An industry worth over $65 billion, gaming is no small part of everyday life in this age. There's been buzz lately about the possibility of competitive gaming becoming a part of the Olympics, and while the masses are likely laughing this off as improbable or even silly, many of us are taking stock of what it would take.
There are massive amounts of politics involved, but the reality is that with even the slightest lift in social stigma, this could happen. Three main obstacles must be overcome to even make this anything more than a pipe dream, however:
- An International Federation must be formed to govern the sport
- Participation numbers must meet IOC requirements
- The IOC must be convinced to vote on inclusion into the Games
In order to be an Olympic gold medalist in almost any discipline, you need to train hard every day for an extended period of time and you need a genetic advantage. The same applies to superstar gamers. For example, Michael Phelps has a 6’7″ arm span and double jointed ankles attached to massive size 14 feet. However, he also trains harder than anyone else, pushing himself to the limits of human ability.
Likewise, top Starcraft players require immense manual dexterity which can only be developed to a certain extent. For example, Starcraft 2 pro MMA performs in excess of 330 actions per minute (APM) while competing. Moreover, every top professional Starcraft player lives in a dedicated gaming house where they practice ten or more hours a day. That’s not ten hours of “playing,” that’s targeted practice designed to improve in specific ways and to attain specific goals.
The possibility is definitely years down the road, but it's something to keep in the back of our minds as the years pass to 2020. Check out the full article on Forbes, and don't forget to check out our live competitive gaming streams at own3d.tv/cursetv!
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