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Paris Olympic bid committee (2024) co-president on esports possible role in Olympics

Which game are you most hoping to see as an Olympic Sport in 2024?

Results are only viewable after voting.
B

Blue Lou

Member
Video gamers could be competing for Olympic medals by 2024.

Tony Estanguet, co-president of the Paris Olympic bid committee, told The Associated Press that he will hold talks with esports representatives and the IOC about the possibility of gaming joining the 2024 program.

The explosion in popularity of esports events, drawing large crowds of youngsters to arenas for tournaments, has already seen gaming embraced by the Asian Games. It will become a full sport by the 2022 edition, although details of which games will be contested are yet to be provided.

Paris will be confirmed as 2024 hosts at an International Olympic Committee gathering in Lima, Peru next month after its only competitor, Los Angeles, agreed to take the 2028 Games.

Estanguet believes that a contest of digital prowess should be considered a legitimate sport if the Olympics is to maintain its relevance for new generations of fans.

“We have to look at it because we can’t say, ’It’s not us. It’s not about Olympics,’” Estanguet said in an interview with the AP in London. “The youth, yes they are interested in esport and this kind of thing. Let’s look at it. Let’s meet them. Let’s try if we can find some bridges.

“I don’t want to say ‘no’ from the beginning. I think it’s interesting to interact with the IOC, with them, the esports family, to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.”

The 2024 program will start to be shaped in 2019 with a final decision on the addition of sports in Paris to be taken by the IOC after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“There is some time to look at it, to interact, to engage,” Estanguet said. “We will spend some time after (the IOC meeting in September) Lima to engage with new people and stakeholders. The IOC will have the last ... say, if they want esports on the program. Let’s discuss among ourselves.”
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https://www.apnews.com/ca6640ffde80...Paris-open-to-esports-on-2024-Olympic-program
 
shira

shira

Member
Do they think esports pro players are going to play for free and ditch their "team sponsors"?
 
J

Jebusman

Banned
I mean given the last thread we had about even the idea of this I can imagine this will go swimmingly.

Esports is an ever growing thing and eventually the older generation is going to have to just deal with that that, but slapping them into the Olympics is a dangerous prospect. You are going to have a hell of a revolt.

At best they should get a separate "event". In the same way that there's the Olympics and the ParaOlympics, there should be an eOlympics. Because if for even a second you think people are going to entertain "We now leave the track and field competition to see what's going on in Dota 2"....
 
T

Temeculan3000

Member
shira said:
Do they think esports pro players are going to play for free and ditch their "team sponsors"?
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Simply don't allow pro players to compete, amateurs only. Professional athletes were barred from participating in the Olympics for a long time. (Ok this would remove the majority of interest in the events I realize)

Also, some countries have very lucrative gold medal monetary rewards. Kazakhastan for example gives you $230,000 for a gold medal. Gambit would like that :)
 
V

Vic

Please help me with my bad english
Pls no. I guess it'll back to the old debate of if eSports is indeed a sport or not.

Temeculan3000 said:
Simply don't allow pro players to compete, amateurs only. Professional athletes were barred from participating in the Olympics for a long time.
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"Were".
 
J

Jebusman

Banned
What A Time To Be Alive said:
Dont understand the hate for this. If they wanna add esports just do it smh.
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There is an extremely large contingincy of people who seem to believe that adding esports delegitimizes physical sports, along with the still ever existing stigma of "lol they're just playing video games get a real job" despite multi million dollar tournaments and viewership numbers that quite frankly are starting to outrival some of the smaller traditional sports.
 
S

Stat!

Member
Jebusman said:
I mean given the last thread we had about even the idea of this I can imagine this will go swimmingly.

Esports is an ever growing thing and eventually the older generation is going to have to just deal with that that, but slapping them into the Olympics is a dangerous prospect. You are going to have a hell of a revolt.
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I don't mind watching e-sports and Im not even the older generation but competitive video games don't really have a spot in the olympics in the same way chess or checkers don't really have a spot. I know chess applied for 2020 but still, its not really a physical sport in the same way something like swimming or track and field are.
 
O

Ondor

Banned
Any reason the IOC doesn't just have a seperate event for esports? A winter olympics, a summer olympics, and an esports olympics?

Edit: Beaten. And Olympics and Paralympics is a much better example.
 
T

Temeculan3000

Member
Stat! said:
I don't mind watching e-sports and Im not even the older generation but e-sports don't really have a spot in the olympics in the same way chess doesn't really have a spot. I know chess applied for 2020 but still, its not really a physical sport.
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Neither is curling amirite?
 
G

Goofalo

Member
I like the idea of eSports having something like the Olympics.

But eSports competitors aren't athletes like current Olympians.

That being said, horse dressage is bullshit, so replace that with Dota or something.
 
B

Bucca

Fools are always so certain of themselves, but wiser men so full of doubts.
eSports in the fucking Olympics is dumb and shameful shit.

Smfh
 
J

Jebusman

Banned
Stat! said:
I don't mind watching e-sports and Im not even the older generation but e-sports don't really have a spot in the olympics in the same way chess doesn't really have a spot. I know chess applied for 2020 but still, its not really a physical sport.
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That's why I suggested an eOlympics. A separate but still "Olympic caliber" event. I guess the idea would be to try and get more "country" based teams. I'm sure internet cafes around the world are filled with relatively high MMR players who could probably get scambled together as their country's "team" and probably wouldn't even do that badly.
 
K

KissDaRing

Banned
shira said:
People don't give a shit about Horse Dressage or those faux traditional sports.

