Sports and Video Game eSports: Like It or Not, Two Sides of Same Coin
I really dislike the term eSports. I’m old school. It took me until my late 30s before I would even concede that golf was a sport. Now, I say of course golf is a sport. But, eSports! Give me a break.
The truth is however, that the reason why people love eSports is the same reason why people love real sports. Both are specifically designed so players can set goals for improvement and both have documented rules that define the boundaries of game play.
These two factors are what makes both sports and eSports fun for those who love to compete. The real world is not this clearly defined. In fact, setting goals and understanding the rules of life are about as clear as mud.
Competitive people struggle when they don’t know the rules or when the rules keep changing. Competitive people also struggle when there is no way to compete with themselves or others because there is no defined goal of winning or progress. Both sports and eSports provide an escape from a world that lacks these attributes.
This is why I believe athletes enjoy playing video games so much. Especially when the real world doesn’t provide an athlete a means to compete or goals they’re passionate about pursuing. Video games then become their happy place when they aren’t playing sports. Whether you or I like it or not, eSports fill a void when that void is not filled by something else.