Global Gaming League talks with China for gaming in Olympics

[Harrison]

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/31/comment ... mn_gaming/

This would be an amazing step for gaming worldwide.

[Harrison]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A mouse, keyboard and/or Xbox controller don't seem like the standard gear of an Olympic athlete, but Ted Owen wants to change that.

Owen, who runs the Global Gaming League (GGL), a media company focused on the lifestyle and culture of gaming, is currently talking with the Chinese government in hopes of bringing competitive video gaming to the 2008 Games as a demonstration sport.

Admittedly, it's an uphill battle. Even if you can look past the lack of physical skills necessary to play video games, the Olympics haven't had any sort of demonstration sport since 1992 - and Olympic experts say there has been no movement to bring them back.

Owen, though, said he believes gaming's worldwide appeal - especially to a younger audience - could be the biggest boost to the Games since snowboarding.

"People aren't watching [the Olympics] as much anymore," he argued. "You need to bring younger viewers back if you want to keep making money. To do that, you need to embrace non-traditional sports. They did it with snowboarding - and look how the popularity of that has surged in the Games. Video games deserve to be seen as a non-traditional sport. ... They would bring something to the Games that [that age group] engages in and everyone understands."

Though gaming doesn't take much physical prowess (a quick glance at many of the most talented competitive gamers is confirmation enough), it does demand incredible hand-eye coordination - arguably as much as golf and tennis.

There's big money in it, too. The best players can earn over $100,000 per year in tournaments - and several times that in endorsement deals. Companies from Microsoft (Research) to Intel (Research) currently sponsor teams of players and even venture capitalists are getting interested - Major League Gaming received $10 million in funding earlier this year from Ritchie Capital. Other big leagues include the World Cyber Games and Cyberathlete Professional League.

Television networks are getting interested, too. NBC's USA Network will air a series of seven hour-long shows featuring Major League Gaming tournaments this fall.

But financial and network interest don't earn a sport an Olympic berth; Just ask fans of golf, motorcycle racing and bowling - or, for that matter, baseball, which (along with softball) will be dropped from the Olympics in 2012. And the fact that video gaming is so technology dependent could be particularly damaging.

"There's a big campaign in the [International Olympic Committee] to get kids away from computer terminals," said Ed Hula, editor and founder of Around the Rings, an Olympic newsletter. "[Lobbying for] video gaming would be like asking the IOC to approve power smoking."

The GGL, through Owen and the company's Chinese branch in Chengdu, hasn't actually spoken with the IOC yet. All negotiations have been with the Chinese government, but Owen said they have been very encouraging.

"There is interest at the highest levels," he said. "It is something that has momentum."

China, he said, is an ideal place to debut competitive gaming on the Olympic stage, since it's such a major part of the Asian culture. In China alone, the market is forecast to top $2 billion annually by 2010 - and console manufacturers are fine tuning plans to enter the market now. (Piracy concerns add special challenges for publishers in the country.)

"Gaming is elevated to a pastime in Asia," said Owen. "This is the natural place for an exhibition Olympic video game tournament to occur. If we get Chinese approval to do this and we present it to the IOC, it would be very unlikely to me that the IOC wouldn't consider that. The only reason they haven't done an exhibition sport in the past several years is no one has brought a good one to them."

That's debatable. Hula said the reason behind the elimination of demonstration (or exhibition) sports was they were hurting the integrity of the Games. Further, organizers were unable to agree upon replacement medal sports for baseball and softball in 2012 and under Olympic rules will not be able to add any more until 2016.

"If they can't figure out sports to give real medals to, then you can forget about them adding 'let's pretend' sports," said Hula.

Competitive video gaming is also not currently recognized by the IOC. That puts it behind fields including billiards, bridge, chess and tug of war, which are all on the committee's list of recognized sports - considered the first step (but certainly not a guarantee) in becoming an Olympic sport.

Owen, though, remains undeterred.

"If the IOC pushed back on us and we had the Chinese government approving us, we would do it anyway," he said. "We may not have the circles, but we'd do it right by the stadiums and would bask in the glow of the Olympic light. ... Everyone wants to watch the best at anything ... and it's time to let people see the best this field has to offer."

