Your argument that video gaming is a sport might actually become legitimate. To kick off the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China will be hosting The Digital Games, a four day welcome event for the summer event.
It's taking place in Shanghai, the same city the Olympic soccer events are being held, as part of China's efforts to impress global visitors coming into the country. The event is being put on by GGL Global Gaming (GGL), a Santa Monica company, and it will be recognized as an official welcoming event.
"While the Digital Games won't be a true Olympic event nor will they command anywhere near so much gravity, video gaming recently was declared an official sport by the Chinese government," CNN Money reported.
Their hope is to engage some of the Olympic athletes as well as celebrities like Snoop Dogg. Tournaments will include both amateur and professional, but all games will be taken pretty seriously by the sound of it.
"We believe the crowds we'll get will be far larger than for the Olympic games themselves," the CEO of GGL said of the games, adding the events would be "the ultimate elevation of gaming and the culture of gaming to the world stage. We're associating ourselves with the largest mainstream brand in the world, which is the Olympics."
Video Game Olympics
The Digital Games China 2008
Trend Themes
1. Elevating Gaming as a Sport - The recognition of video gaming as an official sport by the Chinese government opens up opportunities for the integration of gaming into major sporting events, creating new avenues for competition and entertainment.
2. Amateur-professional Gaming Tournaments - The Digital Games event showcases the potential for organizing tournaments that cater to both amateur and professional gamers, highlighting the emerging competitive gaming industry.
3. Global Gaming Spectatorship - The Digital Games event is expected to attract large crowds, indicating the growing interest in gaming as a spectator sport and paving the way for the live streaming and monetization of gaming events.
Industry Implications
1. Gaming - The recognition of video gaming as a sport presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the gaming industry, leading to the development of new platforms, technologies, and business models.
2. Sports - The integration of gaming into major sporting events creates disruptive innovation opportunities for the sports industry, allowing for the expansion of the fan base, new revenue streams, and unique sponsorship opportunities.
3. Entertainment - The emergence of competitive gaming as a mainstream event opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for the entertainment industry, including broadcasting rights, celebrity collaborations, and immersive experiences for audiences.