No. Video games are suppose to be a casual fun experience not a stress. They already kill SportsNet with Poker.

ManlyVGnoob

Abso-fucking-lutely not. Aside from the obvious reasons, consider this:

Fatality (I don't spell it with the numeral), as a representative of the US, wins Gold in a game competition. He is the center of attention at the awards ceremony, and the entire world is watching him as he takes America's already trashed reputation and proceeds to metaphorically wipe his ass with it by acting like the universe's biggest douche. His ego will swell to proportions so large it will block out the sun and either end life on Earth or lead to a Matrix-esque living situation.

I think it's safe to say that's a scenario none of us want to see.

天

No because there isn't one definitive competitive game and that will cause problems...and...there will never be.

That is why gaming can't, and should never be, an Olympic sport.

Hobb3z

Games aren't sports. The Olympics are a tradition that embodies the best of the best in athletic competition. Video games have no place at such an event. Maybe they can be promoted there, but for it to be an Olympic event would be ridiculous.

We have the WCG, that's enough IMO.

Thugmunk

@Herabec: just a quick fyi, baseball isnt being removed for not being demanding, it's being removed because of all the steroid problems. Baseball will make a return, eventually.

As for gaming. Who really wants to watch the parade of athletes be filled with fat pimpled teenagers?

SnprSlick

Hm, it'd be great to see it, but the idea of it with commentary, etc. It'd be a challenge to get it on TV.

I don't know how this would work.

andrew_t29

No. I love games. I love the Olympics. But no.

KrsJin

Only one word is needed for this post:

NO.

BPMρ

Nah, olimpic games are the purest form of sport, for honor and glory, gaming its not like that, they are just different things...

TOCATL

Dude, no. Physical sports only.

Wolfers

Extreme olympic wii fit.

zkotaku

fuck no thats a stupid idea

Gypse-scum

i say go for it, crap like bmx has made it. and while the physicalness of games really ends up coming down to the finesse of ones thumbs and index fingers for the most part, there's also a mental aspect to it. i mean its not like even "pro" gamers are people that just walk in off the street and are great at games, there is training and memorization involved.

plus one of the definitions for sport is:

mutant: (biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

and i'd say pro gamers fit that bill pretty well.

i say go for it. why not?

demonknightinuyasha

No, and it's ridiculous to even contemplate the idea.

Then again, Curling is an Olympic game...

Jaysunli

Absolutely! Skill is Skill, no matter if it's Football, Running, or Gaming. I dream of the day that Video Games reach that pinnacle of acceptance and competition.

Paustinj

I would usually say no, but after thinking about it, I might say maybe. It depends if a single video game can have a lasting fanbase over several decades, and the game has some physical exertion behind it. Gaming is too young to tell right now if any game has that kind of lasting power, so right now? No. A few decades/centuries? If one game lasts that long, why the hell not.

tralu

The fact that this question keeps being brought up just makes me sad. FUCK NO. For reasons already posted. Game competitors are only allowed to go as far as the designers, developers and programmers let them. It is a pathetic sport.

i_9

No. The Olympics is about athleticism. I mean, I like chess, but I don't think it should be in the Olympics. Faster, Higher, Stronger and all that.

Malyonsus

I personally wouldn't mind if it was, but.. to be honest here...

Doesn't the olympics revolve mainly around "Athletes"?

I mean, the closest thing most gamers get to being an athlete involves going up the basement stairs to get a 2 liter and a bag of chips, then back down to play some more madden.

If anything, you could possibly put them in a special "endurance" category, in which the last person awake wins. It would be a contest held over many days, and include frequent bathroom breaks, and a medical team on standby for the ones who can't take the pressure.

0rin

Not necessarily apart of the Olympics. However, i'd defiantly see it having its own, world scaled events in the future, we already have the WCG but it'll be a bit before we all see it broadcasted on our TV's.

ryivanV2

Until the 1940's there were events for Architecture, Song Writing/Composition, City Planning... etc. Not necessarily physical events.

They were removed because there isn't an objective way to measure success.

There is a way to measure objectively who wins at video games. However, the type of training one undergoes to become say a professional athlete or composer is not comparable to professional video-gamers.

Not say say video-games are not competitive or involve a level of talent, but they do not at the moment compare to the Olympic grander.

thomasav

No. Pro gaming is never gonna be on that level, no matter how hard they try.

beat89

No. You give gold medals to people who push the human limit, not for boom headshots.

Simple_Man

Why the hell not? The Olympics lost any kind of respect ages ago.

MrBionic

Definite NO. The Olympics are reserved for hard working athletes willing to put their body on the line to represent their country and themselves. Its all about hard work and extreme physical and mental conditions. Not competing for the top score of a video game.

King Seafoam

Uhh... Since baseball is being removed from the olympics, isn't it sort of ridiculous to think about "gaming" as a olympic sport.

Hey, when the winter games in Seol happen, we might just see some starcraft as a game (and ensuing Korean Gold medalists, eh wot?)

Herabec

What the fuck kind of question is this??? How is playing a video game anywhere in the same universe as being an Olympic level athlete?

