10 Popular Video Game Debates That Need To Die
7. Are E-Sports Real Sports?
It's somewhat overdone to point out that the line between nerds and sports fans is a slim one indeed. In recent years however, the comparison has become more apt than ever.
In 2017, the League of Legends World Championship Final outdrew that year's UEFA Champions League Final, and yet still there's something of a stigma to the world of E-Sports.
On the surface, you can see it. E-sports can seem to miss "the point" of gaming, being principally about watching the game being played at a high level. For most, the appeal of the medium is the personal journey of overcoming a challenge or experiencing a story.
However, the truth is, whichever way you look at it, it's valid. Do you watch sports for the athletic excellence and dedication of the athletes? Competitors in both worlds have absolutely put their 10,000 hours in.
Do you watch it for the pageantry and storytelling? There's just as much soap opera in both of them, so long as you look for it.
Different strokes for different folks of course, but what you can't deny is that there's a colossal audience for it. And as any fan of chess-boxing will tell you, if people will watch it, it's a sport!