Should gamers be treated as pro athletes?

[Rucati]

This is complete bullshit.

If you actually think you would be even close to the lvl of pro-gamers after playing SC2 24/7 for 2-3 months, I really don't know if to laugh or cry. Most stupid statement of the millenium.

Anybody who has the time required, can certainly NOT be a pro-gamer. There is this thing called talent (just like with any sport).

I could ofc come and say "Give me a year of practicing football, and I'll be playing for the national team". No, it doesn't work like that.

There is no innate "talent" in playing video games like there is with sports, don't be dumb now. Anyone can be a pro gamer, it's not hard, it just takes a lot of time and effort, but anyone can do it. Also requires finding a team, if it's a game like DotA, but something like SC2 you can do alone if you just play a lot for a couple months. It's not like a sport, where you actually need to have talent and even if you practice a lot you won't be good enough or capable of playing at a high level. Anybody can play video games at a high level, you just need to practice. Comparing it to a sport is idiotic at best.

[Wildtree]

Gamer = Athlete? Definitely nope.
Pro Gamer still doesn't make them an athlete.

What they get or should get paid, is in no way and form related to what an athlete is.

eSports...
My thoughts on that... eSports is a more or less clever way to increase revenue of whatever the game is.
Generally there is not one video game that comes anywhere close in terms of participants, to any other game or sport in the entire world, where salaries are given. Such video game does not exist. Poker and Chess were mentioned earlier. These two games are played by a vast amount of more people than any video game.
Now, that does not mean, that there are no sports or games that have only a smaller amount of people doing/playing them. But in these sports and games there's no money moved.
eSports is for few a legitimate income, but for the overwhelming majority it will always be nothing else than a carrot on a stick, they can and will never reach.
Hundreds of thousands, or ideally even millions will buy the game, because - you know - there's a chance to make money with it.
So all in all, but another commercial booby trap people are getting lured into.
Now, to me the question is, whether it's worth doing this kind of stuff. Certainly thousands may simply ruin their lives while chasing that carrot. Unlike any sport done by athletes, gaming is the absolute opposite to the human body. It's unhealthy, and socially destructive.

[Duronos]

There is no innate "talent" in playing video games like there is with sports, don't be dumb now. Anyone can be a pro gamer, it's not hard, it just takes a lot of time and effort, but anyone can do it. Also requires finding a team, if it's a game like DotA, but something like SC2 you can do alone if you just play a lot for a couple months. It's not like a sport, where you actually need to have talent and even if you practice a lot you won't be good enough or capable of playing at a high level. Anybody can play video games at a high level, you just need to practice. Comparing it to a sport is idiotic at best.

If it's not hard then why am I not playing for a professional team in LoL? See the part where you said it takes a lot of time and effort, that's hard for just about 99% of the gaming population to stay that motivated and to even find the time in the day to play that much. I don't think you really understand what makes someone top class at what they do.

[Gallahadd]

Should people at the very top of their game, who win countless tournaments and play as pros be treated as such?

yes, yes they should.

LoL/SC/other E sports are just as much sports as shit like Darts.

[caffeiine]

No...just by definition of an athlete.....
World English Dictionary
athlete (ˈæθliːt)

— n
1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
3. chiefly ( Brit ) a competitor in track and field events

[Sigroth]

If chess and golf players are considered athletes then of course proffesional gamers are too.

[zephid]

I just passed by this

http://kotaku.com/starcraft-player-g...ili-1481485630

and I gotta say that I'm astonished.

Do you agree that an e-sport gamer should get a salary and a visa like a fellow who lifts weights or runs X miles a day or swims 5 hours in a pool everyday or a mountain climber that risks injury or even death? Someone, and I quote "...is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina."?

It doesn't matter what a person does, all that matter is if people are willing to watch him do it. The world fastest sprinter wouldn't make a single $ if people didn't want to see him run. It's the same thing with pro-gamers. If people want to watch you do your thing you'll get paid.

[McNeil]

Gamers being........ atheletes? Uh, okay now I have heard everything........ and gamers wonder why they have such a bad reputation among the mainstream crowd...... well its because they believe stuff like this. Show this poll to any non-gamer and they'll be laughing their ass off

[Jtbrig7390]

I just passed by this

http://kotaku.com/starcraft-player-g...ili-1481485630

and I gotta say that I'm astonished.