Christ...

banana_ridah

Hell no

I don't think I need to elaborate.

polarenvy

No, gaming should not be in the olympics. It was created by ancient greeks as a test of pyhysical prowess and to display their amazing athletic abilities. Maybe if the controllers were 10 feet big and required two people to operate it then maybe it could be considered going into the olympics.

IronMuffin_Man

No way. No. Just... no. Please don't..

Jagged Toaster

Quick! light the digital torch!

Um, that is a no. Leauges and stuff are fine but not in the olympics.

Solid_hedgehog

No, god no.

Just play online, that's good enough.

NickyJ

The closest I can think is DDR in the olympics and that would just be dumb. Games don't belong. That's what MLG events and game tournaments are for.

NightMystic

Not yet, but maybe in a generation or two if something that is even more physically involving than the Wii comes out, since at that point it would blur the lines between a sport and a video game.

Laho

wtf, no

argosy

I don't think gaming should be an olympic sport but it can be a sport as much as race car driving can be.

example:

Racing cars is a sport, and in my opinion it is a hobby. The driver does nothing but control a vehicle, he does so by using his hands / mind / feet. so what other than the actual car and the pay separates you playing gran turismo and him racing around a track?

gnudna

jesus christ. this is the third time today ive seen this question on the internet.

bigman88zz

well, gaming is a recreational activity right? many recreational activities that i wouldnt label as 'sports' do get included in the olympics, like walking i think.

But i think gaming shouldnt be made part of the olympics, its an incredibly broad spectrum to try and cover anyway. Obviously a person who is a master of TF2, probably isnt very good at Tetris, or Starcraft. Every other sport has a concentrated aspect that you only need to worry about, but this has so many aspects...

Geomanis

No way. Video games are not a physical sport (which is what the Olympics are based on after all). There is too much to decide, like what game? Would you have one for FPS, TPS, RTS, etc.?

Overall, I would just hate it.

mfwahwah

oh god no

MerryPranksters

@justhesh: And by every eight years, I mean every four, and then every other four, and so on.

justhesh

Only if the competition involved them playing the Summer Olympics '08 video game, because that would be the ultimate in terms of irony.

"Oh, you just lifted 765lbs on the dead lift? Well, I just lifted 770lbs on the dead lift... pressing the A button like a spastic monkey on my 360 controller!"

UCB-Disco

no, just no. hell no.

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques

No. Good gaming isn't an athletic event no matter how you spin it.

Coxswain

Yeah, no, not at all. The Olympics are very physical events (for the most part). Video games are more about observation and focus side of competing than the physicality.

Also, there are too many human-reliant rule variants. Sports stay constant, but games change too rapidly. I mean, they couldn't just have a gold medal for Halo 3 every eight years. That, and the actual coding of games puts too much control into the hands of the actual coders and less in the hands of the competitors.

justhesh

No way. That'll be the day when you see some guywin a gold in the Olympics all from the comfort of his favorite lazy boy.

MasterJoefus

No, I don't think so. It would be too out of place.

Pyro Jack

I think not. Should Monopoly be at he olympics? How about chess or checkers? There is the eye-hand thing, but I doubt you could make a convincing argument it passes a reasonable minimal physicality level you probably want to see if you're calling something a sport.

Besides, disc golf is much more deserving and long neglected.

[www.pdga.com]

dbushik

About as much as bowling, darts and poker should be.

Div

I don't think it matters either way. the olympics are irrelevant to a lot of people, including me.

Hoboman725

@SamL_: it takes a lot of physical exertion and skill to not cuss out the person that killed you( for some people anyways)

kilikafinal

Is this based on the fact that every continent has within it gamers? I don't think it should be in the Olympics, regardless of how active some people think they are with their fingers a-workin' those thumbsticks or mice. Sure, the competitiveness is there, but I've seen some pretty cutthroat knitting competitions in my time, too. Those CWA meets are deadly.

pylon_trooper

Not just no, but hell no.

jpj007

I'm watching a badminton match between Ireland and Germany and I swear I heard MGS game over music between a round.

Morpork

Um, no. Not at all.

Gaming is more mental than physical, and the Olympics are focused on physical prowess, which I'm fine with. Gaming can be added to the Olympics when they add Chess, Sudoku, and Competitive Calculus.

Although, based on this criteria, I guess I'd be okay with some games. Go America -- take home the gold in WiiFit in 2012!

Bort

Its just as skilled as some sports imo, but it wouldnt feel right in the olypics

LaughingGas

Not at all.

Look, gamers have their "circuit" league things that people go and throw money at them for. Yes, it requires skill, but...honestly, putting in the Olympics?

That just SOUNDS like slapping the ancient Greeks in the face.

I know we love our games. And sometimes, we want to share it. If not slap others in the face and cry out their favorite game ecstatically. There's a time and place for everything, somewhat... ...And video games at the Olympics is not one of them.

Mesren_Makai

Not at all... I mean gaming isn't that big with a lot of the leagues going defunct. It's just a fad. Might as well do crossword puzzles or rubix cubes. Are you gonna have Guitar Hero playoffs? Then it would come to which systems and the political and commercial broohaha that surrounds it all. No. It just doesn't work in my opinion.

Last_Raven

No. Just...no.

EndersGame

I don't think gaming would fit in, since all of the other events are physically demanding.

