I get the common usage of the term. It just seems weird that society is so bored that it’s willing to pay people to play games. although It’s probably no different in the abstract than paying any other performer or service provider for entertainment. I guess it’s fun to watch?
Hundreds of years ago, society was so bored that we all gathered together to watch people kill each other in an arena. If we were lucky we would get to see bloodshed and the emperor will release the lions!
Humans have been playing games far longer than the digital age has been going on for. Why would anyone pay to watch people throw a ball around for hours? I guess it’s fun to watch?
I think “thousands” would be more accurate. We only have written records going back a few thousand years, and what we’ve gathered from what went on in Göbekli Tepe and other such places, they pretty much did something just for fun as well. I think trying to chase away the feeling of being bored is a quintessential human trait. In other words, our need for novel things is what actually elevated our species to be unlike any other.
Why do you do anything that bring you pleasure when you could be working every waking moment?
No fun, more work!
People that play games, as you call them, like to see people play a high level of that same game, because they enjoy the said game.
It applies to pretty much everything in life. This is one way we learn.
And how do you make sure that people that are good at whatever game gets to the highest level possible? You pay them to professionally play the said game.
Pretty obvious. You don’t wear your nickname well.
“Sport” is defined as athletic activity, and “athlete/athletic” refers to physical exercise, agility, stamina, and strength. So no, playing a video game doesn’t count.
If girls make you sweat, good for you. Sex could arguably be athletic, depending on what you get up to.
So it’s about the amount of physical exertion, not about it being a game?
So you can’t wrap your head around the concept of professional chess players? Professional poker players? Darts? Curling?
Hell, in rally, you just literally sit in a car. Such physical exertion! (And I’m Finnish and have been in an actual rally car, before you’re going to try and make a point about how physically demanding you think it is.)
actually professional motor sports are quite an exertion in a lot of professional contexts because they drive for hours with no rest and they’re doing a lot of movement of the wheel and pedals - it’s not just driving down an interstate for a couple of hours
Well yeah, they are. Some more exerting than others. They vary from drag races to endurance ones, and some go really fast.
My point is rather that in driving, the physical exertion mostly comes from having to keep up mental focus and a static position — much like when gaming.
So now it’s about heartrate? Playing Mario Kart and Dark Souls can get your heartrate into the 120+ range. And that’s casual videogamers, playing simple games.
During professional competitive play, heartrates go up to 180+ bpm. That’s on the level of racing car drivers. Way more than chess, archery, or shooting of any sort would ever have.
So guess the Turkish shooter doesn’t qualify for you either? Archers? Magnus Carlsen isn’t a chess professional, he’s just a really lucky dude with a lot of money for some random reason?
I’m going to pretend that we’re not now trying to call button-mashing “athletic.” Such exertion!
The term “professional” has nothing to do with athletics…
As long as you’re getting paid to do it you’re a professional something. Just means it’s your profession.
I get the common usage of the term. It just seems weird that society is so bored that it’s willing to pay people to play games. although It’s probably no different in the abstract than paying any other performer or service provider for entertainment. I guess it’s fun to watch?
Bread and games.
Entertainment is a huge market.
Fair point.
Hundreds of years ago, society was so bored that we all gathered together to watch people kill each other in an arena. If we were lucky we would get to see bloodshed and the emperor will release the lions!
Humans have been playing games far longer than the digital age has been going on for. Why would anyone pay to watch people throw a ball around for hours? I guess it’s fun to watch?
I think “thousands” would be more accurate. We only have written records going back a few thousand years, and what we’ve gathered from what went on in Göbekli Tepe and other such places, they pretty much did something just for fun as well. I think trying to chase away the feeling of being bored is a quintessential human trait. In other words, our need for novel things is what actually elevated our species to be unlike any other.
No shit, Captain Obvious
I agree that it’s a little weird but it’s no more weird than professional sports.
Agreed
You say this like professional sports haven’t existed for literally millenia
Not really, they haven’t. And videogames are hardly sports.
They existed in ancient Rome, which was… Over 2 thousand years ago
Why do you do anything that bring you pleasure when you could be working every waking moment?
No fun, more work!
People that play games, as you call them, like to see people play a high level of that same game, because they enjoy the said game.
It applies to pretty much everything in life. This is one way we learn.
And how do you make sure that people that are good at whatever game gets to the highest level possible? You pay them to professionally play the said game.
Pretty obvious. You don’t wear your nickname well.
Yep, because professional chess players are well known athletic masterpieces 🙄
Professional, maybe by the definition this thread seems to prefer. Athletes, no.
Captain clueless in the house!
I don’t know what point you’re trying to make?
What’s your criteria for sport? what’s Golf? Darts? Bowling? Curling? Archery?
Is it that you have to break a sweat? I guess talking to girls makes you an athlete then?
“Sport” is defined as athletic activity, and “athlete/athletic” refers to physical exercise, agility, stamina, and strength. So no, playing a video game doesn’t count.
If girls make you sweat, good for you. Sex could arguably be athletic, depending on what you get up to.
so we’re just going to skip past all of those examples got it
Except the person in question didn’t call gamers athletes but instead professional.
I would also count athlete a subset of professional as well.
I’m not the one who brought athletics into this. I’m just following the conversation. But no, “esports” do not meet the definition of “sport.”
No one in this chain called it a sport that I saw. The root comment was “”professional” gamer”
Dude just shut up
Make me? <shrug>
So it’s about the amount of physical exertion, not about it being a game?
So you can’t wrap your head around the concept of professional chess players? Professional poker players? Darts? Curling?
Hell, in rally, you just literally sit in a car. Such physical exertion! (And I’m Finnish and have been in an actual rally car, before you’re going to try and make a point about how physically demanding you think it is.)
actually professional motor sports are quite an exertion in a lot of professional contexts because they drive for hours with no rest and they’re doing a lot of movement of the wheel and pedals - it’s not just driving down an interstate for a couple of hours
… i did upvote you, so i mostly agree, but… yknow
Well yeah, they are. Some more exerting than others. They vary from drag races to endurance ones, and some go really fast.
My point is rather that in driving, the physical exertion mostly comes from having to keep up mental focus and a static position — much like when gaming.
Hey hey, you leave curling out of this. You go sweep a rock until it barely crosses the hog line a few times and check your heart rate.
Curling is at least a legitimate sport.
So now it’s about heartrate? Playing Mario Kart and Dark Souls can get your heartrate into the 120+ range. And that’s casual videogamers, playing simple games.
https://www.esportwissen.de/en/performance-in-esport/
During professional competitive play, heartrates go up to 180+ bpm. That’s on the level of racing car drivers. Way more than chess, archery, or shooting of any sort would ever have.
So guess the Turkish shooter doesn’t qualify for you either? Archers? Magnus Carlsen isn’t a chess professional, he’s just a really lucky dude with a lot of money for some random reason?