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I’ve read my fair share of mixed commentary since the Digital Games announcement, much of it devolving to hatred for organizers, game choices, or debate over whether or not gaming is actually a sport.
In my personal opinion, though, all of these things are tertiary to the goal of getting competitive gaming and “e-sports” more mindshare in the general public. I’m not just speaking about the general gaming public, but the huge amount of people who don’t play games and don’t think they’re cool.
If a Welcome Event at the 2008 Summer Olympics catapults competitive gaming even more into the mainstream with games that aren’t necessarily accepted by the traditional e-sports communities, I’d be fine with it anyway. Keep in mind that I grew up on Quake/2/3, on the arcade-style, deathmatch game that doesn’t really exist anymore anywhere in the North American continent. It could come back, but probably won’t.
What I’m concerned about is the fact that so-called violent videogames are under fire in the news media every day. Governments worldwide (down to the state and county levels in the U.S.) are trying to pass bills to ban the sale of some videogames to minors, or censor them outright. Psychologists and so-called experts bandy their opinions using the megaphones that biased news outlets give them, while pimping their new books and instructional videos.
There’s an entire industry dedicated to tearing videogames down, and, in relative terms, only a small number of people dedicated to showing the world how much depth the games–and the players who play them–have. Even inside the videogame industry, doubters continually savage the pro gaming scene, oblivious to how much skill really exists in the hands of those who take their games seriously.
Gaming blogs would rather post about cakes shaped like Mario than cover the most skilled gamers in the world. If that’s not messed up, I don’t know what is.
Say what you will about Fatal1ty not being the greatest gamer in the world, or how certain leagues and organizers have dumbed down their formats to fit on TV. The people trying to grow the competitive gaming space do what they have to do in order to get the message out: When the best gamers in the world rumble, it’s a show worth watching.
There is more to gaming than simple violence, baking cakes, and flinging odd waggle devices into your TV. If you’re an e-Sports fan, then you know that some gamers have progressed to a world-class level.
That’s why having the Digital Games as a Welcome Event at the 2008 Olympics matters. It raises the prestige of gaming on a truly global level. Along with that will come the best gamers in the world, and–I hope–a competition for the ages.
4 Comments
very good article, worth reading
“If a Welcome Event at the 2008 Summer Olympics catapults competitive gaming even more into the mainstream with games that aren’t necessarily accepted by the traditional e-sports communities, I’d be fine with it anyway.”
No, actually- That is exactly our problem. Way to bow out like a pussy.
If you were a pro-skateboarder making $0 before its boom and you said well hell at least pro-rollerblading is getting some attention then switched games you’d probably have never seen a dime cause you were too much of a bitch to stand up for your own sport.
Lets make everything look rosey and flip topics to a something completely irrelevant to our community right now — like the ‘threat’ of lobbyists saying video games are bad. We both know this isn’t ever going anywhere. Call me a fool but I don’t ever take it seriously when people talk about this shit. Our country is founded on these freedoms and we’re not going to see them taken away for video games. This is repeated history- music, tv, movies, now video games. Wasted press even talking about it.
What you need to be doing is writing about how YES, the Digital Games are important for the growth of e-Sports. You should be writing YES, this could be a great thing and the choices we make now will represent our sport on an Olympic level. Then continue writing about how much of a joke it’ll be to even consider anything other than the best games. THE best games. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
“Keep in mind that I grew up on Quake/2/3, on the arcade-style, deathmatch game that doesn’t really exist anymore anywhere in the North American continent. It could come back, but probably won’t.”
QuakeLive anyone? We’ll see.
Sorry mahmood, I’m just tired of this nihilistic “lets give up on e-Sports cause its a joke” bullshit. You fucking work for this community. It takes every single one of us pushing for it to make it happen. If you don’t wanna put the effort in then fine. You’re all like a bunch of heart broken teenagers when it comes to this. Stop going with the flow and make the flow happen.
I’m just tired of sitting idly by watching the community fuck itself in the ass. Developers who started out with the right idea just pissing it down their legs, columnists who once had passion for what they do instead repeatedly drilling it into our heads that “oh no cs has taken, over oh no consoles are taking over” but not realizing that oh no they have no reason to be even doing this job anymore cause they fucking hate whats happening to this community and refuse to do anything about it. If all I can do is make this post about it to change your mind and if it doesnt make any difference to you, then fine. I’m still going to do everything I can to see this through HOW WE ALL KNOW IT SHOULD BE before it really does rot away.
With Quake3 in existance now and QuakeLive and Quake5 on the horizon we have the best opportunity we can ever hope for right now… and the goal? To make this happen in the freaking OLYMPICS. Nothing greater has ever been done in gaming. If you write another column, write about how fucking awesome it would be to see literally every active nation in quake band together to create elite CTF teams to compete in the Olympics and represent their nation as the Digital Champions.
=]
starcraft/quake/street fighter
ultimate trinity of competitive gaming
“Gaming blogs would rather post about cakes shaped like Mario than cover the most skilled gamers in the world. If that’s not messed up, I don’t know what is.”
I’m ok with that. I’d rather see fun gaming paraphenalia than hear about how some guy can pwn everyone.
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