HBO discuss e-Sports

[video=youtube;Box01YzekaQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Box01YzekaQ[/video]
Do you guys consider it a "real" sport?

When it's competitive then by definition it's a sport.

It's obviously not a "traditional" sport since there is no ball, but by definition a sport doesn't necessarily include any of that stuff. It's a real sport, but isn't a traditional sport.

I am not at all surprised that old people are having problems accepting something new, i mean who would've thought. And what the pineapple did star trek have to do with anything? Sports haven't been exlusively physical activities for quite some time now, hell chess has been accepted as a sport by the International Olympic Committee.
And calling the players and people watching crazy? What the actual pomegranate?

Yes, e-sport is a sport.
Plenty of things, not just chess, that aren't super physical activities are classified as sports(Cue sports for example)

My god, could they stereotype or be hypocritical more?
People watching it are crazy? How is that any different than people watching other sports (Football, Baseball, etc etc)?

Did they completely forget Chess has been a Sport for DECADES?

*Jimmies Rustled*

The difference between "real" sports and e-sports are that people don't wreck half a city as a mob when their favorite e-sports team loses. Or wins.

http://www.ongamers.com/articles/hbo-rea.../1100-405/

I think it's rather stupid to expect any sort of discussion from people who probably have no clue and have no interest of understanding what eSports are.
Even worse when there's discussion over uneducated opinions. Then again, that's what TV is.

While the people discussing the crap are making alot of assumptions and are being horrible people in general, I don't consider it a real sport either.

Of course it's a real sport. No real definition of "sport" requires you have to be extremely athletically built and throw/kick/carry/hit a ball. It's all about competition. Tae Kwon Do is a real sport by definition and no ball is required - it's a hand/feet to hand/feet sport. Like others have said, Chess is a sport. It's highly competitive and they don't do anything that requires top physical conditioning. The argument, "it's a game" is flawed, because all sports started out as a game. They didn't start out as a nation-wide phenomenon. They didn't start out extremely competitively. They all started out small - probably between a group of friends - and grew larger and more competitive as time progressed. The only difference is that it takes place in a virtual world, versus the real world.

League of Legends, being the top example for eSports right now, is highly competitive, requires strategy, and it requires intricate team work in order to win. It is by all means a real sport.

People won't accept change but it'll happen.

They said the Internet was a stupid idea but look at it now.

With how attention is obtained and how the media works now-a-days, I wonder if they're not intentionally being idiotic about it just because it would get it press.

I don't know any of those people normally, so it's complete speculation on my part, however it wouldn't exactly be a bad plan to intentionally berate it so that people like everyone in this thread go off on a rampage and bring up logical arguments about it. It brings the concept to the attention of the oblivious public. Everyone uses the Internet now-a-days, and so many people post their thoughts about everything just because that's what is normal now, you could very easily scheme this.

You intentionally talk pomegranate about something you want people to understand and see. Then, when everyone gets upset that it was said, they post essays about how it's the opposite of what you just said. Then everyone sees the logic. You might end up looking like an idiot, but you've just done something extremely important for the future of the topic.

I could be wrong, and these guys could easily just be a bunch of fu'cking idiots, but I could be right, too.

I dunno, just a random thought I had when I was reading the article posted by Words and this thread.

With how attention is obtained and how the media works now-a-days, I wonder if they're not intentionally being idiotic about it just because it would get it press.

I don't know any of those people normally, so it's complete speculation on my part, however it wouldn't exactly be a bad plan to intentionally berate it so that people like everyone in this thread go off on a rampage and bring up logical arguments about it. It brings the concept to the attention of the oblivious public. Everyone uses the Internet now-a-days, and so many people post their thoughts about everything just because that's what is normal now, you could very easily scheme this.

You intentionally talk pomegranate about something you want people to understand and see. Then, when everyone gets upset that it was said, they post essays about how it's the opposite of what you just said. Then everyone sees the logic. You might end up looking like an idiot, but you've just done something extremely important for the future of the topic.

I could be wrong, and these guys could easily just be a bunch of fu'cking idiots, but I could be right, too.

I dunno, just a random thought I had when I was reading the article posted by Words and this thread.

Tinfoil hat much? Haha, just kidding. It's a possibility but I doubt it. The purpose is indeed to get attention, they use a trendy topic and they might be acting like idiots but there's nothing beyond that. I don't think they would do anything, important or not, for the future of anything (other than themselves) on purpose. And even then, I seriously doubt that they have a clue about what video games are at the moment and what eSports are. The article I linked and several other interviews to people who have gotten involved in eSports for "random" reasons, other than actual interest in gaming, all say that they had no clue whatsoever that there was such a thing, that they're surprised (or amazed) when they found out. I think that your theory expects too much from TV people.

If there were actual arguments against considering eSports a thing coming from the people in the show I'd be surprised and interested because I've read some pretty interesting ones around the internet but this show is all nonsense that should be ignored and dismissed because it lacks quality. Unless one finds interest in people spewing shi't, like "Gamers are nerds who go to Star Trek conventions", and pretending it's an argument against considering eSports the same as "real sports".

You're watching HBO for the wrong reasons.

Tinfoil hat much? Haha, just kidding. It's a possibility but I doubt it. The purpose is indeed to get attention, they use a trendy topic and they might be acting like idiots but there's nothing beyond that. I don't think they would do anything, important or not, for the future of anything (other than themselves) on purpose. And even then, I seriously doubt that they have a clue about what video games are at the moment and what eSports are. The article I linked and several other interviews to people who have gotten involved in eSports for "random" reasons, other than actual interest in gaming, all say that they had no clue whatsoever that there was such a thing, that they're surprised (or amazed) when they found out. I think that your theory expects too much from TV people.

If there were actual arguments against considering eSports a thing coming from the people in the show I'd be surprised and interested because I've read some pretty interesting ones around the internet but this show is all nonsense that should be ignored and dismissed because it lacks quality. Unless one finds interest in people spewing shi't, like "Gamers are nerds who go to Star Trek conventions", and pretending it's an argument against considering eSports the same as "real sports".

Meh, I never said I seriously considered the idea, but more that it was just a random thought I thought would be good to bring up.

You never know, the general public is pretty manipulatable. It wouldn't even be those goons that are the ones doing the manipulating, if there was anything behind it.

You're watching HBO for the wrong reasons.

Unnecessary softcore porn is not the only reason to watch HBO.

Though the news/debates isn't a good reason either.

Unnecessary softcore porn is not the only reason to watch HBO.

Though the news/debates isn't a good reason either.

It's not porn, it's HBO.

You're watching HBO for the wrong reasons.

Unnecessary softcore porn is not the only reason to watch HBO. Though the news/debates isn't a good reason either.

Yes, that is what I was getting at entirely. How astute of you. Are you a mind reader? Business must be going so well for you.

Yes, that is what I was getting at entirely. How astute of you. Are you a mind reader? Business must be going so well for you.

Well... now I read your posts in Tyrion's voice. Congratulations.

Well... now I read your posts in Tyrion's voice. Congratulations.

It appears that great things are expected of me.

Well... now I read your posts in Tyrion's voice. Congratulations.

It doesn't help that his post is in the exact same manner that he speaks.

Does this mean Spelling Bees are sports too?

People won't accept change but it'll happen.

They said the Internet was a stupid idea but look at it now.

[citation needed]
What I do know is that people were saying that the number of people with PhD s would be through the roof thanks to all the information made readily available, which....kinda fell through.

Take it away, Avenue Q!
Edit: No violating the obscenity rule. You have been warned.