Jorw

Definition of sports :

* An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

* An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

After all olympics are an SPORTS event.

SamL_

No they don't represent any physical skills at all

PXShaman

No, it really seems out of place.

Shykin

chyea. it would get the younger ppl 2 watch. and getting more views on their ch. thus getting them more $. y wouldnt those greedy ppl want to put it on?
o and it would be cool 2 see ppl on the olympics staring at a screen instead of doing "athletic" stuff

kilikafinal

It's already "big". We already have big gaming competitions, the MLG, etc. So yeah.. why not, but it will kill a lot of fun out of it.

akumaserge

No. Unless you want to count contra speed runs.

ZackRI

No, I dont like it when video games get "big"

JesseLacey

No, because the Olympics are about athletics and sports, and there is nothing athletic about gaming.

mnml10387

Absolutely not. Olympics celebrate the body, and gaming is many things--but it's not physical.

Plus the game selection would be incredibly frustrating. RTS? FPS? Do you select games for popularity or spectator appeal? For the former we'd be playing Wii Sports or Mario Party, for the latter it'd be fighting games or FPSes, etc.

Gunhaver

No.

BluFire

It's like Poker being an Olympic sport.

gothamdarkknight

@GunSavior: I think you mean "video games should 'NOT' be in the Olympics" but yes, completely agree with you.

DarkFestim

I don't even think there should be a gaming league! Periodical tourneys, sure... but a whole frigging LEAGUE?!?!?

Enigma_20XX

Eh... when it comes to sheer skill level, I could see something like Virtua Fighter in there. Huge volumes of depth.

I'm not an olympics fan, but I know there's Olypmic Pistol Shooting. Is that in this year? I know there are a lot of "Olympic Sports" that aren't really contested.

But Pistol Shooting is the same thing, really. It's just eye hand co-ordination with no real physical exertion required.

But at the same time, the Olympics tends to ruin any sport it touches. Tae Kwon Do? Olympic rules are a joke and have destroyed the art as any sort of self defense technique and completely stripped it of any philosophical value. Pistol Shooting? What a freaking joke. A little .22 with a giant scope, with 60 seconds for a shot? What does that prove?

The Olympics should adopt IPSC rules for pistol shooting, then it'd require real exertion and skill.

tzaketh

No way. Absolutely not. How the heck would it work? You can't expect "gaming" to be a generic catch-all event, especially after posting an article suggesting there's no such thing as a generic "gamer". You also can't just randomly pick a single game and expect it to satisfy everyone. But most importantly, how many games are restricted to just US and/or Japan for sales, or put out in a staggered release? There's just no way to make it a fair and equitable event. You know, besides the fact that the Olympics is supposed to be about _not_ being a couch-potato...

Purple Dave

No, not at all. Gaming is not a skill like shock put, swimming, running, biking and hockey. It can have it's own circuits but it should definitely never be considered a sport.

kylo4

@bigman88zz: It's only officially recognized. I have never heard of it being on display at any main Olympic event.

Which makes me realize, video games would need a standard. For example (pulling this out of my ass): Street Fighter II.

That would have to be the event, it couldn't be "video games", am I right? Something would have to be static about the event, otherwise it can be considered something brand new every year/time it changed. It just doesn't fit.

Thugmunk

I'm sorry, but what I do on my living room couch or computer chair is nowhere near what Olympic athlete does.

Akira119

@Fire4444: thats funny, i dont see chess on the list of games at the 2008 olympics

bigman88zz

@Fire4444: Chess is "recognized as an Olympic sport" by the IOC, but is not contested in the Olympic games. As is Tug-of-war, Bridge, and Orienteering.

So... not really.

Bort

@demonknightinuyasha: Honestly, it's because no matter how much you try to make it, games are not a sport. And olympic athletes probably have 50 times more mental focus than a gamer. (Way exaggerating, but you get the idea). It takes a huge amount of focus and determination to excel at an Olympic event. Way more so than a video game, in my opinion.

Thugmunk

Sure let's add video games to the Olympics. But why should we stop there? They should include watching films and reading books!... Hey, can you tell if I'm being sarcastic or not? I know it's difficult reading sarcasm in these posts, so I'll make my self explicitly clear: No, video games should be in the Olympics.

GunSavior

Yes.

Why not? Chess is an Olympic sport.

...I doubt many of you keep track of gaming's competitive scene.

Fire4444

@天:

Fatality: My ego.... will BLOT out the sun...!

Everyone else: Then we will game in the shade.. ;)

Thugmunk

By my count, as of 11:30 PM, the tally stands at 59-6 in favor of "no." And that's on a freakin' video game blog.

I think we have our answer.

Bort

No, the Olympics are a test of physical as well as mental prowess, AMATEUR PROWESS. This is the reason why chess has not been able to break into the Olympic games (although there was a trial in the 1924 Olympics), amateur and professional players cannot be fully distinguished and I see this as problem if electronic gaming are ever included. With countless local and international tournaments happening between gamers it would be impossible to gauge who is considered decisively AMATEUR.

surft

@Hand_O_Death: The World Cyber Games is pretty much the Olympics of Video gaming.

Thugmunk

Of course not.

