Video games 'should be in Olympics', says game designer
- Published
Competitive video gaming - known as e-sports - should be included in the Olympic Games, according to a top video game designer.
When asked by 91热爆 reporter Colin Paterson whether video games should be an Olympic sport, Rob Pardo told 91热爆 Radio 5 Live: "There's a very good argument for e-sports being in the Olympics."
Mr Pardo said: "Video games are well positioned to be a spectator sport."
Some video game events already attract thousands of spectators.
A recent video game tournament held in South Korea filled a stadium with 40,000 people.
He said: "Look at these professional gamers - [their] reflexes are lightning quick and they're having to make very quick decisions on the fly."
But he also said people would need convincing that video games can count as a sport.
Mr Pardo said: "If you want to define sport as something that takes a lot of physical exertion, then it's hard to argue that video games should be a sport."
"But at the same time, when I'm looking at things that are already in the Olympics, I start questioning the definition," he added.
For e-sports to appear at the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee would first have to recognise video games as a sport, which is highly unlikely.
Board game fans have previously called for chess to be an Olympic sport, but the IOC said it is a "mind sport" and therefore not welcome in the Olympic Games.