Researchers at the University of Syracuse are estimating that e-sports viewership will surpass every professional sports league in the United States aside from the National Football League by 2021. In a 2019 shareholder letter, Netflix stated that Fortnite, the video game popularized by Ninja, is more of a competitor to its service than HBO. It has been reported that video game revenue has surpassed the global box office and streaming services worldwide. The revenue generated by the activity, along with the possibility for employment and scholarship opportunities, are found in both arenas. Sports and video games share some similarities. I am a part-time gamer but, more importantly, I'm a full-time doctoral student who studies online video games and their place in society. Regardless of whether it's a sport or a video game, he believes in the importance of competitiveness, respect and pride when it comes to taking a game seriously.īlevins poses a good question: Why is it that sports are taken more seriously than online video games? Ninja suggests that you would not tell athletes like LeBron James or Tom Brady that 'it's just a game'. He believes the phrase shows a weak mindset consistent with laziness, imperfection and being OK with losing. While it's become a famous meme for sports fans and gamers alike, the phrase 'it's just a game' has recently sparked controversy in the online gaming community.Ĭelebrity video game streamer Tyler Blevins - popularly known as Ninja - sparked debate on Twitter. Game developer Blizzard Entertainment has even used it as a voice line for the character Zarya in the popular online game, Overwatch. Since that day, the phrase has exploded in popularity.

Sixteen years ago, National Hockey League goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov provided the sports world with one of its greatest sound bites while being interviewed by reporters: 'It's only a game. Riot Games, the developers of desktop juggernaut 'League of Legends,' is even taking the game into 'Monday Night Football' territory with its own weekday broadcast of the game's major tournament. E-sports should be taken seriously as both an occupation and a form of leisure. Now more than ever before, the stakes are getting higher in professional gaming. This article was originally published on The Conversation.

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