.

E-sports supporters disagree. It is argued that professional gamers not only spend as much time training as regular players, but also compete in tournaments according to certain rules in the form of competitions. They need teamwork and strategy to win a competition in a stadium with coaches and referees and huge crowds. Essentially, they argue that this is a sport in every sense of the word, just looking a little different.

At the Asian Games, including E-sports was easy. When it comes to attracting viewers, there is no emerging sport with the appeal of the game. The 2017 League of Legends (LoL) Championship, which took place from September 23 to November 4 last year, recorded a total of 1.2 billion views. The final match between South Korea's SKT T1 team and the Samsung Galaxy team was broadcast live by 57.6 million people. The semifinal match between the Chinese and Korean teams was watched by as many as 80 million people.

Asian Games

E-sports at the Asian Games took a slightly different approach from general competition events.

Typically, E-sports events include competitions around the world competing for the top prize. Teams are generally sponsored by companies and often, but not always from the same country.

E-sports is different from other sports in that there is no real distinction between domestic and international competitions. In tournaments such as the 2017 LoL Championship, two teams from South Korea may or may not compete, and the team that plays does not represent the country, but represents their own team.

For international multi-sport events such as the Asian Games, the model does not work. For the first time in sports history, E-sports athletes represented each country in the Olympics.

Three team events, including League of Legends, Pro Evolution Soccer 2018, and Arena of Ballet, and six more events were added to the exhibition, including StarCraft II: Legacy of the Boyd, Hearthstone, and Clash Royale.

The choice of the game was interesting. The inclusion of mobile game Clash Royale shows how much E-sports has developed in recent years. Despite criticism of e-sports violence from prominent figures such as IOC President Thomas Bach, all but Pro Evolution Soccer were fighting games.

The Asian Games' decision to include E-sports in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang exhibition game was accepted as the excitement of Korean E-sports fans, who were convinced that the Korean team had what it needed to bring home gold medals in many games.

But it wasn't that simple. When it comes to E-sports, Team Korea did not exist. In order for a player to participate in an international sports event as a national team, the sports association must be a member organization or belong to an association under the Korea Sports Council (KSOC).

Olympics

E-sports may have rushed to the Asian Games site, but the final goal is still not set.

Despite the best efforts of Japan's top game makers, E-Sports will not make its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The International e-Sports Federation is currently trying to persuade organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics to include the game as a demonstration sport.

But it's going to be a tough fight. Despite the successful Asiad trial, Bach opposed including E-sports in the Olympics.

"We cannot have competitions that promote violence or discrimination in the Olympic program," Bach was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. So-called "killer games" In our view, they are unacceptable because they contradict the values of the Olympics."

Bach's claim to "violence" stems from the form of the game. At the Asian Games, five out of six games involved players killing each other to win.

On the Olympic stage, it will mean that a team representing one country will kill characters representing another country: "The goal of the Olympics is to serve the harmonious development of sports for mankind.It is a complete society related to the preservation of human dignity."

E-sports supporters argue that the event is no more violent than real combat sports such as boxing, fencing, and taekwondo, which are already part of the Olympics.

Bach said, "Of course, all combat sports come from real fighting between people. But sport is a civilized expression for this. If you have a 'game' about killing someone, it can't match our Olympic values." It is not clear whether E-Sports will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the possibility is increasing.

In July, the IOC and the World Sports Federation (GAISF) held an E-sports forum at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and officials discussed the possibility of E-sports entering the sports world.

Following the forum, IOC and Geisf created an E-sports liaison group so that they can continue to communicate for future cooperation.

Although the IOC has not made an official decision on E-sports at the 2024 Olympics, its addition is likely to help the Olympics' dwindling ratings. According to Nielsen, ratings have dropped to an average of 3.2 billion since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when 4.7 billion people tuned into the Olympics.

At the most recent PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, viewership declined 24 percent, especially among viewers aged 18 to 49. Compared to the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Rahul Sud, CEO of E-sports betting company Unique, told Reuters, "The Olympics will include E-sports not to let older people watch our games, but to let young people watch their games." "It is the fastest growing sport in the world."

The addition of E-sports to the Olympics can also be financially good news. In the past, host countries have left behind huge debts and expensive and unused places to be maintained or sold. Compared to most other Olympic sports, E-sports are quite cheap. Strictly speaking, the game can literally be played where there are tables, chairs, and a few computers.

Unlike the Olympics, the E-sports industry has shown tremendous growth over the years. According to Newzoo's report, total E-sports revenue surged from $493 million in 2016 to $655 million in 2017. Even more impressive, the market's total revenue is likely to exceed $900 million by the end of this year.

E-sports will be a welcome addition to Korea because Korea is considered a powerhouse. Although the sport originated in the United States, Korea has played an important role in expanding the industry.

Many games, such as League of Legends and StarCraft II, are dominated by Korean players at the world championships every year, cementing Korea's status as the world's best country when it comes to E-sports.

Just as short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics and archery at the Summer Olympics are dominated by Korea, the addition of e-sports will add another string to Korea's bow.

"Once E-sports are included in a huge sporting event, we believe it is a good opportunity to show Korea's pride and strength in E-sports," a KeSpa spokesman said. E-sports is one of the most interested sports, so our goal is to provide players with the opportunity to perform at their best.

The E-sports industry continues to grow, and the sport has now been recognized by the Olympics and made its international mainstream sports debut at the Asian Games. Although some critics still argue that it is not a real sport, E-sports really seems to remain here.

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