And I'm pretty sure that at the Olympic level, there is more to the sport than just the physical aspect. These people live their sport, learn everything they can about it, and strategize every aspect. I'm sure every movement an Olympic athlete makes has been thought out and planned in some way. I don't think anyone could compete at the top tier of competitive sports on physical prowess alone.

Crabfeast

Absolutely. The Special Olympics are the perfect venue for it.

MysidianMan

No. I love me some video games, but the Olympics is about sports that rely on actual phsical prowess, beyond just the thumbs. Also, it wouldn't be long until the "retro" fad hit the Olympic gaming community, and they were all gaming in the nude to stay true to the past. *Shudder*

Cheers

Filthy_O_Bedlam

I don't think so. We have plenty of competitions as it is already, and I think the Olympics should stay more physical than anything.

yflow

Hell to the no.

usethefork

What's the hub bub with the Olympics? Some people all of a sudden become over night fans of pole vaulting and whatever events they have for the Olympics.

It's boring if you ask me.

RyuriTatsujin

no.

shouryuuken

No, The Olympics is the opposite of what Gaming is. Olympics are pure real word physical activity and It should stay that way. If someone was to develop a Virtual Olympics, much like what the X-Games did for extreme sporting, that would be cool though.

Hand_O_Death

It wouldn't work well. Too many different games, and games get outdated :P

It could be cool, though, if every year 1 game was part of the Olympics, and it always switched.

copet

Rule of thumb: if it can be done while drinking beer, it's not an actual sport. I'm lookin' at you too, golf and bowling!

psychicfriend

@anonymousryan:

That's interesting, actually. Like I said, I've never been one to really care about the Olypmics. But then again, if it's an homage to the concept of the ideal soldier, why do they use the most laughed at target pistol shooting rules in the world? <<

Completely off topic: English Olympic Pistol Shooters have to practice across the channel in France because handguns are illegal in England.

tzaketh

Yes,
Then id actually watch the olympics. =P

segamanxero

No. Just no.
Several other good sports that have more defined rules, worldwide championships and are stable are not part of the Olympics... games just have no place in it.

Baseball for instance. Or Chess.

Also, there's a limited number of sports, and they must have very strict rules to be there. They all involve some sort of athletic ability.

Games have just too many variables. Ranging from: WHICH games, to computer specs and several other stuff.
There are also several problems regarding the space it would require, the whole problem in installing and configuring computers, and other stuff.

It has some problems close to why Chess isn't considered an Olympic sport... read here: [www.time.com]

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Maybe some kind of really athletic game, or guitar hero or something like that.. Olympics have always been about feats of strength, so it seems a bit stupid to put regular games in there. I wouldn't be surprised if some olympic-type league of games (besides MLG, MLG kind of sucks) arises and makes a international deal. If they do get accepted in the distant future i wouldn't be surprised either.

Nessman

Only when gaming becomes equally as complicated and hard as sports so whenever we can control videos games with our minds.

Weepee

That'd certainly make them more entertaining, but it really depends on what games what competitions there are. The Beijing 2008 Olympics game would be horrible, for example.

Metal_Slug_Solid

Well, my original answer was lazy, so I'm going elaborate further.

As it stands, the Olympics are highly unbalanced. Only a few select nations actually have a standard of living high enough to allow for the training of individuals purely for the games. Every other country must cut corners and make sacrifices to train athletes on the same level as the U.S. and European nations.
At the same time, the Olympics have ceased to mean anything. Besides the lopsidedness of the competition, there's no spirit of brotherly love behind the Olympics. Who here can honestly say they give a damn about any country other than their own in the Olympics? It creates more divides than it produces. At the same time, it's an economic drain. It pours billion and billions of dollars into athletes, stadiums, mascots, knick-knacks, and other assorted garbage that doesn't benefit anybody in the world.

Simply put, other than a cheap entertainment value most people don't even care about, the Olympics are worthless. So why not allow video games to be played there? Just allow anything that petitions to be a sport. It can't be more boring than what's already there.

Ad-hominem

NO, somehow I think it would stop being gaming if it were that way.

Fenian

This just in. Olympic Games 2012 cancelled, considered racist after an uproar of couch potatoes protested against the event for giving out a fake perfect human image, much like modeling, making the average human being feel bad about themselves and leading to an increase of both suicides and gym subscriptions, further implying the illegal bonds between gym owners and professional athletes, as well as corrupt world goverments. Doctor involvement investigated as many people believe the theories of heart failures linked to the fat amounts in the body is part of a conspiracy linked back to the Olympic Games and their, apparently negative, effects on society.

The event is to be replaced with a video gaming competition where every human being, perfect as we all are, can take part and even win despite being too fat to fit through their basement door as all that is required is having thumbs, even going as far as negating the need for the special olympics at the same time.

Agnates

@MistaJeff: That was...relevant.

Maybe we can get our own big event?

I mean, they have the Winter Olympics, which not many people take nearly as seriously as summer (curling anyone?).

urutapu

No, I wouldn't want most of the people that "Pwn" me at halo to be representing my country. How embarrassing would it be for somebody representing your country to tell another country they were "Teh Gay".

