Games at the Olympics? BRILLIANT!

posted on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 1:18 AM by Westlee Harrington

Ted Owens, head of the Global Gaming League, is seriously pushing for competitive video gaming to be included in the XXIX Olympiad, also known as the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China. It makes perfect sense, Owens argues, to add video gaming into the Olympics in the 2008 games, seeing as how the host country's culture is extremely video game-based (Gaming is a billion-dollar industry in China).

The International Olympic Committee is (understandably) less than thrilled at the notion of putting such a demonstration event into the Olympics, but Joystiq points out that gaming would provide a huge TV ratings boost, and that it would justify extorting Sega for the right to produce officially licensed games based on the Olympics.

I must say, they make a strong argument. I'm still laughing at the thought of there being an Olympic champion at something like Unreal Tournament or Madden, though.

Read More [Joystiq]

Permalink | Industry | Olympics | Rumors | WTF

Comments

Bun_Again: no... then they might as well put chess and darts in as mainstream sports. The Olympics are about athletics. Big fat gaming nerds do not deserve gold medals.

Sigma_Crow: Utterly retarded. Not only is it disrespectful to the real althetes, but everyone knows that unless you like in Korea and go to stadiums to watch people play Starcraft, broadcasting game matches makes for really, really lame television.

im unstoppable: I agree. Athletes train their entire lives to represent their country and bring home medals. Even the thought of someone coming home with gold medal in Halo 2 makes me want to... i don't know but this is probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard. (Except for the crap that come out of Tom Cruise's mouth.)

Azlam Orlandu: Agreed, gaming already is as mainstream as it can get. Adding it to the Olympics is ridiculous. P.S. im unstoppable is officially my new least-favorite member here.

im unstoppable: wtf did i do?

Sigma_Crow: Azlam is just full of metal inspired hatred. Also, you mentioned Tom Cruise. Even for the purpose of mockery, it still equates to bandwagonism.

im unstoppable: I didn't mean to offend anybody, I just thought he has said and done some strange things lately.

Sigma_Crow: He has. But everyone knows it, and far too well at that. At this point, referencing his less than sane actions puts you well behind the cutting edge of internet witticisms. Which annoys some people.

im unstoppable: ok

pangit: games in the olympics is insane and unfair! koreans would take all the gold.

Inferno101487: I think it's a bad idea, gaming belongs in the households, if someone wants tournaments for gaming then be my guest, but to put it as a Olympic sporting event and air it on public television is downright the most retarded thing I have ever heard of. I like playing video games not watching people play video games...

Azlam Orlandu: Sorry im, Sigma pretty much summed it up. Nothing personal, I was just being a prick. My apologies.

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