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wraggster
August 18th, 2006, 19:32
News from Gamesindustry (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=19094)


A group of companies from the UK's competitive gaming community have set up a new project designed to promote professional videogaming.

The UK Electronic Gaming Initiative hopes to promote the idea that "competitive videogaming is not only a lifestyle but also a career choice", according to an official statement, "and one that should be welcomed and accepted".

The UKEGI is collecting evidence to support an application to Britain's Sports Council and Department of Culture in a bid to have videogaming recognised as a sporting activity.

According to the UKEGI, several other countries around the world have already taken this step, and other European countries are planning to follow suit.

Companies signed up to support the initiative include play-games-for-cash firm Prize Fight, and LAN event organiser Multiplay.

"What is the definition of 'sport'? What is the definition of competitive videogaming?" said Prize Fight CEO Paul Sulyok.

"I see negligible difference there. The skills possessed by those able to compete at a professional level define such competitors as athletes - and thus their pastime as a sport. The UKEGI are simply working toward mainstream recognition of this fact."

Philip Wride, manager of gaming clan 4Kings, added: "The UKEGI has been setup to champion the cause that not only is videogaming good, but that it also meets the requirements to be classified as a sport.

"Videogaming is the largest sector of the entertainment industry and continues to grow, and as such those that choose to make playing videogames their career should be congratulated and supported, rather than frowned upon."

One sport we all can compete in eh ;)

JesusXP
August 18th, 2006, 19:38
i dunno.. I dont agree with professional gaming as a career. its competitve entertainment, i would get no satisfaction out of watching ppl compete, its only fun to participate. Noone can have truly that much excitement watching ppl play games, unless they're anticipating their "next" turn.

This is just a stupid idea...

JD/
August 18th, 2006, 20:22
i dunno.. I dont agree with professional gaming as a career. its competitve entertainment, i would get no satisfaction out of watching ppl compete, its only fun to participate. Noone can have truly that much excitement watching ppl play games, unless they're anticipating their "next" turn.

This is just a stupid idea...
Lol I agree I dont see gaming being a competitive sport or making a career of it but I can see it being entertaining mixed with some other stuff like on a show called gamezville it was preety good but i think it got cancelled :eek:

SSaxdude
August 18th, 2006, 20:38
I might be athletic after all.

Video_freak
August 18th, 2006, 20:40
I might be athletic after all.
LMAO! Me too. :D

hack.fool
August 18th, 2006, 21:25
same for me and maybe one of us will be a champion lol
however this is a good news..think about Nintendo Wii..

Gene
August 18th, 2006, 23:10
idk this is just plain wierd

Zion
August 18th, 2006, 23:14
That would be great :p

muffinman
August 18th, 2006, 23:45
it would be cool.

I feel gaming should be classed as a sport as is what some people excel at and compete at already.

also i enjoy watching a good counter strike match or the sort i find it interesting, but hey i like watching poker.

Basil Zero
August 19th, 2006, 03:41
Yes i agree with it being a "Sport", not a popular to watch, but popular to compete in.

SnoopKatt
August 19th, 2006, 07:27
Haha, competitive sport. It can be competitive, but it's in NO WAY a sport. You sit down and press buttons on a controller. I'm not trying to say that video games suck, but I can't see how you could call it a sport in any way.

ACID
August 19th, 2006, 07:28
Dont they have regular sports. ???

samidgley
August 19th, 2006, 14:03
It's only as daft as Darts, Snooker and Poker being a real sport in my opinion really. Maybe less passtimes should be classified as sports. Rather than going around adding more of them.

sko, TheLogicalGamer
August 19th, 2006, 17:11
I think it's worth a try.

philr359
August 19th, 2006, 21:37
From Wiki:
"A sport consists of a physical activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or, more often, some combination of these."

Videogaming isn't (usually) a physical activity.
It is recreational and competative
Self-enjoyment: yes
Excellence: yes
you could say its the development of a skill

So 4/5 is enough to make it a sport imo

Misleading
August 20th, 2006, 01:56
Ok well i saw the 60 minute special about fatal1ty some time ago. And i think that gameing will be a sport some day. if you say it wont be enjoyable to watch. Baseball is not enjoyable watch to someone that is not from america. But because america enjoys baseball it is enjoyable to watch (for some people). Its just a matter of time before gameing gets big enough so it can be enjoyed as a sport. Infact i think gameing will be a bigger sport then most sports today because you could watch a big gameing event then go play that same game in your house alone. no other sport is like that.
The 21st Century is a Century of computers so why not adopt a sport that involves computers?