indiegames
January 30th, 2010, 00:40
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/2010/01/custom_1264808757349_2010_winter_olympics_logo.png This happens every two years. Someone looks for an Olympics story, someone thinks up a video game angle, and presto, reconstituted discussion of video games as an Olympic event. This year's participant: Macleans, the Canadian news magazine.
Macleans quotes Ted Owen, who's certainly beat this drum before. (http://kotaku.com/177536/next-olympic-sport-gaming) He's the boss of the Global Gaming League, and got Chinese organziers to commit to including a gaming tournament as an official welcome event before the government canceled all nonessential events in light of protests and other controversies.
Owen reasons that video games belong in the games because they tend to attract younger and more energetic audiences, demographics the Olympics always are interested in. He also points out professional gamers in some Asian countries are treated like celebrities, which indicates a mainstream acceptance of the idea.
Macleans then quotes Ross Rebagliati, the first Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. He doesn't think it should be considered a sport for anyone capable of physical activity. ""It would be like, in the Paralympics, having athletes running in the wheelchair endurance races who don't need to be in a wheelchair," he said.
Me, I think the Olympics feature enough performance art and nonsports competitions as it is. I just can't fathom something as grandiose as the Olympics, propped up on tradition as it is, handing out golds to people on headsets sitting at a mouse and keyboard. But I've been wrong about a lot of things in my life.
Will There Ever Be An Olympic Medal For ‘Call of Duty'? (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/28/will-there-ever-be-a-olympic-medal-for-call-of-duty/) [Macleans]
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More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/pLk4lm-yTVw/will-we-ever-see-games-in-the-winter-games)
Macleans quotes Ted Owen, who's certainly beat this drum before. (http://kotaku.com/177536/next-olympic-sport-gaming) He's the boss of the Global Gaming League, and got Chinese organziers to commit to including a gaming tournament as an official welcome event before the government canceled all nonessential events in light of protests and other controversies.
Owen reasons that video games belong in the games because they tend to attract younger and more energetic audiences, demographics the Olympics always are interested in. He also points out professional gamers in some Asian countries are treated like celebrities, which indicates a mainstream acceptance of the idea.
Macleans then quotes Ross Rebagliati, the first Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. He doesn't think it should be considered a sport for anyone capable of physical activity. ""It would be like, in the Paralympics, having athletes running in the wheelchair endurance races who don't need to be in a wheelchair," he said.
Me, I think the Olympics feature enough performance art and nonsports competitions as it is. I just can't fathom something as grandiose as the Olympics, propped up on tradition as it is, handing out golds to people on headsets sitting at a mouse and keyboard. But I've been wrong about a lot of things in my life.
Will There Ever Be An Olympic Medal For ‘Call of Duty'? (http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/28/will-there-ever-be-a-olympic-medal-for-call-of-duty/) [Macleans]
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More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/pLk4lm-yTVw/will-we-ever-see-games-in-the-winter-games)