Do you agree that an e-sport gamer should get a salary and a visa like a fellow who lifts weights all morning or runs X miles a day or swims 5 hours in a pool everyday or a mountain climber that risks injury or even death? Someone, and I quote "... that is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina."?

Yes because both take a huge amount of work and skill to get good at.

You can't just install Starcraft II/LoL and be able to beat the pro's just like you can't play One on One with a pro basketball player and win. You must learn the game by playing it a LOT and getting better at it as you go.

- - - Updated - - -

There is no innate "talent" in playing video games like there is with sports, don't be dumb now.

Ok I bet you 1 million dollars if you play 2-3 months of Starcraft II or you make a LoL team and play 2-3 months u can't beat a pro team/person whos been doing it for years...

[Tavin]

Just because they call it E-Sports doesn't mean they become athletes

[BananaHandsB]

If they're bringing in the same amount of money and being compensated highly for it, it doesn't matter what you call it, they're pros. Right now tho, they are defiantely not at that level. Esports just don't bring in the money like physical sports.

[Ham on Rye]

Gamers should not be treated like pro athletes.

Pro athletes should be treated like gamers.

/thread

[Deleted]

I think so, if we're calling the top players of chess and darts athletes, I do t see wy gamers at the top of their field can't be called it.

i don't mean someone who is just good at games, people who are payed a salary and endorsed, like pro footballers endorse sports wear, pro gamers endorse gaming hardware.

Im sure to will be more common in the future as esports are still pretty young

[Lothaeryn]

Athlete is the term used for someone who is a competitor in a physical sport, which requires a great deal of physical training and mental preparation.

Does a 13-25 something douchebag (most of them are, don't try to deny that) who brags about being able to move pixels with faster reflexes than the other guy, with little physical (if any) and mental preparation sound like a person who can be even remotely classified as an Athlete? I hardly think so.

The only thing they even do is practice reflexes and small amounts of strategy, to say they deserve the prestige and respect as someone who dedicates their entire life for the most part to physical prowess is plain comical.

And don't get me started on the idiocy of saying they deserve a salary the equivalent to an Athlete too, that's just pushing one's luck.

[scvd]

The same salary? Not a chance. The same page in terms of activity, sure, why not.

[mickybrighteyes]

Gamers should not be treated like pro athletes.

Pro athletes should be treated like gamers.

/thread

hehe.. yeah...

after sitting in classes alongside some would be pro athletes... I can agree with this.

[StreetHydrant]

I'm still on the fence about labelling gamers pro athletes. Pro gamers, sure. They game and they've made it their profession, but they're not athletes imo.

[Raptor With a Saber]

Yes and no, Yes in the sense that some games are a real mental strain be it puzzles,shooters,rpgs, Some can be really thought intensive even some run and gun games.

The sad fact is those games are ignored by a sadly high amount of gamers and that makes the gamers seem like...w/e point is yes if the game is mentally intense no if it's like cod/bf

[Loaf Lord]

Athlete is the term used for someone who is a competitor in a physical sport, which requires a great deal of physical training and mental preparation.

Does a 13-25 something douchebag (most of them are, don't try to deny that) who brags about being able to move pixels with faster reflexes than the other guy, with little physical (if any) and mental preparation sound like a person who can be even remotely classified as an Athlete? I hardly think so.

The only thing they even do is practice reflexes and small amounts of strategy, to say they deserve the prestige and respect as someone who dedicates their entire life for the most part to physical prowess is plain comical.

And don't get me started on the idiocy of saying they deserve a salary the equivalent to an Athlete too, that's just pushing one's luck.

This post feels biased. You hold athletes in such high esteem, yet pro gamers are "douchebags". You act as if pro athletes never act like douchebags. Pretty much every football game I watch has either players butting heads or throwing a tantrum or pretending to get injured. Hell, last game I watched some player shoved the referee because he didn't like the call he made. Also, why does something have to be physical to get respect?

- - - Updated - - -

No, I don't think pro gamers should be treated like pro athletes, but then again, I don't think pro athletes should be treated as prestigious as they are currently.

[Verain]

Of course, there's no REAL difference at a job level. Both require extensive physical and mental training, and require a bit of luck when it comes to being able to do it. A jockey can't play basketball, and some people will never have the reflexes required to play pro games. You reveal your prejudice with the poll though.

"Should athletes be treated as pro athletes?"


Um.... what?

"Should pro gamers be treated as pro athletes?" That's the question. And, yea. No, it's not the same thing exactly, but the training and the rest is very similar.