Oomingmak

@tzaketh: Shooting and the pentathlon were included in the modern games as an homage to the spirit of the original games being contests for the ideal soldier. I suppose you could include gaming when unmanned drones become more prominent in warfare.

My vote, NO.

anonymousryan

Only after Chess becomes a sport.

Gestahl

I'll let my good friend Darth Vader answer this for me:

+ Watch video

Pezdispenser

Board games would make more sense in the Olympics, since the rules hardly ever change and it requires just as much physical training (none).

No thank you. Keep Video games and Olympics separate. I love them both but don't want to ever see them together.

Diesel_Power

NO! thats when you end up with whiny snobs like Fatl1e at the front, getting sponsorships and way too much money. I don't even like the video game league thing. gaming is 30% skill, 70% luck, because even though you may be the best, you wont win every time, and, lets face it. It's REALLY boring to watch some games. REALLY.

Swizzler121

This had better not be a serious question...

TuxBobble

video games? fuck no.

MisterMcThursday

so we can have a game of the nba,mlb, etc, etc, etc. why not one about the olympics?

jove

No thanks, it's bad enough Developers trying to turn games into eSports just ruins them in the process. I hate to see the shitstorm the prospects of being an Olympic Event would inflict on it...

And if you're reading this Tom Chilton, yes, I mean the bullshit you've been doing to WoW lately to make it an eSport.

BlackMage66652

Why not?

Gaming is already, without competitions, a tool that brings the world together to have some fun and laughs.

Its considered by some already (ESPN) a sport and even if you don't think of it that way, it's a way to face off and show your skills.

As long as we don't get Wii sports Olympic events >_>... i would be excited to see Gaming in the Olympics. I even might watch it.

KireSenoj

No. In addition to the "it's not athletic" argument, you also have the issue where there are many older, popular, more appropriate sports that aren't Olympic events where the practitioners would love to be there. Gamers, by and large, probably don't care.

ninjafetus

@Morpork:
Watching that is a game over.

rexor0717

Absolutely not, for the same reason I think fatal1ty shouldn't be celebrated. Gaming requires neither any great physical or mental aptitude, it's just about reflexes...so...no.

TheHeartless

fuck the olympics, and fuck the chinese government. who bans youtube? honestly??

MistaJeff

Of course. Why not?

The olympics are already a waste of space and money.

Might as well throw in some more pointless crap.

Ad-hominem

Not in a million years. There are "sports" already in the Olympics that I don't think should even be there.

Grahamunculus

That's... Just silly. No.

Uzumaki_Kiba

I thought they already were....

[sarcasticgamer.com]

Sanshyuum

Awesome idea! Korea would *totally* take the gold in the MMO competition!

Roll3r

@gold5225: Regardless of what's waaayyyyy better, ultimate seems more like other sports that are already in the Olympics (basketball, football/soccer, etc).

Born2Shill

it would be funny if they started testing for cheat codes

kamfair55

That's a more complicated question than most people make it out to be.

My first instinct was "No, the Olympics is about physical fortitude."

Then I realized curling and shooting are Olympic events, which require precision more than strength, like gaming.

I think a rule of whether or not something should be allowed in the Olympics is the sport (or whatever) has to be normally done standing up. I think that holds up for every event (maybe, I actually don't have a clue).

Gaming is not normally done standing up, so it shouldn't be in the Olympics.

That's a lame answer, isn't it.

ShirtGuyDom

They don't consider american football a real game, why would video games fit in?

VakeroRokero

I hate sports. This wouldn't be the case but I was forced to play cricket as a kid, so I hope you understand.

blisteringbarnaclesandthunderingtyphoons

Hell fucking no. Enough said.

Killalaz

video games and sports? not possible. Fat guys don't deserve gold medals.

Turn on the tv and watch the people competing, and then look at your mirror... do you see the difference?

VakeroRokero

I think that if you answer that question, you have another laid before you: Which games? Which genres? Sports? Madden? Shooter? Team Fortress? There are so many games both current and old, what would make a game that everyone could compete in? An RTS player has no place in an FPS match.

In addition, can the world compete? What about countries who don't have mainstream video games because they are unaffordable? Countries where a workers average salary is $130/year is not going to be a goldmine of Halo players. I would argue that the same reason that baseball is being removed from the 2012 Olympics is relevant here: it's not accessible/popular worldwide. Unlike Soccer. Unlike swimming.

e-friend

@Born2Shill: Actually Frisbee Golf is Waaaaayyyyy better than ultimate so i wanna see frisbee gold in the olympics that would be amazing.

gold5225

No. I don't want too see 400-pounders competing at the Olympics.

Dragon_Warrior

No why would you want to do that!? Though if they scrap baseball there could be a spot for it there... Im sure more people could actually play virtual baseball hmm. On second thought Noooo! Gaming is not a sport... it virtualises them. It can be a hobby and a profession but never a sport.
By the way shooting and gaming are completely different, the aiming and feedback you recieve from a real gun compared to a game simulated one are nothing alike... besides holding up a real gun works your muscles a shit tonne more than your thumb and trigger finger get worked playing consoles.

