Remember when you were a child and your parents forced you to go play outside or do your homework when they saw you playing video games. If only they knew that video games would become the next big professional sport. For years, eSports leagues have allowed talented gamers to flex their skills while making a living, but now, it appears that things may be getting more serious for the genre.
According to the Olympic website, an eSports Forum was held on Friday in Switzerland, and adding competitive gaming to the Olympics was one of the topics that was discussed. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) along with 150 other representatives from the eSports and gaming communities met at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne to debate a number of topics. Members of different National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, and Olympic athletes were also in attendance.
The attendees debated on whether or not gaming can be considered a competitive sport, and how eSports could be included in the Olympics. Because there is no governing body for worldwide gaming, the committee decided it was not likely gaming could be included in the Olympics just yet. IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell spoke about the meeting of the minds, and stated, “The Esports Forum was a unique opportunity to hear from a wide variety of stakeholders, including some of the top players themselves." He continued on to hint at the future of eSports. “There was a consensus that future collaboration will be based on ensuring that any activity supports and promotes the Olympic values; and while the goal was not to develop a pathway towards the inclusion of esports on the Olympic programme, we have a strong plan for ongoing dialogue and engagement, and are in a strong position to coordinate and support the wider engagement of the Olympic Movement with esports.”
