In the last few years, video games have become a near-universal hobby. From easy, repetitive diversions played on phones to e-sports such as League of Legends and StarCraft, games are enormous industries, in which companies, professional and amateur players, and fans all participate in. And now, League of Legends players who wish to compete in the United States are to be granted P1-A classification, allowing them to be designated as internationally recognized athletes. Legally, this video game is considered a sport.
Are video games sports? There are many arguments, both in favour of and against this designation. As the word “sport” does not have a precise definition, there are many people on opposite sides of the debate, and there seems to be no easy way to settle the question. To some, video games are a waste of time; to others, they are a true passion. One thing seems to be fairly plain: the granting of visas to professional players is far too minor a point to argue over. With professional gamers, the question of a security breach seems remote; gamers are not normally associated with espionage or terrorism.
However, the question asking if high-level players should be considered professional athletes is a somewhat different matter. Firstly, there is almost always a significant difference in the physical ability of a typical athlete and a gamer; and furthermore, now that the law views sports and gaming as fundamentally identical, there may be some cause for confusion, though not necessarily concern.
Athleticism is one of humanity’s most ancient arts. The ancient Greek philosophers believed that it was necessary for a person to be fit in order to fulfill their humanity; their athletes were as highly lauded as today’s. However, these early philosophers believed in balance above all: the ideal man was both an athlete and a thinker. The Roman proverb, “Healthy mind, healthy body” summarizes this attitude: Sports and mental agility are both necessary and fundamentally related, but not identical.
No one would question that gaming requires many mental skills: quick thinking, good reflexes, planning and puzzle-solving ability, and much more. These are important, and I will not deny it. These are skills that everyone should have. Nevertheless, these skills are equally important to and equally developed by more traditional sports such as basketball, football, or fencing. There is no other, more specific mental skill stimulated and developed by games, save for one: ability at the game itself. This is not a bad thing. It is an exciting and enjoyable hobby. There can be thrilling competitions. But it is not enough to call something a sport.
Nevertheless, they are becoming widely acknowledged as sports, by players, companies, and the United States government. Is there a problem with this? Not per se- it is a widely enjoyed game, with huge tournaments bringing crowds of thousands and viewers in the millions. If professional players are to be given athletes’ visas to play in competitions abroad, so be it. It is only a legal designation.
It is, however, problematic if people genuinely believe that sedentary activities are sports. For example, chess is similarly recognised as a sport. However, no chess player identifies themselves as an athlete or a sports player. However, many people (although not my colleague in the point, who takes a moderate approach) will passionately argue that their video game hobby is a sport. They say these things without truly considering what makes a sport- and it is not legal designation.
League of Legends, StarCraft, and similar games are exactly that- games. Sports develop the body, as they have for centuries. Games develop the mind. Ideally, a balanced individual will participate in both. If not, if someone’s talents lie only in one direction or the other, let them acknowledge that without embarrassment. Someone who argues that games are good because they “really are a sport, if you think about it,” are granting sports an overly exalted position, rather than promoting games. Let games be valued for their own merits in a manner similar to chess, and not for some imagined similarity to sports.
For it would seem that, for a long time, professional athletes are considered heroes and role models, while gamers are seen as “nerds,” weak, and immature. This is problematic. Healthy mind, healthy body: both are equally important. Games deserve to be recognised. But not as sports. Professional gamers have skills developed over thousands of hours; their talents are celebrated by huge corporate sponsors and millions of fans. Is it a just recognition of their dedication and gifts to say “They are the same as football players and basketball stars?” They are not the same. They have a completely different skill set that should be praised for what it is, not for what it compares to.
Let League of Legends be respected for what it is. Video games are not sports. They are games. Games are fantastic. They don’t need to be anything else.
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