Are Gamers Athletes

[TheSpore]

The general consensus is that we all here consider ourselves athletes to some degree, but many seem to think unless we are running around on a field what we do is not a sport and we are not worthy of being given the title of athlete. Granted is every gamer out there worthy of the title, well maybe not, I can't say honestly the 60 year old woman playing mopping the floor on Farmville is likely an athlete, what I mean is those like us that play competitively and go to tournys to partake in competition.

We all have to spend hours upon hours of lives (many of us who have even higher obligations much less time to manage), just to train our hands to accomplish the task of being able to perform in the game at a higher level rate than what a casual player would. We have to train our eyes to the point of spotting every frame and be ready to counter and react in a just frame manner. The games like any sport has its own science that goes with it and it also requires a large degree of agility and stamina to compete in as well as much mental conditioning like nearly any sport. Many will also say that oh its not athletic in anyway, because it has less physical actions involved and many are ignorant of the fact that we can physically injure ourselves just as easily playing a game as a football player can get hurt on the field.

So what is the verdict TYM are we athletes or are we just a bunch nerdy lazy gamers?

If we all agree that we are athletes what will it take to finally get others to acknowledge the achievements and hard work we go through just to compete against each other?

 

[Clark L.]

Athletes

 

[RapZiLLa54]

No lol

 

[Compbros]

Are pool players athletes? I see playing FGs akin to playing pool.

 

[FrothyOmen]

Lol definitely not. What are Billiards pros called? Darts? Cup Stackers? Chess Pros? We are in league with these people, not athletes. We deal with mental and micro-scale dexterity; while athletes are mental, macro-scale dexterity, AND micro-scale dexterity. They simply have to do more than we do and I think that lack of intense physical requirement is the distinguishing line. Now when you have dudes like CDJr, or EG INcontroL or IdrA from Starcraft, for some the line may blur. People see these people as fit, muscular, athletic. But does the fact that they lift and play video games make them athletes? Or are they just regular people who happen to care about their bodies? Probably the latter, but who knows. This is the FGC, everything must have labels or be the illuminati or else so whatever

 

[xInfra Deadx]

Nah, we all lazy.

 

[Gesture Required Ahead]

Didn't watch, didn't read. But this topic is disucssed often and I only have this to say:

e-Athletes, yes. Athletes, no

 

[TheSpore]

Lol definitely not. What are Billiards pros called? Darts? Cup Stackers? Chess Pros? We are in league with these people, not athletes. We deal with mental and micro-scale dexterity; while athletes are mental, macro-scale dexterity, AND micro-scale dexterity. They simply have to do more than we do and I think that lack of intense physical requirement is the distinguishing line. Now when you have dudes like CDJr, or EG INcontroL or IdrA from Starcraft, for some the line may blur. People see these people as fit, muscular, athletic. But does the fact that they lift and play video games make them athletes? Or are they just regular people who happen to care about their bodies? Probably the latter, but who knows. This is the FGC, everything must have labels or be the illuminati or else so whatever

To be fair I wasn't trying to place a label on us at all, I simply wanted to see how the FGC viewed itself, considering the content of the video I posted with this thread.

 

[Temjiin]

The general consensus is that we all here consider ourselves athletes to some degree

brb dying

 

[Johnny San]

Only if you stretch the meanings of athleticism. If you think that training and competing in a certain thing alone makes you an athlete, every human on earth would be an athlete.

Frothy got it down. And no. Society will never, ever, EVER respect competitive gaming and it shouldn't.

 

[deathblooms2k4]

Nope, I also thinks it speaks volumes when people of the "video gamer" demographic acknowledge this.

 

[PND OmegaK]

I wouldn't exactly call a group of overweight neckbeards athletes.

 

[Youphemism]

Aw man I thought you meant "do gamers do sports too?" haha

 

[MidTierHarley]

What outside? I heard it be scarrrryyyyy

 

[ScorpionRules!!!92]

No

 

[Euphoric]

No they're not. Athleticism requires physical training to perform at the highest level so your body can withstand the physically demanding movements a
"Sport" requires.

Gaming is more akin to playing Chess at a high level.

 

[Insuperable]

I'm an athlete, but not because I play video games. Gamers who think they're athletes because they play games should do a season or two of wrestling

 

[CrimsonShadow]

I wouldn't exactly call a group of overweight neckbeards athletes.

Hey, speak for yourself!

 

[Euphoric]

I also read the OP, I don't know who considers themselves an athlete because they play Video Games, I don't think ANYONE does.

You can consider yourself one if you do any other things outside the gaming realm that falls under the athlete category.

 

[PLAYING TO WIN]

absolutely. at the highest level of play, it takes dedication, hard work, natural ability, mental stamina et cetera. i say it is a sport and I wrestled for 18 years and through college.

It is competition. It is my competitive outlet now that I cannot wrestle.

think about what it takes to stay on top. this isn't poker when you can play once a month and maintain your skills. in fighting games/others you have to spend a rediculous amount of time (unless you play mmh) learning matches, keeping execution up, staying on top of new tech, learning matchups et cetera.

a lot of people don't prepare or have the work ethic to prepare like they should. OR MAYBE BC THERE IS LACK OF INCENTIVE. on the flip side of this... there is very little incentive. @FOREVER KING and I were actually talking about this last night.

 

[PLAYING TO WIN]

Give this community a REAL incentive. Watch what happens to the skill gap btw pros and amat players. Top players will train so hard and have a real reason to. events with corp backing and large prize pots. not grass root events/evo where you beat 1600 people and get a few thousand bucks.

if it is not a sport... it has all the parts to become one. it just needs incentive and real events.

 

[PLAYING TO WIN]

http://www.eventhubs.com/tiers/bb-csx/

 

[WayoftheFist]

This is interesting. I lean a bit toward yes because personally I believe to play at your full potential you need to take really good care of your body as well.

 

[DarkPage]

Someone who plays sports and someone who plays games are both competitors.
But athletes is a no. When the word athleticism is based on physical prowess, everything from to speed to strength.
Gaming requires no physical prowess, no athleticism therefore not an athlete.



Unless your doing fucking finger curls or something so you can mash harder.

 

[WITNESS]

I would have to say mentally we are bcuz we practice to get better, study our opponents, we learn how to play defense and we learn how to be on the offensive end as well, we have clans (aka teams). So I believe we have a mentally of an athlete