In the following letter, I respond to Sam Byford, a writer, who provided his perspective in a debate titled "Can Video Games be Sports?" in The Verge .
Dear Sam Byford,
My journey into the world of competitive gaming brought me to your debate in The Verge. From your perspective, I understand that you don’t believe competitive gaming to be a sport. I know how you feel, as I also found it ridiculous for video game players to be considered athletes. We both love video games, but surely, someone sitting in front of a screen shouldn’t be recognized with the same aptitude as a basketball or football player.
You believe competitive gaming and sports to be two separate entities. The way that both activities are facilitated (one with balls, and the other with technology), makes them completely different. You also argue that calling competitive gaming is ridiculous because they don’t highlight a broader range of skills. I also noticed from your argument that competitive gaming is completely foreign to unfamiliar audiences, so it seems implausible for it to be as well-regarded as a national sport like football. You note that to recognize competitive gaming as a sport implies that it hasn’t changed over the years to do so. Thus, I do concede that competitive gaming hasn’t changed much at all.
Even if we both have differences in opinions, I’m glad we can both agree that competitive gaming is more than just a silly hobby. It has grown into a huge phenomenon, and, like you, I have also started to realize its potential for aspiring players. We are both amazed at how avid the fan-base is, and believe that competitive gaming can be a potential career for someone to pursue.
However, you seem so adamant about not considering competitive gaming a sport, and you don’t give a chance to recognize players for their potential athleticism. Competitive gaming and sports being facilitated through different means makes them different entities, according to your argument. But they may not be all that different. Competitive gamers are still subject to immense physical strain on their motor skills, and they must be in peak mental condition. If you don’t believe that competitive gaming highlights a broader range of skills, explain what skills competitive gamers are lacking. I instead believe that competitive gamers do have a wide range of skills. Along with their physical and mental skills, players must understand the teamwork dynamic, study their opponents, and strategize a plan of attack, much like a traditional athlete. The unfamiliarity to foreign audiences of competitive gaming also shouldn’t matter since the same can be applied to traditional sports. There are also those that are uninitiated with sports like football or basketball, and therefore, also find themselves uninterested in the sport as a result. Also, if competitive gaming hasn’t changed much over the years, it shouldn’t matter since the aspects that make competitive gaming similar to sports wouldn’t have changed.
I understand that it seems preposterous to consider competitive gaming a sport. However, please give these players a chance. They make as much sacrifices and time commitments that any traditional athlete would. I know that you also value the hard work that these players put in, but I want you to understand that these players do at least have some athleticism in them, and that competitive gaming isn’t too far off from being a sport.
Sincerely,
Stanley Wong
Dear Sam Byford,
My journey into the world of competitive gaming brought me to your debate in The Verge. From your perspective, I understand that you don’t believe competitive gaming to be a sport. I know how you feel, as I also found it ridiculous for video game players to be considered athletes. We both love video games, but surely, someone sitting in front of a screen shouldn’t be recognized with the same aptitude as a basketball or football player.
You believe competitive gaming and sports to be two separate entities. The way that both activities are facilitated (one with balls, and the other with technology), makes them completely different. You also argue that calling competitive gaming is ridiculous because they don’t highlight a broader range of skills. I also noticed from your argument that competitive gaming is completely foreign to unfamiliar audiences, so it seems implausible for it to be as well-regarded as a national sport like football. You note that to recognize competitive gaming as a sport implies that it hasn’t changed over the years to do so. Thus, I do concede that competitive gaming hasn’t changed much at all.
Even if we both have differences in opinions, I’m glad we can both agree that competitive gaming is more than just a silly hobby. It has grown into a huge phenomenon, and, like you, I have also started to realize its potential for aspiring players. We are both amazed at how avid the fan-base is, and believe that competitive gaming can be a potential career for someone to pursue.
However, you seem so adamant about not considering competitive gaming a sport, and you don’t give a chance to recognize players for their potential athleticism. Competitive gaming and sports being facilitated through different means makes them different entities, according to your argument. But they may not be all that different. Competitive gamers are still subject to immense physical strain on their motor skills, and they must be in peak mental condition. If you don’t believe that competitive gaming highlights a broader range of skills, explain what skills competitive gamers are lacking. I instead believe that competitive gamers do have a wide range of skills. Along with their physical and mental skills, players must understand the teamwork dynamic, study their opponents, and strategize a plan of attack, much like a traditional athlete. The unfamiliarity to foreign audiences of competitive gaming also shouldn’t matter since the same can be applied to traditional sports. There are also those that are uninitiated with sports like football or basketball, and therefore, also find themselves uninterested in the sport as a result. Also, if competitive gaming hasn’t changed much over the years, it shouldn’t matter since the aspects that make competitive gaming similar to sports wouldn’t have changed.
I understand that it seems preposterous to consider competitive gaming a sport. However, please give these players a chance. They make as much sacrifices and time commitments that any traditional athlete would. I know that you also value the hard work that these players put in, but I want you to understand that these players do at least have some athleticism in them, and that competitive gaming isn’t too far off from being a sport.
Sincerely,
Stanley Wong