Nipz

Well mabye when we have some nice Wii motion Plus games that have some 1:1 we could call that as actually needing more than mental skill. I like PS3 and Wii but i just dont think PS3 or 360 type Gamig would fit in the Olymipcs well but mabye Wii in the Future besides Nintendo Named it Wii instead of Revolution because of being able to pronounce Wii in every language. :)

gold5225

@dbushik: I think ultimate deserves to be an olympic sport before disc golf.
Is regular (club & ball) golf in the olympics?

Born2Shill

Nah, I'd prefer the Olympics to be "IRL"

scy1192

Although I could see it happening with all the other weird sports in the olympics. I mean ping pong is a olympic event, so why not gaming.

But I don't think it should. I don't really believe in professional gaming, I think it is kind of lames. I want to play games, not watch other people play games.

I don't watch or really care about the Olympics anyone. I don't think many people who are really into gaming really care about the Olympics either. Plus I don't really want to hear some stupid sappy back story on the struggles of some professional gamer preparing for the games interrupted by a ton of commercials.

NullsRevenge

The only system you could use would be Wii, imo. And it would also have to be physically strenuous.
You know what, no. People from any country can be good at any given sport (unless you're landlocked. Sorry swimming) for free but something like this would require money.

Channing

N.O. NO.

meatee

@Gestahl: YES! I have wanted chess to be an olympic sport forever!! That is a true demonstration of mental skill!

Weasel3689

They had Tug of War in the past, so hey, why the hell not?

NiGHTSSTUDiO

After the hissy fit everyone threw about that Fatality dude the other day?? Yea right.

PlasmaMachine

@TheHeartless:

I hate fatal1ty too but I feel that SOME games can truly require at least mental strength (starcraft) to succeed and not simply reflexes. Maybe not as much as traditional olympic sports, but enough for some of the truly hardcore gaming competitors to deserve some pittance for the honing of their skill (however useless as it is to society or self). I don't think any gamer deserves even near the amount attention and commendation as fatal1ty, but I think that some people that are extremely exceptional at some games deserve a little props. Maybe a coupon.............

Weasel3689

No.

*Runs to Deadspin to wash such a nerdy question off of me*

Muisee

Nope. Athletics.

krushjudgement

Video games arent a sport plain and simple no.

SirThoraxe

It'd feel out of place...

Just imagining the TV broadcasting another TV wouldn't feel right with all the rest of the olympic games.

Maybe if you had people in video game character outfits doing the sports... that'd be funny.

Omata

Gaming, although it would be awesome to see, wouldn't work in the Olympics. There are too many games to be able to regulate real skill and ability. I know that they do it with MLG and whatnot, but they play a multitude of games. There would have to be a bunch of different divisions for gaming. It would never work.

sadisticfreak432

Absolutely not. What sort of game could you possibly make that transcended the time that it was made in, that multiple countries could agree upon and find relevant, that was a true test of skill, and that wasn't already better represented by a physical sport? A game that was specifically made for the olympics that somehow involved one's dexterity, reflexes, spatial or reasoning skills, and other mental qualities might work. Once you bring popular games into the mix, it becomes about marketing, and isn't that important or interesting as the years go by. I can imagine a synthesis of physical sport and gaming-like technology combining to create a semi-virtual sport that wouldn't be possible without video games. But, I can't possibly see an olympic Dead or Alive 4 competition or anything like it. *yech*

goodknight

I am all for video games as a sport and as a growing and new form of pasttime but it should not be in the olympics. The olympics are a measure of national pride and physical talents not necessarily a showcase for all valid sports. This is obvious in that they are cutting baseball from the olympics for 2012 (something I truly feel is totally weak!). Though one may identify the lack of physical skill required in such olympic sports as curling or ping pong, these such sports are examples of sports that have enough entertainment power and require enough finesse to be olympic sports. Although video games require an extreme amount of finesse in certain situations, they lack that entertainment power to truly be in the olympics ( I discuss my opinions on this in this post here [kotaku.com] ).

I feel that games can remain as a valid sport of the people (because they are damn fun to play in massive tourneys) but will not take off as a spectator sport (at least not without boring me to death)

Weasel3689

@psychicfriend: Apparently the rifling team never got that particular memo. You can drink beer and shoot guns, that's how they roll out in the country!

evslin

no. absoloutly not.
I loovee the olympics but puttings something like gaming into the olympics when it isn't nearly even a sport is just so nerdy it's rediculous. that's why we keeps something as big as MLG. Keep it to MLG, not the olympics.
sports are something that when you're training you get tired (besides guitar dance dance etc.)

fastball611

No, and I also don't agree with calling professional gamers athletes. While I think it is a legitimate event, and a career for some, I fail to see it as a sport or its people as athletes.

On a silly note tho, maybe it would be more at home at the winter olympics, with snowboarding and curling.

Wolfgeist

@ShirtGuyDom:

Well, actually, I think you have a point: even in the shooting I haven't seen people prone or kneeling or sitting-- even though it's a very possible way of shooting.

But then again, shooting can be done either way. What if we required our "pro gamers" to stand up the whole time? <<

To be honest, I think it'd be too hard to tabulate. You couldn't have world records, because games are outdated too quickly. Think if we'd done this twenty years ago. Would you seriously want to see Billy Mitchell entering the Donkey Kong category?