[vonkaar]

I would probably stop playing video games altogether.

I might even turn off the TV and move to the mountains to become a hermit for the rest of my days.

[Donnel]

This would be a travesty for the Olympics.

The games are about physical fitness and competition. Video games do not qualify.

[Gidan]

Video Gaming in the olympics would be horrible.

[Harrison]

Spectator sport, it wouldn't be the same as Track and Field etc.

[Donnel]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

[vonkaar]

I can think of about 300 other events that belong in the olympics before this.

Competitive suckage of Vonkaar Penis would be a good start. Sweden would probably win.

[Harrison]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

I know for a fact that gaming will be a sport moreso than it already is considered.

I'm only an amateur, but I take gaming seriously to a degree. I believe it should be considered a sport. Reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and a myriad of other things make a good gamer. (depending on the game being played of course)

Skill is as much a requisite as it would be for archery etc. if not more.

[Lyion]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

And Curling does?

[vonkaar]

BRING BOWLING BACK

[Tikker]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

And Curling does?

curling definately belongs


Harrison, doesn't matter how seriously you take it, gaming is not a sport

[Muglack]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

And Curling does?

FEAR THE WRATH OF THE CANADIANS!

[Harrison]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

And Curling does?

curling definately belongs


Harrison, doesn't matter how seriously you take it, gaming is not a sport

Yet...

[Darcler]

It's not a sport. It doesn't belong in the olympics.

And Curling does?

At least you move in Curling, instead of sitting in your LayZBoy playing Halo with Cheeto stained fingers.

[Jimmy Durante]

It appears that "sport" has recently been synonymous with "competition", which is unfortunate.

[Drem]

Skill is as much a requisite as it would be for archery etc. if not more.

you have to have some muscle to pull a decent bow back... not like long bows and shit but hunting bows require you to be ripped as well. video gaming is a hobby, like building trains. they don't give trainset builders architecture degrees just like they shouldn't give video gamers a fucking olympic sport

PS: baseball is getting dropped in 2012?

[Harrison]

You don't have to be ripped to draw a compound bow.

Any hunter can tell you that.

(long bows are different)

[Phlegm]

Well it's about time the olympics recognize the athleticism of big fat people. The olympics should also consider eating contests. Individual food competitions and a combine food eating decathlon.

[Gaazy]

Have you ever even tried shooting some of the heavier ass hunting bows, or the ones with a really heavy draw weight? Some of those motherfuckers require a whooole lot of shoulder strength. I like lighter bows personally because if it takes too much damn strength to pull back you cant balance it and get an accurate shot. Some of those bows that are built for big, big ole boys normal people wouldnt even be able to draw back.

Guess it all depends on the person.

[Harrison]

Well, the draw isn't much for me...

I can't speak for smaller people *shrug*

Doesn't detract from the skill/hand-eye coordination that games require.

[Gaazy]

my cousin has a bow that I can barely pull back, that bastard is a beast.

Ever been bow fishing? Now thats fun! go back into a little cove after a rain and sit on the bank or boat and shoot carp and cats that come through your view with a bow. We killed a 2 and a half foot carp last week, cant wait til this weekend.

[Agrajag]

ass hunting bows

Why the hell are you hunting ass? Nevermind... I answered my own question.

[Hound]

I used to regularly practice and shoot with a Bear Kodiak (recurve), which is 70# at
a draw length of 28".

Since my draw length is probably closer to 29" or 30", I figured I was pulling
between 72 - 75 lbs. at full draw.

After several incidents, it became too intimidating to shoot it -- I had the riser hit
me in the face when my hand (brace arm) slipped off of the grip (I was showing off) and
it struck me in the forehead, opening a nice 1.5" cut over my right eye just above
and to the right of the bridge of my nose. I was thankful, because had it struck me
in the mouth, it would have knocked out all my front teeth.

I also had a string snap and a limb split on me while at full draw. I eventually
"downgraded" to a 55# longbow, I'm more comfortable shooting that.

[KaiineTN]

You guys would totally watch Olympic DDR competitions. Don't deny it.