The Olympic Games. The five rings. The ceremonies. The lighting of the torch. Faster, higher, stronger. The place where the likes of Muhammad Ali, Usain Bolt and Carl Lewis first gained the world stage.
The
Olympics have captured a world wide audience and held the gaze of the planet
for more than a century. Even people who generally aren’t inclined to be sports
fans have been known to find the games of the Summer Olympiad to be both
all-encompassing and awe-inspiring.
Could
the Olympics be the place where the players of Dota 2, CS:Go and League Of
Legends also grow their legend? Would it be wise to take a recently-acquired online sportsbook bonus and wager that sum of this
possibility becoming a reality? Is it realistic to actually ponder the notion
that esports could be an Olympic sport?
Why,
yes it is. And it could be much closer to happening than you might think. In
fact, there is solid evidence to suggest that the inclusion of esports as part
of the Olympic movement is nearer to a dream come true than it is to being a
pipe dream.
Olympic Virtual Series
The
International Olympic Committee took a significant step toward the acceptance
of esports by including it on the periphery of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The
inaugural Olympic Virtual Series, an official licensed IOC event, the first-ever Olympic-licensed
event for physical and non-physical virtual sports, was held in conjunction
with the Summer Games.
As part of its build-up to the Tokyo
Olympic Games, the IOC - the supreme authority of the Olympic Games and leader
of the Olympic movement - introduced the landmark Olympic Virtual Series to inspire and mobilize virtual sport, esports and gaming enthusiasts
all around the world, while encouraging the development of physical and
non-physical forms of sports.
The IOC’s vision is to build a better
world through sport. In creating a stage to connect the physical sporting world
with the virtual and simulation sports gaming community, the OVS enabled
participants to engage actively with the Olympic movement through competitive
gaming initiatives, while championing physical activity and the importance of
sport amongst young generations.
“The Olympic Virtual Series is a new,
unique Olympic digital experience that aims to foster direct engagement with
new audiences in the field of virtual sports,” IOC President Thomas Bach said
in a statement. “Its conception is in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and
the IOC’s digital strategy. It encourages sports participation and promotes the
Olympic values, with a special focus on youth.”
Updating the Olympic Ideals
Some look at sports that are included in
the Olympic program such as fencing, archery, equestrian and the modern
pentathlon and see sports that are either elite, out of touch with today’s
society, or all of the above.
To their credit, the IOC is moving to be
more inclusive to sports that attract the younger crowd. Surfing, sport
climbing and skateboarding all made their Olympic debuts in Tokyo.
In the Winter Games, snowboarding and
moguls skiing offer similar appeal to a younger audience.
The Stumbling Blocks
Projections are that the 2028 Summer
Olympic Games in Los Angeles could be the year in which the IOC opens its doors
to esports as an Olympic event. However, it must be noted that there are still
issues to be ironed out that could prevent this occasion from occurring.
The esports that were included as part of
the Olympic Virtual Series were all virtual sports - auto racing, baseball, cycling,
rowing and sailing. For example, the auto racing series was held via the Gran
Turismo Sport video game.
IOC
officials have made it abundantly clear that some of the most popular esports
titles - games such as CS:GO and Call Of Duty - don’t fit with the Olympic
ideals because the main objective of the games are violence and killing.
“I think it’s fair to say that we remain
a sport-based and sport-focused organization,” the IOC’s sport director, Kit McConnell,
told The Verge in an interview. “We’re looking to keep the Olympic Virtual
Series focused around sport titles.”
On the other hand, the IOC likes money.
And esports makes lots of money. This year, organized competitive video games
are expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue this year.