The only way games could ever honestly make it into the Olympics would be if we invent a Holodeck.

tzaketh

No. Simply due to the fact that alot of third world countries won't have the resources to even practice or compete. The countries who are able to afford systems for their competitors to compete or even to recruit anyone in the first place are going to be ridiculously low. If you look at most international gaming leagues; you see what countries are able to afford real franchises and make it somewhere. It's usually the same ones over and over.

Zeiphor

Oh no, like everyone has said, it's just too weird. Maybe a separate Olympics or tournament or something like that but it's not a sport.

Super Bunny Princess

As others here said, the Olympics are about pushing the limits of human physical potential through competition. Each competition is physical in nature. If golf was once an olympic sport but was taken out, then I really don't see videogames having more of a chance.
Besides, what would people play? Fighting games? Ha, there's already boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Judo there.

Blah8

@Div: Couldn't have said it better. There are tons of bullshit sports on ESPN, if you're going to add gaming to the Olympics, poker and darts should be added as well... and that would be totally lame if every insignificant competition went to the Olympics. NO NO NO NO. If anyone said yes...good god. Olympics is about athletic competition period.

Reignbow

Its possible it could happen. Like the idea of a "one console future", the IOC can make a "one standard" and manufacture that as the official one used for the Olympics. Have their own rules and all that.

Who said they have to use traditional controllers? Look at Wii now and what might can happen in the future, IE using your whole body for controlling movement, thus "making it physical."

But I doubt it will ever happen.

Chikebo

The Olympics are based on an ancient tradition, and the events are highly regulated. And they are almost uniformly a celebration and demonstration of athleticism.

I would rather gaming develop its own "Olympics"-like multi-day festival.

ludwigk

No. Olympics are for physical activities.

Ultima08

I'm glad to see so many "NO" answers. Gaming really doesn't have a case if chess isn't allowed in the olympics. Even then, chess has been stable in terms of game design, rules, etc for (conservative estimate) about 600 years. Even if chess was accepted, it has the benefit of the game and rules staying the same for a long time. Most games have a competitive life of a few years tops (with very, very few exceptions). The problem is you can't clear out one standard game that will surivive a 4 year cycle. If you want to push for gaming circuits, fine. Hell, make a gaming olympiad (similar to the chess olympiad). I just don't see gaming as a valid olympic competition in any sense though.

@SnprSlick:

No. Wrong. Stop it. Ugh. The reason baseball was voted out was because it was a medal rotation for Cuba, and the US (maybe Japan too since they're 3rd on the medal count with 3, nobody else has more than 1) and only 16 countries(3 were autobids for being the host) have participated since it became an official sport in 1992. Out of the 16, seven only had one appearance. You also run into problems with getting teams together, since only Cuba is presumably using its best players. Anyone else is either in the middle of a pennant race in MLB or Japan. Plus, you have a distinct lack of anyone outside of SE Asia, the US and the Caribbean islands even playing the game. Plus the IOC has a near-Euro majority, who have very little interest in baseball and really haven't fielded a team.

Nik in NOLA

no

KingKevin

I'm glad to see that even the most fervent video game supporters have the sense to know gaming doesn't belong in the Olympics.

Though a part of me does wish I was on an Olympic gaming team so I could boycott Beijing '08.

justhesh

is this a joke? No.... Football, gold (questionable if it's even a sport) and many others aren't Olympic events, I see absolutely no reason why video games should be.

Interstella5555

Yes, because rhythmic gymnastic is a "sport".

NeVeRMoRe666

Video games in the Olympics would create a paradox when they make video games based on Olypmic video games. Art imitates life imitates art and back again. Pass me another beer.

flashtut

No.

The idea that you can't dope it up would be great though.

Artdeux

In my memory I remember the Olympics being relative to the country in a certain way where some events were done in some countries and some weren't e.g Football or Soccer, Archery etc. so if Gaming was or is going to be in the Olympics then i think it would be Korea that will do it.

Now for MHO, Olympics is about physical endurance and strenght and gaming doesnt fall into that. Yes the Wii can be categorised under enurance but you definitely don't need stenght except you are looking to smash your Tv or do your wife's eye in.

Dirame

@MistaJeff: One ro be disemvoweled, methinks.
Also, Gaming and Sports in a single competition? We don't even have card games or chess in the Olympics, so videogames wouldn't exactly be a welcome addition. Also, videogames are still relatively controversial, competitive Quake would get some countries in an uproar.
I say no on this one.

TheCleaningGuy

I'm watching the Womens' 10-Meter Air Rifle competition right now. Fuck it, throw videogames in.

InsidiousTuna

NO, the Olympics is about the peak physical achievements, and unity of nations, under humanity.

Gaming is not.

Chewbenator

Fuck no

Murderdolls

The mere idea that Fatal1ty could represent the US on the world stage makes my stomach churn in new and interesting ways.

But then again, if shooting targets while hurtling down an icy chute is Olympic material, I don't see why video games shouldn't be. But really, summer, or winter?

luminousforce

@TheCleaningGuy: ro in line 1 = to

TheCleaningGuy

No gaming shouldnt be in the olympics because gaming isnt persistent.
Even what we consider persistent, like counter-strike isnt older than 10 years and the interest dwindles with time in favor for newer more interesting titles.

