In July, the International Olympic Committee hosted an e-sports forum at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
The gathering discussed similarities and differences between current Olympic sports and the rapidly growing phenomenon of competitive video gaming. Delegates also looked at whether there was a place for such e-sports at future Olympic Games.
While they might not be seen as traditional athletes, e-sports competitors draw huge crowds in sold-out events all over the world, follow intense practise routines and are even starting to make a fair bit of money.
Just this week, the Saudi winner of the FIFA e-World Cup took home a cool $250,000 in prize money.
So with the popularity of e-sports soaring worldwide, it begs the question: is there room in the Olympics for the gamers?
Jack Gorman, a Melbourne based e-sports tournament organiser, isn’t so sure.
Mr Gorman stumbled into competitive gaming at a grassroots level, hosting local tournaments at an EB Games store in the Melbourne CBD and is now the head coordinator of the biggest Super Smash Brothers tournament in the Southern hemisphere.
However, when it comes to being involved in the Olympic Games he has his reservations about the response that might receive.
“I think the more we try and insert ourselves in generally ‘blokey’ spaces, like traditional sports programming and events, the bigger the backlash will be for e-sports,” he said, “And in my opinion, we don’t really need the Olympics.”
An article recently published in Venture Beat echoed a similar sentiment, stating “E-sports legitimizes itself — it doesn’t need the Olympics”.
For the time being according to those involved in the competition such as Jack Gorman, e-sports is gaining enough momentum and breaking down enough barriers on its own, without inserting itself into traditional sporting scenes like the Olympics.
(Featured image: Gamer plays with headphones on July 10, 2018. Photo: Lyncconf Games, Flickr)