Meanwhile you get multimillion viewers watching TI7, League Worlds etc in that 13-30 demographic


Who would watch amateurs?
Click to expand...

Still isn't legitimately worth considering an Olympic sport.
 
S

seady

Member
I am sorry but this sports is not that sports. Don't throw them together just because it share the same letters in the title.
 
K

KissDaRing

Banned
Jebusman said:
That's why I suggested an eOlympics. A separate but still "Olympic caliber" event. I guess the idea would be to try and get more "country" based teams. I'm sure internet cafes around the world are filled with relatively high MMR players who could probably get scambled together as their country's "team" and probably wouldn't even do that badly.
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This makes so much more sense than adding E-sports to the actual Olympics
 
S

Stat!

Member
Jebusman said:
That's why I suggested an eOlympics. A separate but still "Olympic caliber" event. I guess the idea would be to try and get more "country" based teams. I'm sure internet cafes around the world are filled with relatively high MMR players who could probably get scambled together as their country's "team" and probably wouldn't even do that badly.
Click to expand...

I think that would be interesting. Pick a whole slew of games from fighting games, shooting games, MOBA, etc and base it on country men as a whole.

Similar to how for team sports like hockey or basketball, you have a bunch of stars who haven't played together.
 
MilkyJoe

MilkyJoe

Member
wtf3.gif


What happened to this world?
 
S

smurfx

get some go again
just create an esports olympics or something. nobody wants that crap in the regular olympics.

Vic said:
Games from private companies being played as olympics sports. I just can't see it.
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really? it's a great way to get bribes from those very same companies to showcase their games. olympic officials are probably salivating at the thought.
 
A

Abilidebob

Member
I absolutely love e-sports, but for some reason the thought of it appearing in the Olympics just seems... wrong, somehow.
 
T

Temeculan3000

Member
I also would like to point out that Art used to be in the Olympics.

Hubb said:
A quick google says that professional boxers were allowed to compete in the Rio Olympics.
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You are correct, looks like it just changed prior to those games. No really big names competed though.
 
K

kromeo

Member
Not a matter of how legitimate it is as a sport for me, I'd just rather see the Olympics stay as a physical tournament. The same reason I never want to see Olympic chess or poker as already mentioned
 
A

AndyVirus

Member
Let's get proper sports like squash and 20/20 cricket in first. (Not that I ever think video games should be in there)
 
H

Hycran

Banned
Abilidebob said:
I absolutely love e-sports, but for some reason the thought of it appearing in the Olympics just seems... wrong, somehow.
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Maybe because they aren't actual sports?

or maybe because the ancient greeks didn't do them millenia ago?

or maybe because a game that will be popular now is unlikely (although not impossibly) to be played at the next olympics? or even the olympics beyond that?

There are so many reasons why "e-sports" are a joke in this kind of venue, and this is coming from someone who obviously enjoys video games enough to post on neogaf and play them on a regular basis. Keep that shit away from the legit sports.
 
J

Jebusman

Banned
The corporate ownership issue is one that's hard to get past.

Ultimately accepting any one game for an esports competition is indirectly supporting the company who made it.

Not to mention that if it's something like LoL, a game where you either have to sacrifice 1000s of hours of your time or a hell of a lot of money just to gain access to all the playable champions in the first place......

Hycran said:
or maybe because the ancient greeks didn't do them millenia ago?
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Fuck me I never knew the ancient greeks could skateboard.
 
R

Reverend Funk

Comfy Penetration
Can't ruin the sanctity of the olympics with something as ridiculous video games. Now excuse me while I slide this rock on some ice.
 
Z

Zackat

Member
kromeo said:
Not a matter of how legitimate it is as a sport for me, I'd just rather see the Olympics stay as a physical tournament. The same reason I never want to see Olympic chess or poker as already mentioned
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how do you feel about rifle shooting at the olympics. particularly the target shooting. it is more mental than physical, at least to my untrained eye.
 
U

uncredited male

Member
If they put eSports in they might as well have riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline, or shooting a gun Olympic events.

I support this just for the potential hilarity of the opening ceremony walk.
 
Q

Quonny

Member
lol these thread reactions

We have dressage in the Olympics. We have fifteen shooting events. But competitive videogames, a craft that people spend 60+ hours a week practicing and training for, WHOA WHOA. Let's not have that!
 
J

Jebusman

Banned
uncredited male said:
shooting a gun Olympic events.
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Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Man this post got me in a way I wasn't ready for. I honestly laughed out loud.

NOLA_Gaffer said:
If video games make it into the Olympics I demand Chess and Scrabble make it in as well.
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Boggle or no deal.

Reverend Funk said:
Can't ruin the sanctity of the olympics with something as ridiculous video games. Now excuse me while I slide this rock on some ice.
Click to expand...

Hey now! Don't besmirch the good name of Curling. I did that shit for years and it's way harder on the body than it has any right to be.
 
T

Temeculan3000

Member
Jebusman said:
The corporate ownership issue is one that's hard to get past.

Ultimately accepting any one game for an esports competition is indirectly supporting the company who made it.

Not to mention that if it's something like LoL, a game where you either have to sacrifice 1000s of hours of your time or a hell of a lot of money just to gain access to all the playable champions in the first place......



Fuck me I never knew the ancient greeks could skateboard.
Click to expand...

All we have to do is wait 70 years for the game to enter the public domain. (And hope the company releases no more games under that IP and allows it to enter the public domain and the game remains popular and competitively viable that whole time) Simple.
 
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