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Ruth, Jordan, Gretzky...Fatal1ty?

Submitted by Clive Thompson on 29 November, 2005 - 2:00pm. Joystick Blog

The lights go dim. A wailing guitar pulses through hundreds of speakers at a mind numbing volume causing your hair to stand on end. Uncontrollable screaming ensues, sending shockwaves from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. The flashing lights and fog machines create an environment so surreal you pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming. And there he is: walking out of the tunnel with expressionless focus while the booming voice of the announcer proclaims his entrance. So confident in his superiority over the opponent he doesn't so much cast a glance across the floor. The roof of the arena seems to be quivering in anticipation, and then it happens.
The greatest man to ever grace the sport is ready. He takes a deep breath, and sits down at the computer.

We've all heard the term slowly working its way to common knowledge over the past few years: Pro Gaming. What once was a good joke has now turned into a multi-billion dollar industry and has been increasing its fan base at an exponential rate. The numbers are there, the competition, the fans. But has gaming evolved into..a sport? Is it even able to? Are these thousands of unassuming men, women, adults, and teens..cyberathletes?

We have the NBA. NHL, MLB, MLS, you name it. In the United States, each professional sport has a professional organization which rules and regulates competition among the top athletes in each sport. The same holds true for professional gaming, an organization known as the Cyberathlete Professional League. The CPL, founded 8 years ago by investment banker turned gamer Angel Munoz, is a massive corporation which hosts the top tournaments with the top competition, fueled by sponsors such as Intel, nVidia, Hitachi, and D-Link. It enforces strict rules of gameplay and has been crucial in turning gaming into one of the most highly participated activities today. Based on the structure, support, and ideals of the CPL, it's hard to say professional gaming is anything but a sport. And if the league continues to expand at its current rate, seeing professional gaming in place of poker on ESPN doesn't seem too far from reality.

If there's one thing that makes a sport, it's the legends who have played and made history as absolutely outstanding athletes. People to look up to whose style and performance millions try to emulate. The same holds true for professional gaming with players such as Unreal Tournament guru Fatal1ty(Jonathan Wendel) and the elite Counter-Strike team Schroet Kommando. With the combination of natural ability and tens of thousands of relentless hard work clocked in, to many these players rank among the likes of Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. The superhuman reflexes and tactics these players exhibit are obtainable by very few and require the same amount of hard work as pro athletes in every sport across the board. It's no mystery that there is an ideal physique for almost every position of every sport. It's more likely for a 6'4 315 pound man to play offensive lineman than wide receiver even if he has more fun catching the ball, right? That's what makes a great athlete..the will to win, the competitive drive. Find what suits you best and dominate. Cyberathletes have found their niche.

I've always been a firm believer that a game is a game, and it seems superfluous to convince ourselves and everyone around us that games are anything but that. The beauty of video games is how distinct they are from physical sport and their ability to bring about a whole different kind of joy. Then it hit me: that's how sport began in the first place. A pickup game of flag football isn't run by a giant organization and played for money. Professional athletes allow us to get the most out of the games we love. I once saw a video of a man beating Mario 3 for the original Nintendo in 10 minutes. The best part about it was he didn't use any cheats or codes, it was all done within the set limits of the game. I'd pay to see him and others accomplish amazing feats in video games I love as long as they play by the same rules I do, just like others pay to see the amazing feats of professional athletes that are off the juice. Pro gaming? Cyberathletes competing in a sport? Why not? Or will players such as Fatal1ty end up in a book next to Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, who consumed 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes? Food for thought.

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Definitely a Sport

Submitted by Charlie Mason on 1 December, 2005 - 2:50pm.

A sport, based on the dictionaries I referenced, is something that involves some sort of physical exertion and competition. I feel that this wide spread definition should be changed to include such sports that require competition and skill, but on a level other than a physical one (namely a mental one). It is not like we are still living in a world where the strength of the body matters more than the strength of the brain. Actually, it is most often the opposite. These days, a person will more than likely get further with a strong mind than with a strong body. Mental skills and strategies are obviously being gained through hours of countless practice, as you said above, and people are competing for prizes and esteem during competitions playing their game of choice. I’m impressed and jealous for the lives these skilled players get to lead. It is any gamers dream.

When I first read about the pro gaming revolution, I found it to be silly and not something that I would consider a sport. Even as a gamer, I was shocked to see that people were actually making incomes based on their skill level in any game. Now, after reading more information about these gamers and the competitions they hold, I have a hard time understanding why I would have ever not believed gaming to be a sport.

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We've all got diffferent Skillz, yo

Submitted by Simon Reynolds on 1 December, 2005 - 2:33pm.

Ah, the age old question (well, ok, not really, but it's fun to muse): Is gaming a sport? Perhaps it is of the nontradtional sort, but as far as tradition goes, in some ways it is, and in some ways it isn't. Undeniably, playing video games takes a certain amount of skill, like most traditional sports. Obviously not everyone has the hand-eye coordination to move about the screen and time whatever actions the game requires. But it's also true that different games are geared towards different skill sets. Someone like Fatal1ty could be an absolute pro at Unreal Tournament, while another person might fail miserably, but there's also that chance of fate that master of one game could royally suck at another, and the one who had previosuly been the loser could come out victorious. Football, soccer, baseball, etc. don't have easier versions with more simplistic rules and requirements. There are different kinds of sports, yes, like the amount of different video games. But there are many first person shooters, many RPGs, many racing games, etc. all with their own parameters that make them more difficult or easier depending on the person. Using myself as an example, as far as fighter games go, I've always had a much easier time destroying the competition on the Super Smash Bros. and Street Fighter games than Tekken, Virtua Fighter, or Mortal Kombat. And, in contrast, a good friend of mine is excellent at Tekken and Mortal Kombat, but has a difficult time with Smash Bros. (alas he rues most Nintendo properties now.)

And, as for that Mario 3 video, I too have seen it, and from reading things about it and talking to others who have seen it, it was concluded that some program had been used. But it is true that it's possible to beat the game within a relatively short amount of time....and while wearing the frog suit.

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No power in the 'verse can stop me

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