For gaming this is a good thing because it keeps the field interesting. However it also makes olympic integration more or less impossible.

mrmud

only if games like chess and mah-jong start getting included.
competitive activities != sports.

Murdats

No. And I don't think the Olympics should be in gaming either.

Seriously, Olympic game suck ass.

Frologic

no

boopadoo

No. Don't ruin the fun.

Would you put painting in the Olympics?

CatfishMaw

starcraft should be. but not others.

stevesan

It would break my heart to see a Madden glitcher win a gold medal.

flashtut

i think not. Gaming gets to much fucking publicity as it is. (thank you stupid ass kids who blame gta for everything)

but oh how i love to see that giraffe.

akiko1874

no way, that would ruin the image of olympics.

GimmeCat

Like I said, Shooting is an olympic sport. And not just any olympic sport - it's the FIRST olympic sport (along with 8 others.)

Others include,
Sailing
Table Tennis
Softball
Table Tennis
Croquet
Golf
Bowling (unofficial, yet still held as an event)

Did I mention Croquet?

The main point is that since shooting is an original olympic sport, it defines what the olympics can be. Aiming and reflexes are obviously a physical skill.

Fryfat2

of course NOT

i hate this kind of question that are obviously wrong but are made to test the % of people who does not hold values beyond individualism

computor

@Div: don't knock darts dude, though the irish and english would win every dart event

hitokirimaru

@SamL_ how do you explain target shooting then....

Rambonz

Absolutely no.
1) because it isn't a sport (as mentioned above)
2) a little luck can overturn results a lot
3) framedrop, network collision, game glitch can happen.

4) I don't want to see players in the olympics that are much weaker in skill than me. It's frustrating. I watched last winter the international "gaming Olympics" on CSS or whatever it was called .... the guys were a disaster.

5) there are already sports in the Olympics, that shouldn't be there - let's not make the whole event a global joke.

somarix

Shooting was one of the first nine modern-olympic sports. It's not exactly athletic.

Fryfat2

Absolutely not. While I am stunned by the skill of pro gamers, I can't get over the fact that their medium of competition is a virtual program. Also, while some may disagree, I don't believe video games are a sport, which makes their qualification even more questionable. Chess isn't in the Olympics. Why should a far less proven medium for competition be given preferable treatment?

Xenigma

No.

The Olympics are an athletic competition.

Video Games, generally speaking, are non-athletic competitions. Sure there are a few that get you up and moving, however most of the competitive gaming takes place sitting down. Not a very athletic image comes to mind with that picture.

Video Gaming is surely a test of stamina and skill as illustrated in "King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" and some of my old school marathons at super metroid, any zelda game and Final Fantasy 6, but it is not an athletic competition.

Simply put the Olympics are a symbol of athletic competition, not video gaming competition.

mangomonkeyboy

Even though it might mentally challenging for the best players Seeing as there is nothing athletic about competitive video games then no.

NirvashRE

Perhaps. It depends on the game. Perhaps more tournament-friendly games like Halo 3, CoD4 or Brawl.

SuperStingray

@Bort: This is my thinking as well. Although there are some Olympic sports that might be on par physically with competitive video games (curling?), adding them as an event seems no more logical than if they were to add boardgames as an event.

FlashIV

@SamL_: how about the physical exertion of my thumbs on a dualshock 3? that must count for something... i mean... they have table tennis... c'mon...
so i say its a possible, but i don't want to watch that in the olympics... keep it with the MLG and competative shows on g4

to the Olympiad Halo 3 CTF matches...I say nay

patsfan07

Videogaming in the olympics? Don't be silly...

Unclean1

No, gaming is not a sport. No physical exertion.

zerokoolpsx

Definitely no.

Shinryoma

Gaming as an Olympic sport? Yeah, sure. As soon as reading, movie-watching, and freaking navel-gazing get the Olympic treatment. The Olympics are supposed to be a showcase of human feats of athleticism. Gaming is about as far removed from athleticism as Beijing is from political freedom. You see what did there?!

Altersparck

@thor79: Good point about commercialization. I think that's why all motorsports have been shunned and cancelled.

Fryfat2

@justhesh:
I just watched the marksmanship women's competition. I would say that requires exactly the same kind of focus and observation and also hand-eye coordination....so why is it any different?

I think the biggest thing with it is the fact that in order to compete they have to pick a game and a platform. Picking a game endorses a game or a gaming system. None of the olympic events I know of have a set standard that picks one company over another to be THE platform or tool for the Olympics.

IMO gaming is too commercialized to be a part of the Olympics...just like stuff like car racing and such is. The Olympics focus the competition on the competitors rather than letting the companies behind everything sharing the spotlight with the competitors.

thor79

Like many here has expressed, gaming does require tremendous skills and practice, but does not belong in the Olympics.
Video games, like a few other "sports", depends too much on external factors, like car racing, golfing, and such. They require skill, physical endurance, and vary greatly based on the courses, circuits, or in gaming's case, the games themselves. As such, it would not quite fit with the Olympic spirits.

swangtal

YES!, 'cause i want a gold medal too :(

oh well always the special olympics :D!!!!!!

*brakes legs with a hammer* ;D

MEGAJIMZ